Rayate, a place that time forgot: 20 Year Update

 From the desk of Vitasta Raina

Time: Nostalgia

Twenty years ago, in 2005, for my B. Arch final thesis project, I had presented a proposal for integrated village development at a small hamlet called Rayate in Trimbukeshwar taluka, Nashik. The proposal included the development of a forestry research institute, and a veterinary hospital among other things. At that time, fresh from my internship with Laurie Baker at COSTFORD, I was filled with ideas of bringing transformative change to the world around me.

For my thesis, I selected Rayate, a tribal hamlet with a population of about 1200 (2005 figures) some 70 KM northeast of Nashik. And how did I arrive at this little village in the middle of nowhere? I used Walter Christaller’s Central Place Theory, with Nashik at the center [1]. I was born in Deolali Cantt, Nashik, and was living there during my Bachelor’s degree. So I recruited my father’s help in arranging transport, and went to see this little hamlet I had located on the map. It was remote. The road leading up to the village in hilly terrain was a dust path.  Rayate back then was a small cluster of about a 100 odd houses, and I spent a few days, mapping the village, and speaking with my broken Marathi to the people. I went back home, went to the drafting board, presented my integrated plan as my thesis with much determination. I got my degree. I went to the district collector’s office with a copy of my thesis and presented it to them. And I guess, I moved on.

 

Case Study Sheets from my Thesis project. 2005

Case study Sheets from my Thesis project. 2005

It has been 20 years since my visit to Rayate. And now, with the help of Google Earth, I had the opportunity to visit Rayate again. Rayate is still a cluster of houses, but I was very happy to see this new development. An Ashram School has been set up in Rayate. And by the looks of it, it seems to have adequate infrastructure. While it’s a far cry from all the buildings I had imagined for Rayate during my thesis project, I am glad that something concrete has been fleshed out for this little hamlet that can still not be found on Google Maps with ease.

 

Google Earth Images of Rayate, 2025

Maybe I can visit Rayate again someday, or look back in another 20 years to see its status, and draw parallels to the status of my own life :)

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[1] Because what is the point of learning cool theories if you don’t apply them in real life :)