An Architectural Research Paper on
THE TEMPLE AND ITS SURROUNDING STREET. Case Study : Dagdusheth Ganpati and Kasba Ganpati, Pune
Submitted to the Savitribai Phule Pune University in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the IV B. Arch. (2015) course By Munot Yashwardhan Mahendra
Under the Guidance of Ar. Rashmi Joshi
VIT’s P.V.P. College of Architecture, Pune Savitribai Phule Pune University April 2019
The Candidate has appeared for the examination held at the Vivekanand Institute of Technology’s Padmabhushan Dr. Vasantdada Patil College of Architecture, Pune, Savitribai Phule Pune University.
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Dissertation Guide
External Examiner
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Acknowledgement I would like to take this opportunity to thank the people without whose guidance and valuable inputs this research paper would not have been possible. First of all, I would like to thank my mentor and guide, Ar. Rashmi Joshi for her valuable inputs and comments throughout the year, and the time that she has taken out to help me with my research. I would also like to thank Ar. Narendra Dengle and Dr. Shruti Tambe for their comments and suggestions during the Research in Architecture jury which helped me to move forward and refine my research. Lastly I would like to thank the people residing in Kasba Peth and the pandits at Kasba Ganpati for their co-operation and time.
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The temple and its surrounding street. Yashwardhan Munot VIT’s PVPCOA
Abstract The streets of a city define the character of the city and talk about the history and culture of the city. These streets present in the core of the city usually are surrounded by dense settlements as well as prominent religious structures. This paper aims to study the various activities and spatial characteristics of the area surrounding prominent temples and to study how these spaces have evolved over a period of time. It also includes a study of changes in the space around the temple and how they are being used today. The two temples that were chosen are Kasba Ganpati and Dagdusheth Ganpati due to their history, location in the core city and importance among the people of Pune. The analysis of existing conditions will tell us about the interaction between the already existing built fabric and the activities that have been generated due to the temple. The configurations of these spaces for the case studies are investigated by representing them in terms of axial maps. The objective of the study is to understand the evolution of spaces around the temple according to today’s contexts. The study shows ratio of built to open mass of the streets surrounding the temple, land-use patterns, traffic patterns, pedestrian movement, building condition and heights.
Keywords : temple, street, socio-economic activities, culture
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1. Introduction 1.1 Background of Research In India there are a number of sacred places associated with different religious faith. Among these largest numbers (i.e. Temple) are associated with Hinduism. Temples are found everywhere from small villages to large cities. The cities usually have traditional settlement as an urban core, developed in the medieval period with an organic pattern and almost frozen in time till the 19th century. Not only in India but in most of the world, built environments evolved gradually and the values about human preferences got embedded into it. The word ‘temple’ is derived from the Latin word templum which means a ‘sacred precinct’. According to the definition a temple is a structure which is reserved only for spiritual and religious activities such as prayers and sacrifice. However, the space surrounding the temple have become so much more. Since ancient times the temple and its precinct have been used as a congregational space by the people living around the area. A number of social, economic and political activities also take place around the temple. The practices and traditions of temples not only exist in history but also in present time which greatly influence the socio-cultural life of the people and gives continuity to the traditional values.
Some religious structures have existed since the origin of the city and some were built later but have gained a lot of prominence in the course of time. These prominent religious structures have had an impact on the fabric and development of the city in a number of different ways – road network, traffic patterns, built character, etc. to name a few. The streets around these structures get affected due to their presence, there are a lot of socio-economic activities taking place around the temple which increases the footfall as well as the vehicular traffic.
1.2 Aim of the Research To study the various activities and spatial characteristics of the area surrounding prominent temples and to study how these spaces have evolved over a period of time. It also includes a study of changes in the space around the temple and how they are being used today.
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1.3 Objectives The study focuses mainly on the activities happening on the streets around the temple and the character of these streets. The objective of the study is to understand the evolution of spaces around the temple according to todays contexts. The study shows ratio of built to open mass of the streets surrounding the temple, land-use patterns, traffic patterns, pedestrian movement, building condition and heights. The two temples that were chosen are Kasba Ganpati and Dagdusheth Ganpati due to their history, location in the core city and a certain level of connection and importance among the people of Pune.
1.4 Kasba Ganpati : Brief History
Figure 1 : Map of Pune in the 17th century Source: Pune, Queen of Deccan
Image 1 : Entance of Kasba Ganpati temple Source: Pune, Queen of Deccan
Kasba Ganpati temple, located near Shaniwar Wada and Lal Mahal in the Kasba Peth area attracts huge number of devotees from all across Maharashtra. Kasba Ganesh of the temple is believed to be the gram devatha of Pune, the preciding deity and he is believed to be the protector of the city. As per the historical records, Dadoji Konddev, a local employee of Maratha Kingdom informed about the beautiful idol to Shivajis mother Jijabai, and later according to the instruction of Jijabai, the Kasba temple was constructed. (Gupta, J. D, 2013). The Kasba Ganpati temple is one of the oldest temples of Pune. There is also an interesting story about the origin of Kasba Ganpati – Some children had bought cows to the area for grazing, and found an idol of Ganpati. Then they coloured this idol and started worshipping it. Shivajis mother Jijabai also visited the temple often. Hence Dadaji Konddeo built a pendol in front of the idol: this is where the Kasba Ganpati idol is situated today. (Gupta, 2013)
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1.5 Dadgusheth Ganpati : Brief History
Dagadusheth Halwai was Lingayat trader originally from Karnataka and settled in Pune. His original surname was ‘Gadve’ but later more renowned as Halwai (sweetmaker) as his surname due to his profession. Later he was known as Dagadusheth Halwai. Original Halwai shop still exists nearby named Kaka Halwai near Datta Mandir in Pune city. He was very famous and rich sweet trader.. Shri. Datta Mandir placed in Budhwar Peth, Pune was their residential building. During those times in the outbreak of plague Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai lost his son. Due to
Image 2 : Dagdusheth Ganpati Source: Author
this episode he himself and his wife were very depressed and disturbed. During the same time his Guruji Shri. Madhavnath Maharaj consoled him and advised him to make the establishment of the two idols of God like Shri. Datta Maharaj and Shri. Ganpati and asked him to worship them and to take care of them like his own son. In future just as offspring brings radiance to his father’s name these idols would do the same for him, and as per his Guruji’s advice he made two idols of Shri. Datta Maharaj and Shri.Ganpati, and this very idol was the first idol, now this idol is placed in Eleven Maruti Temple, Shukrawar Peth, this idol is worshiped everyday with detailed rituals and rites. He later established the Halwai Ganpati Trust. Bal Gangadhar Tilak during the British Raj, gave a public from to the Ganesh festival celebrations as a way of getting around an order that barred public meetings.
Even though this temple was built much later than Kasba Ganpati, it has become the most important and prominent deity of Pune. Many tourists come to visit this temple and the area around the temple will be crowded throughout the day with a number of vendors and shops surrounding it.
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2. Literature Review This section talks about how the temple is deeply related to social, economic and cultural aspects of our society since ancient times. The city has a constitutive effect on our relation with the sacred and interacts with the human search for meaning in life and with the sacred in all its many guises. (Gomez,2012) Some important definitions and terminologies – Culture : The word 'culture' means the cultivating or development (of the mind, faculties, manners) improvement of refinement by education & training Temple culture : Under this culture it was observed that the population of the area surrounding the temple had certain behavioral pattern and economic activities from the rest of the people of the town. Religion : Religion is a social culture which plays an important role from the Pre-Historic stage to Modern Civilization. From the historic evidence, we see that religion carries out a dominant role on the human's life, till when the society is formed.
Figure 2 : Relation diagram Source: Economics of Temple Culture
In India there are a number of sacred places associated with different religious faith. Among these largest numbers (i.e. Temple) are associated with Hinduism.
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There are various roles of temples in ancient India. These are, 1. Temple was used as the seat of local administration such as 'Panchayet Shava' (work of a village council), 'Salishi Shava' (arbitration of village council) etc. 2. Temple was used as the seat of Government tax revenue collection. 3. It controlled the local market which was flourished surrounding the temple & exchange. 4. Temple acts as a cultural center. It implies that varieties of entertainment programs such as big fairs, folk-plays, and music conferences, narration of scriptural & mythological stories were held and organized locally by the temple establishment. 5. The provision of large numbers of employment through reconstruction, deity activities & ancillaries were generated by the 'Temple Culture'. 6. Also the employments to the surrounding villages in difficult times such as in flood, drought, and epidemic etc. are generated from the Temple. 7. Most of the important matter is that in ancient times many cities were originated by centering Temple. So the religion plays a dominating role in constructing the cities in and outside India from an ancient period.
There was once a time when the primary function of the temple was that it was a centre for religious and spiritual activity, but that has changed in todays time. The temple has become an important node for all sorts of socio-cultural and economic activities. The more popular the temple becomes, the more it runs like a pure enterprise. Most microeconomics principles are followed here than one can see in other places - price discrimination strategies like parks where you pay more and get quicker into the temple, competition to get more devotees, strategically located money collecting pots/hundis to get more donations etc. This study indicates that the temple and the space around it is not only being used for religious activities but a lot more important socio-economic functions which cannot be disregarded. While designing a temple or temple complex one must understand that this space becomes a node for public activity and an important public space. Most of the prominent temples are located in the core of the city and rapid development has happened all around them leading to issues such as over-crowding, traffic and noise.
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3. Research Methodology
The objective of the study is to understand the evolution of spaces around the temple according to today’s context. Primary case studies of two selected examples – Kasba Ganpati and Dagdusheth Ganpati will include activity mapping, building conditions, traffic patterns and footfall. This analysis of existing conditions will tell us about the interaction between the already existing built fabric and the activities that have been generated due to the temple. The configurations of these spaces for the case studies are investigated by representing them in terms of axial maps.
The street in front of the temple was considered as the primary location for the study. This area was studied in terms of various factors like typology, accessibility, activity, spatial organization, image, security and icon generation. Both the temples were visited multiple times during the period of December 2018 to January 2019. Street elevations were documented in terms of photographs which are attached in the appendices. I walked through the area multiple times to understand the space quality and the kind of activities that are taking place due to the temple. Building heights and conditions, land use, etc was documented on the maps. The footfall (number of people visiting the temple) and the vehicular traffic on the street was also documented at 3 time periods during the day (12:00 am, 3:00pm and 6:00pm). The average time taken by a vehicle to commute the entire length of the street was documented.
With the help of this kind of documentation I would be able to : •
Understand the different parameters and criteria to be kept in mind while designing a temple.
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Understand the evolution of the street and space around the temple and the public activities that are taking place.
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Come up with certain guidelines for the development of the streets around such prominent religious institutions and be more sensitive while designing.
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Understand the relationship between religious, social and economic activities that take place around the temple.
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3.1 Criteria for selection of case studies Both the temples that are selected are Ganesh temples viz. Kasba Ganpati and Dagdusheth Ganpati, located in the core city of pune in the peth areas ( Kasba Peth and Budhwar Peth) and holding a lot of importance amongst the people of Pune especially the ones living in the Peth area. Kasba Ganpati Temple is a unique temple built in the wada style and is one of the oldest temples of Pune. Many people believe that visiting this temple before starting anything new in life brings good luck. If you visit this temple in the afternoon there will be a lot of people who are sitting calmly in the cool interior of the wada reading a book or praying to themselves. It would be interesting to study the activities that take place around this temple and how the area has developed over the years since the existence of the temple. Dagdusheth Ganpati is the most famous and magnificent Ganpati idol of Pune. It was built much later than Kasba Ganpati temple, however as of today it hold a greater importance among the people of Pune. This temple sees around 700-800 visitors daily which includes a lot of tourist crowd who have come to visit this celebrated idol. It would be interesting to study how the dynamics of the space around the temple change and the kind of activities that are taking place here. Both of these temples are great examples for learning how the public space around a temple functions and to study the various socio-economic activities taking place here.
3.2 Kasba Ganpati temple The street in front of the temple (approximate length 200 m) was considered for the study.
Image 3 : Kasba Ganpati Source: Author
Image 4 : Location Map of Kasba Ganpati Retrieved from Google Earth.
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Figure 3 : Kasba Ganpati and its surroundings as of today Source: Author
17th Century : Residences of various different types of people developed around the temple. It also had the Lal mahal, the fortified residence of Shivaji Maharaj. The wadas or old houses belonged to people with different styles of living such as tambats, kasars, etc. Houses then started to encroach onto the Figure 4 : Kasba Ganpati and its surroundings (17th century) Source: Author
open spaces and even on the roads due to lack of space and ever increasing
population. This incremental nature of growth led to the formation of all sorts of different kinds of internal road networks, open spaces, etc. The development of this area was completely organic.
Kasba Peth as of today : As seen in the illustration above the area is filled with numerous G+3, G+4 and G+5 buildings where the ground floor is for commercial activities (shops, restaurants, etc) and the above floors are purely residential. The original open spaces that existed in front of the temple have now vanished due to the construction of new buildings.
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The areas marked with red dots are nodes which depict socio-economic human activities. These nodes act as congregation and meeting spaces for the people living in the area. Old people are often seen in these areas during the evenings. There are various mandals formed in these areas which do a lot of social work for the improvement of the area. The formation of these mandals is due to religious sentiment and for organizing religious events, but they also work for the betterment of the community and community spaces.
Data Collected :
Figure 5 : Footfall – Kasba Ganpati temple Source: Author Retrieved on : 06/02/19
Figure 6 : Vehicular movement – Kasba Ganpati temple Source: Author Retrieved on : 06/02/19
Figure 7 : Amenity Chart, Kasba Peth Source: Author Retrieved on : 06/02/19
Social Aspect : There are benches kept on the road just outside the temple. Many people come and sit here during the morning and evening time. There are many Ganpati mandals also formed in the area due to religious sentiment. These mandals work for the betterment and cleanliness of the area. The office of the Kasba Ganpati mandal is in the lane right in front of the temple.
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The temple is also visited by lage groups of people such as groups of friends visiting before an exam,etc. Comparatively seniors citizens and children are found more in number as compared to youngsters. Because of the temple people visit this area all the time and there is higher footfall. It has a very high cultural significance which is rooted in the hearts of people Image 5 : Group of people visiting the temple Source : Author Retrieved on 05/01/19
Economic Aspect : As seen from the Fig. 7 there are a number of economic activities that are going on the street. Some of these activities are due to the presence of the temple. Some of them have come up due to the high footfall because of the temple. Many tea vendors and food stall can be seen right outside the temple waiting to attract the crowd visiting Image 6 : Puja samaan vendors outside the temple. Source : Author Retrieved on 05/01/19
There is no dedicated space for parking, neither there are any footpaths. So, the already narrow street becomes even more narrow due to the encroachment of hawkers, parking of cars and two wheelers as well as increased pedestrian movement.
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3.4 Dagdusheth Temple The street in front of the Dagdusheth temple (approximately 300 m)
was considered for the
study. The street located in Budhwar peth lies in the heart of the city and is continuously hustling with activities. The street width is 15m with 1.5 m wide footpath on either side. Image 7 : Location Map of Dagdusheth Ganpati Retrieved from Google Earth.
Figure 8 : Dagdusheth Ganpati and its surroundings as of today Source: Author
The street is filled with numerous G+3, G+4 and G+5. RCC construction buildings which are of mixed use typology – with commercial shops at the bottom and residential at the top. Some of the old structures also exist which are in a dilapidated condition. The pace is filled with numerous eateries, electronic shops, mithai shops, Ganpati idol shops, etc. There is a mandap right next to the temple which is filled with shops for puja samagri and Ganpati idols. There is a banyan tree with a katta behind the temple which is used as a congregation space.
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The footpath on either side of the road is only of 1.5 m which is very insufficient as compared to the footfall. Because of this it is very difficult to walk on the road and very congested. There is no time to even stop and look around. The street in front of the temple is the main road and is continuously filled with traffic due to the high footfall, high
Figure 9 : Section through the street. Source: Author Figure 09 : Section through the street Source: Author
density and economic activities.
Data Collected :
Figure 10 : Footfall –Dagdusheth Ganpati temple Source: Author Retrieved on : 05/02/19
Figure 11 : Vehicular movement –Dagdusheth Ganpati temple Source: Author Retrieved on : 05/02/19
Figure 12 : Amenity Chart Source: Author Retrieved on : 06/02/19
In comparison with Kasba Ganpati the footfall of Dagdusheth is extremely high. The number of visitors per day is around 700-800 and the average people passing through the gates per minute is roughly around 30.
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There is very little open space around the temple and the little amount of open space that exists is encroached upon by hawkers, food stalls, etc. The temple also acts as an icon and landmark for the citizens of Pune. There are a number of shops and food stalls that have been named after the temple and not the deity.
Social Aspect : Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Trust is one of the most famous festivals celebrated in Pune. This trust was established in 1893.Since last 121 years this trust has organizing various cultural, social, economic and traditional activities. Because of this kind of celebration different kinds of religions and castes got together and so this useful for the nations unity in diversity. Since its establishment the trust has been organizing the following activities which are useful for the society – old age homes, homes for brick workers, ambulance and mobile hospitals, child development centers, co-operative banks, etc. This religious sentiment is bringing people together to form these social groups which are working toward the betterment of society.
Economic aspect : The temple has become an important node for all sorts of socio-cultural and economic activities. The ground floor of all buildings in this area has commercial activity which is helping to provide jobs to a large number of people. The huge amount of donation that is received by the temple is put to use for a good cause such as building infrastructure, facilities for the economically deprived people, etc.
Image 8 : Activities around the temple. Source : Author
Image 9 : Activities around the temple. Source : Author
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4. Analysis & Results
4.1 Key Findings and Observations. All buildings along the street are of mixed use ( commercial at the bottom and residential at the top). This may be due to the increased footfall due to the temple. The number of economic activities taking place are very high as seen from Figures 7 and 12. In both cases one can observe there are a number of old buildings in a dilapidated condition along the street which give a certain character to the street. Some of them have existed for more than 200 years and belong to some of the oldest families of the city. Even these buildings have commercial outlets at the bottom – either belonging to the owner or rented to someone else. Due to so much commercial activity there is an increase in the traffic pattern as well. The footpaths are extremely narrow even though there is such a high footfall making it difficult to walk. The number of visitors for Kasba Ganpati is around 250-300 per day where as Dagdusheth is visited by over 750 people per day. There are many more temples that have come up in the vicinity due to these temples which lead to the formation of social groups (mandals). This Temple Culture leads to a great boost in the economic and social activity which has led to a higher density of people living in the area. The building heights do not exceed G+5 in the entire area for both cases but the no. of people living here is very high (high density)
4.2 Analysis. Both the temples are located in the core city of Pune and are of great importance to the people of the city. However the development around the Dagdusheth temple is much more intense as compared to Kasba Ganpati. In both the cases the streets in front of the temple become the key location for major socio-economic activity. The character of the core city is built due to the presence of these streets. Even though the ratio of open to built is very low and the density is high, one does not feel congested while walking through these streets and there is a certain vibrancy which speaks about the immense history and culture of the location. The old and dilapidated buildings of the area remind us of our past and tell us the story of our origin. Even though there is no dedicated public space or open space, many niches and corners have been carved out in these dense areas which act as the spaces for public.
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5. Conclusion
The entire research paper and analysis was based on the temple and its surrounding streets which are used by the people and have become important nodes, with people of all age groups using these public spaces throughout the day. Religious structures are more than just physical spaces; they have symbolic meaning for people. They are vibrant, active and interesting places. These streets with a religious node are present in every city and define the character of the city. The public space is served mainly by the active religious structures around, attracting people and entrepreneurs from the local community and the city for several centuries. Today it is home to a diverse community of residents, business owners and vendors from various economic and ethnic groups. The two examples that were studied i.e Kasba Ganpati and Dagdusheth Ganpati are examples of a live urban space where the community life has not yet been full sacrificed for the modern life representing continuity along with change; spaces where people still prefer walking from one point to another rather than going by a car. These spaces are filled with traditional culture and values juxtaposed with the modern buildings and lifestyles.
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List of Images : Image 1 : Entance of Kasba Ganpati temple. Source: Pune, Queen of Deccan Image 2 : Dagdusheth Ganpati. Source: Author. Retrieved on 05/01/19 Image 3 : Kasba Ganpati. Source: Author. Retrieved on 05/01/19 Image 4 : Location Map of Kasba Ganpati. Retrieved from Google Earth. Image 5 : Group of people visiting the temple. Source : Author. Retrieved on 05/01/19 Image 6 : Puja samaan vendors outside the temple. Source : Author Retrieved on 05/01/19 Image 7 : Location Map of Dagdusheth Ganpati. Retrieved from Google Earth. Image 8 : Activities around the temple. Source : Author Image 9 : Activities around the temple. Source : Author
List of Figures : Figure 1 : Map of Pune in the 17th century. Source: Pune, Queen of Deccan Figure 2 : Relation diagram. Source: Economics of Temple Culture Figure 3 : Kasba Ganpati and its surroundings as of today. Source: Author Figure 4 : Kasba Ganpati and its surroundings (17th century). Source: Author Figure 5 : Footfall – Kasba Ganpati temple. Source: Author Retrieved on : 06/02/19 Figure 6 : Vehicular movement – Kasba Ganpati temple. Source: Author Retrieved on : 06/02/19 Figure 7 : Amenity Chart, Kasba Peth. Source: Author Retrieved on : 06/02/19 Figure 8 : Dagdusheth Ganpati and its surroundings as of today. Source: Author Figure 9 : Section through the street. Source: Author Figure 10 : Footfall –Dagdusheth Ganpati temple. Source: Author Retrieved on : 05/02/19 Figure 11 : Vehicular movement –Dagdusheth Ganpati temple. Source: Author Retrieved on : 05/02/19 Figure 12 : Amenity Chart. Source: Author Retrieved on : 06/02/19 19
References
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