India is an assault on the senses. As soon as you walk outside it seems as though everything is amplified; the sounds, colours, flavours, smells, leaving you with sensory overload.
We flew in to Delhi from Goa in the evening and set off the next day for Agra. That morning we were met by our driver, Mr. Nanu, our escort for the three week journey through Rajasthan. (Note: Only after narrowly escaping being kidnapped by a wily rickshaw driver claiming to be from our tour company-rookie error) We arrived in Agra late afternoon, visiting Akbar's tomb en route to our hotel. That night there was a raucous wedding banquet being held in the courtyard next to our room which wasn't conducive to a good night's sleep. At least we had a good view of the proceedings from our window. The following morning we arose at 5:00am to see the Taj Mahal at sunrise. When we arrived at the complex it was immediately apparent that we weren't the only ones with early morning plans to view the Taj. After snaking our way through the long lines we eventually made our way through to the entrance gate. The Taj Mahal was breathtaking in the morning light, translucent white marble aglow. The bustling hordes of tourists in line to take selfies with the icon made it slightly less easy to appreciate its beauty, but it was spectacular nonetheless. In the afternoon we visited Agra Fort, a Mughal Fort built by Emperor Akbar in 1565. It is a maze-like complex constructed from red sandstone. Interconnected courtyards lead you along a journey of finely crafted palace buildings. The next day we made our way to Bharatpur, where we planned to visit the Keoladeo National Park. Keoladeo is a Unesco-listed national park, recognised as one of the world's most important bird breeding and feeding grounds. Given Bede's keen interest in birds, it was an essential stop along the way to Jaipur. We arrived at Birder's Inn late morning, and made a beeline for the park to make the most of the day. At the entrance we hired bikes and spent the day meandering through the wetlands. On the way to Jaipur the following day we stopped at the Chand Baori stepwell in Abhaneri. This magnificent structure was once used for water storage and a community meeting place but has since become the domain of pigeons with a pool of radioactive green water down the bottom. The structure itself is still a sight to behold, 7 storeys of zig zagging steps forming an optical illusion. We arrived in Jaipur, Rajasthan's capital, late afternoon, driving through the pink streets of the Old city. The entire Old city was painted pink in 1876 to welcome the Prince of Wales. Confusingly, the city appears to be more of a Terracotta colour-Mr. Nanu explained that the city is repainted every few years and the original pink colour was too expensive to maintain. The next day we stopped by the Hawa Mahal on our way to Amber Fort. This gorgeous pink building is a kaleidoscope of windows, and was once home to the women of the palace, intricate jali screens shielding them from prying eyes while allowing views out to the street. Our next stop was Amber Fort, a magnificent yellow and pink sandstone structure housing the former royal palace. After venturing through the vast complex we returned to the Old City to visit the City Palace, still home to the former royal family. The next day we were bound for Bundi, a quaint dusty town with narrow, winding streets and Brahmin blue houses. Above the town sits Bundi palace, described by Rudyard Kipling as 'the work of goblins rather than men'. The palace appears to emerge organically from the very ground it sits upon, blending into the surrounding landscape. We spent the morning exploring the crumbling palace, occupied by bats and cheeky macaques, before making our way of to Taragarh Fort, exploring the overgrown fortress walls. Bundi is known for its abundance of Baoris (step wells) so we ventured down to the Old town in the afternoon to scout out Nagar Sagar Kund and Raniji-Ki-Baori (Queen's step well). We located one of the wells outside Chogan gate in the middle of the main bazaar. No longer used by the community for water storage as it had been in the past, we found it in a derelict state, choked with rubbish. We held out hopes for Ranaji-Ki-Baori but when we came across it the structure was covered with scaffolding with a sign declaring it under maintenance. Despite being a rainy, overcast afternoon we had an enjoyable walk back through the streets of Old town and its charming havelis.
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We've spent the past week in Goa, known as the most 'laid back'' state in India, in order to ease ourselves into the inevitable chaos and confusion that is to come. Goa was colonised by the Portuguese from the 16th century up until 1961, and this cultural influence is still strongly evident in the state's architecture, in particular its quirky, vibrant colonial houses. Our first few days were spent in the state's capital, Panaji. Located on a peninsula overlooking the Mandovi river, the city is characterised by its grand colonial-era buildings, brightly coloured houses, terracotta roofs, and a grand white-washed wedding cake church in the city centre. During our stay in Panaji, we visited the Houses of Goa museum, created by local architect Gerard da Cunha. The museum is an ode to the unique houses of Goa, featuring exhibits on the history and building techniques, and shedding light on this fascinating hybrid of Indian and Portuguese architecture. Following our stay in Panaji, we spent a day wandering around the nearby town of Old Goa, the former Portuguese capital. The town has an abundance of grand old churches harking back to the 16th century when Goa was the heart of Christianisation in the East. Many of these are no longer in use, but several have been converted into museums housing the fascinating history of the area. From Panaji, we travelled to the lazy beachside town of Benaulim, our base in the South of Goa. A short local bus ride from Benaulim is the town of Margao, the second largest city in Goa. After being dropped off at the Municipal gardens, an interesting walk down Abade Faria road leads to the church square, where the Holy Spirit church sits among rows of grand colonial mansions. Some have been beautifully restored, while others (some over 400 years old!) are in a state of glorious dilapidation. A tuk tuk ride out to the town of Chandor brings you to the Braganza-Pereira house, a 450 year old colonial era mansion. The building is divided into two wings, each owned by different sides of the same large family. We entered the house on the right side, owned by the Menezes-Braganca , and were greeted by Judith, one of the descendants of the original owners. The house has been meticulously maintained with most of its original furniture and furnishings, the majority as old as the house itself. We were taken on a short tour through the house, which included the bedrooms, ballroom, dining room and sitting room. Walking through rooms filled with stunning chandeliers and antique furniture imported from Portugal, China, and Japan, it wasn't difficult to imagine how opulently the family must have lived in times past. On our recent trek along the Annapurna Sanctuary route, we encountered the stone houses of the Gurung people, who are the main ethnic group of the Annapurna region. Scattered across terraced fields and made from locally available stone with slate roofs, the houses blend seamlessly into their environs against the background of the Himalayas.
Housing type: Gurung house Location: Annapurna region Climate: Warm temperate climate / Subtropical Highland ( Koeppen classification Cwb) Siting and orientation Gurung houses generally form a scattered settlement plan, sprawled along terraced sloped adjacent to each family's fields. The long facade usually faces South, towards the sun. Plan and internal layout Gurung houses are rectangular in plan and typically 1.5 storeys high. At the front of the house is a porch, known as a 'pidi'. The Ground floor comprises of a multipurpose living space, housing kitchen, bedrooms, and store. A flight of stairs leads to the upper floor which is is generally used for extra bedding and storage. Walls Gurung houses are typically constructed from locally available stone, with clay and earth used as mortar. The stone is roughly dressed, forming a random rubble masonry pattern. The walls can be up to 500mm thick, providing high thermal mass. The interior is usually plastered with white or ochre mud. Roofs The pitched roof is supported by a timber structure bearing on the masonry walls. The roof is usually covered with large overlapping stone/slate tiles, though some newer houses have corrugated iron roofs. These roofs have large overhanging eaves that are supported by timber brackets. Outbuildings Temporary buildings used for storage and animal housing are of rough timber/ bamboo framed construction with woven bamboo thatch cladding. |
AuthorMichi Playford - 4th Year Master of Architecture student at The University of Newcastle ArchivesCategories |