North India Trip REPORT Vinodhini Mohan | Architectural Design | 10.08.2022
Places visited •
Ahmadabad
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Jaipur
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Agra
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Chandigarh
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Amritsar
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Delhi
Day 1, 2 We started our journey on 12th July 2022 from Chennai central railway station to Ahmadabad JN via NAVAJIVAN EXP at 10.15 am. We reached Ahmadabad JN at around 9.00 pm and headed to our respective hotel HOTEL CENTRA and stayed overnight.
Day 3 14th July 2022 After our breakfast we left for SABARMATI ASHRAM around 9.40 am.
Vinoba Mira Kutir
Udyog Mandir
Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat was once home to Mahatma Gandhi and his wife Kasturba. The ashram is located in the stretch of Sabarmati River and surrounded by peace and tranquility. This is also the place where from where Gandhi began his Dandi March. It was constructed by Charles Correa wherein he used brick piers, stone floors and tiled roofs which gave an expression of contemporary style which was done to live up the spirit of Swadeshi movement. The simple life of Gandhi is reflected through the Sabarmati Ashram architecture. This historical site holds a lot of significant structures within its bound. Here is something about every building Magna Niwas, Hriday Kunj, Gandhi Memorial Museum, Vinoba Mira Kutir, Udyog Mandir, Somnath Chhatralaya, Upasana Mandir
Magna Niwas
Sabarmati River
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Place 2 NATIONAL INTITUE OF DESIGN National Institute of Design was established in Ahmedabad in 1961 by the Government of as an autonomous national institution for advanced training, research and service in product design, visual communication, architecture, structure planning and allied fields. Site Planning • The whole campus can be distinctively divided into two major zones – Institutional & Residential. The main block which consists both the academic and administration departments is placed on the eastern part facing the river. Sports facilities are in between the two blocks. Internal zoning • The courtyards, functionally conceived as open spaces to segregate between two diverse functions of 'seminar rooms' or 'classrooms' and 'workshops' or 'laboratories' due to noise and structural reasons; spatially created light wells for the dark ground spaces. • The north-south orientation of the studios gives more light and cuts off the glare. It is by triple height staircase marked with platforms at different levels which gives a very impactful experience. One of its major functions is to formalize the entry to auditorium on the second floor. The campus has been completely landscaped. Three platforms extend from the institute building in the lawn acting as built-in sit outs. • There is also an ancient monument and open-air Amphitheatre having densely planted trees around it.
Place 3 CEPT Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology Architect: B.V. Doshi • Main entrance was on the northern side the other two entrances on the southern side which is an internal access two entrances on the western side. The site is located in the Kasturi Bhai lalbhai campus in Navarangapura, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It lies within a zone occupied by other educational institutions. This CEPT university is located at the edge of the educational zone, so it is close to other residential zone. TOPOGRAPHY The general slope is towards the north western corner. PAGE 2
• Elimination of classroom feeling • Architecture without barriers • Integration of open spaces • Ease of interaction between various departments was the important philosophy of the architect. • The campus has Cool atmosphere inside the campus and is hardly visible from the main road there were Free scope to learn and teach anywhere the design is intended to be close to nature and experiment the designing skills, play • With, levels etc., The site was undulated and gave opportunity to play with levels • There are incline skylights on top of the studios, perpetually letting in natural light The studio spaces have bay spaces facing the exterior, creating semi-private spaces which are yet totally open to the exterior spaces where the individual can be alone with nature even in the environment of a studio.
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• The overall planning has been done around the central court with built masses on sides and green on one side which gives the campus noise protection. The whole building is very simple and architectural elements are expressive of their functions. The spaces created by volumes and voids are visually exciting. The building has simple horizontal lines and merges beautifully. The building is two-storied with a split-level basement. The building design incorporates the thermal comfort and natural sensibly. • The basement is a multi-purpose space. It is a very active spaces of the campus. On one side of the basement rising contours can be seen, and on the other side steps towards the central courtyard • The central court yard is a combination of paved and unpaved areas, shaded by trees in certain areas and all entrances are linked to the courtyard by pedestrian pathways. Hence the courtyard is an area of heavy circulation of interaction. STUDIOS • The studios have large openings which open into the greenery outside panels at the sides help the students to put up the important and useful sheets • All the studios are above one another, along with the adjacent lecture rooms There are common interaction zones between the studios of different years. • The studios are designed keeping in mind the climatic needs and comfort of its users. The building section and double height studios are well conceived to facilitate air flow
Place 4 Gufa • It’s an underground art gallery designed by B.V. Doshi. gallery is called gufa because of its resemblance to a cave. the mosaic tiles on the roof are similar to those found on the roofs of the Jain temples at Girnar, and the mosaic snake is from Hindu mythology. • The entire design is made up of circles and ellipses. The interior is divided by tree trunk or columns similar to those found on Stonehenge. Computer assisted planning facilities were used to resolve the structure’s unorthodox design. The domes are inspired by the shells of tortoises and by soap bubbles. PAGE 4
Place 5 Teen Darwaja and manek chowk • One of the oldest and the longest gateways of the 600-year-old city, Teen Darwaja was completed in 1415 AD by Sultan Ahmed Shah, who founded the city of Ahmedabad. A fine example of Islamic architecture, this intricately carved marvel serves as an entrance to the royal square at Bhadra Fort
• The Sidi Saiyyed Mosque, popularly known as Sidi Saiyyid ni Jali locally, built in 1572-73 AD , is one of the most famous mosques of Ahmedabad, a city in the state of Gujarat, India. After these places we went for shopping and overnight stay at Ahmedabad. Day 4 Place 6 Adalaj stepwell • Adalaj stepwell is a unique Hindu 'water building’. Step wells were used as meeting and resting places during summer since their cool interiors offered unbelievable respite from the scorching sun outside. the motifs of flowers and graphics of Islamic architecture blend very well with the symbols of Hindu and Jain gods carved at various levels of the well. • It is built in sand stone in indo-islamic architectural style, the adalaj stepwell is five stories deep. it is octagonal in plan at the top, built on intricately carved large number of pillars.
• Built along a north-south axis, entrance is from the south, the three staircases are from the south, west and east directions leading to the landing. • Four small rooms with oriel windows decorated with minutely carved brackets are provided at the landing level, at the four corners. • At the bottom of the well is a square stepped floor in the shape of a funnel extending to the lowest plane • The air and light vents in the roofs at various floors and at the landing level are in the form of large openings. PAGE 5
• The square stepped platform is chiseled into a circular well open to sky. - entrance - oriel windows -funnel shaped well oriel windows at 4 corners showing bracket and column detail circular chiseled well. Place 7 Akshardham temple Ahmedabad •The Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar city is one of the biggest temples in India, and it is a major pilgrim destination that many people swarm to. •This temple is dedicated to lord Swaminarayan. The complex took over 13 years to build and was inaugurated on oct 30th ,1992. • Akshardham mandir is situated in the center of the complex, which is built from 6,000 metric tons of pink sandstone from Rajasthan. It acts as a cultural center and is a melting pot that can enthrall tourists from around the country. •The principal complex is the Akshardham Mandir which is 108ft high,131ft wide and 240ft long is a magnificent sight to behold. The temple is held in a place by 97 intricately carved pillars and is embellished with 17 ornamental domes. In addition to these 8 balconies,220 stone beams and 264 sculptured figures are also found in this place. •Skilled artisans with an expertise in stonework yielded immaculate efforts to create the final yielded immaculate efforts to create the final look of this temple which can very well be seen in its intricate designs and chiseled artwork. It is built in accordance with Vedic architectural principles; hence no steel or iron has been used anywhere in the temple. The temple’s central chamber houses a 7foot tall sacred image of Swaminarayan who is worshipped by followers as God.
At 6:30pm we went to AHEMADABAD JN. And started our journey at 7.00 pm to JAIPUR by train…. Day 5 • We reached JAIPUR around 6.00 am and moved to our hotel rooms , while going we were mesmerized seeing Pink City of Jaipur . Around 10.00 we had our breakfast and moved out for siteseeing. Place 8 Amber Fourt •
Though geep we reached the peak of the fourt around 10.30 am.
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• The Palace is divided into six separate but main sections each with its own entry gate and courtyard. The main entry is through the Suraj Pol (Sun Gate) which leads to the first main courtyard. • First courtyard an impressive stairway from Jalebi Chowk leads into the main palace grounds. • The second courtyard, up the main stairway of the first level courtyard, houses the Diwan-i-Aam or the Public Audience Hall. Built with a double row of columns. • The third courtyard is where the private quarters of the Maharaja, his family and attendants were located. This courtyard is entered through the Ganesh Pol or Ganesh Gate, which is embellished with mosaics and sculptures. The courtyard has two buildings, one opposite to the other, separated by a garden laid in the fashion of the Mughal Gardens. • The building to the left of the entrance gate is called the Jai Mandir, which is exquisitely embellished with glass inlaid panels and multi-mirrored ceilings. • The mirrors are of convex shape and designed with colored foil and paint which would glitter bright under candlelight at the time it was in use. the mirror mosaics and colored glasses were a "glittering jewel box in flickering candlelight". • The fourth courtyard is where the Zenana (Royal family women, including concubines or mistresses) lived. • This courtyard has many living rooms where the queens resided and who were visited by the king at his choice without being found out as to which queen he was visiting, as all the rooms open into a common corridor. • The garden, located between the Jai Mandir on the east and the Sukh Niwas on the west, both built on high platforms in the third courtyard,. • It is patterned on the lines of the Chahar Bagh or Mughal Garden. It is in a sunken bed, shaped in a hexagonal design.
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Place 9 Jantar Mantar Jantar mantar monument in jaipur, rajasthan is a collection of 19 architectural astronomical instruments and features the world’s largest stone sundial. It is a unesco world heritage site and is located near city palace and hawa mahal. the instruments allow the observation of astronomical positions with the naked eye. The monument expresses architectural innovations, as well as the coming together of ideas from different religious and social beliefs in 18th century in india. it was built by sawai jai singh ii in1734.
Place 10 CITY PALACE City palace which includes the chandra mahal and mubarak mahal palaces and other buildings, is a palace complex was the seat of the maharaja of jaipur, the head of the kachwaha rajput clan. The chandra mahal palace, now houses a museum, but the greatest part of it is still a royal residence . the palace was diveded into many sub divisions includes … Mubarak Mahal - The royal guest house The Royal Clothes in the Museum Pritam Niwas Chowk Chandra Mahal Gangajelies & Chandeliers of Diwan-I Khas
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Place 11 HAWA MAHAL: After visiting city palace we were walking through m.i. road to hawa mahal (also known as “wind palace” or “queen’s palace”), which is located in the heart of the bustling city of jaipur. It is one of the prominent historical landmarks in india that reveal a rich culture and architectural heritage with a fusion of rajasthani style of architecture and the islamic mughal architecture. It is built in the 18th century by maharaja sawai pratap singh in 1799. it is an excellent work of red and pink sandstone. it is a five storey building without foundation. It has 953 small windows( known as “jharokaas” )for the women of the royal household who could observe street festivities while unseen from the outside. All the five stories or levels have unique names-sarat mandir, ratan mandir, vichitra mandir, prakash mandir and hawa mandir. the colour used for decoration is pure vegetable colour. Ramp is provided for easy movement of the royal women from one floor to another because their dresses were quite heavy. it has been in use for more than 200 years. After that we wet for shopping the tradition and culture of jaipur. And over night stay at jaipur amber vally hotel. Day 6 17.07.2022 morning after breakfast we started to agra by road….. Place 12 On the way we visited Fatehapursikari Fatehpur Sikri is a city board in Agra district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. The city was founded in 1569 by the Mughal emperor Akbar and served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1571 to 1585. • Fatehpur Sikri sits on rocky ridge, 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) in length and 1 km (0.62 mi) wide and palace city is surrounded by a 6 km (3.7 mi) wall on three sides with the fourth bordered by a lake. • It is still surrounded by a five mile long wall built during its original construction on three sides. Except of ruins of the bazaars of the old city near the Naubat Khana, the 'drum- house' entrance at Agra Road. • Components in Fatehpur Sikri • Buland Darwaza • Jama Masjid • Tomb Of Salim Chishti • Diwan-i-Aam • Diwan-i-Khas • Ibadat Khana • Anup Talao • Hujra-i-Anup • Mariam-uz-Zamani • Naubat Khana • Pachisi Court • Panch Mahal • Birbal’s Residence Recent excavation done by ASI in 2000 led to unearthing of an ancient Jain city very near to the fort complex. PAGE 9
Fatehpur Sikri, , a city predominantly in red sand-stone, situated at a distance of 37 kms from Agra, was built by the Mughal Emperor Jalal-ud-din Mohammad Akbar, in honour of the great Sufi saint Sheikh Salim Chisti ; its magnificence and uniqueness offers a fine example of the emperor's architectural finesse. Akbar's tolerant religious views and interest in literature, architecture and fine arts gave the buildings at Fatehpur Sikri a charismatic blend of Islamic and Hindu elements in their style and design. At Fatehpur Sikri during sunset and sunrise, the turrets and domes create shadows and silhouette against the copper red sky; which truly is an inspirational scene for a painter's canvas or the visitor's eyes. Hawa Mahal And Nagina Masjid To the right of Jodha Bai’s palace is Hawa Mahal, the Palace of Winds. This small-screened wind tower faces the garden and is attached to the palace. The garden is laid out in the Char Bagh style with straight walls intersecting at right angles and divided by shallow channels.
Fatehpur Sikri Mosque is said to be a copy of the mosque in Mecca and has designs, derived from the Persian & Hindu architecture. Buland Darwaza This gate can be approached from the outside by a 13-metre flight of steps which adds to its grandeur. The gate erected in 1602 AD to commemorate Akbar’s victory over Deccan is the highest and grandest gateway in India and ranks among the biggest in the world. Din-i-Ilahi Akbar's teachings had their foundations in regular discussions at the Ibadat Khana, "The House of Worship," in Fatehpur Sikri, where he hosted religious leaders and theologians of various faiths, including Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Jains.All religious are one and equal. PAGE 10
Later that night around 12.00 we reached Agra and took rest at hotel Taj Plaza Day 7 Place 13 Agra fort
The structure is externally made of red sand stone while the entire interior is finished in white marble.It is one of the first Shah Jahani mosques at Agra in marble after the one built in the Dargah of Hazrat Khawaja Moin -ud-Din Chisti at Ajmer. It is a UNESCO world heritage site, it represents the first major building project of Akbar, with remains of only a few buildings built by him which now survive. The Agra Fort has strong and lofty surrounding walls. Each wall is 70m.high and is separated by a 12 m. deep moat, near Amar Singh Gate with two lookout towers, forming the entrances to the Fort. The supporting arch, of modest dimension compared to the structure, is crowned with a large blind arch flanked by false painted windows. It is decorated with Hat relief and geometrical designs. The Fort is provided with four gateways. From the foundations to the battlements, the fortress is composed of hewn stone, each polished to a mirror like sheen and with its red hue were so well joined together, that it is said that even “the end of a hair could not find place between them”. The Fort was completed in about eight years’ time (1565 -73) under the supervision of Qasim Khan Mir Barr-wa-Bahr. The Agra Fort stands on a plain ground, unlike a hill fort, but is structured to be impregnable by the skilful use of architectural stratagems. The lower ramparts , a battlement parapet, has oblong merlons and slope forward to render scaling by besiegers impossible and are alternated by embrasure machicolations. The judicious and harmonious combination of these features gives this fort a substantial aesthetic character. Besides being a strong military structure, it is also a good example of early Mughal architecture. The Agra Fort is a reflection of Akbar’s personality; robust, dynamic and imaginative.
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Place 14 Taj mahal The Taj 'Crown of the Palace' is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal; it also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself. The tomb is the centerpiece of the complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall. The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it was declared a winner of the New 7 Wonders of the World The tomb is the central focus of the entire complex of the TajMahal. It is a large, white marble structure standing on a square plinth and consists of a symmetrical building with an iwan topped by a large dome and finial.
After dinner night travel to Chandigarh….. Day 8 Reached Chandigarh around 6.00 am after fresh up we visited Rock Garden . Place 15 Rock garden The Rock Garden of Chandigarh is a sculpture garden for rock enthusiasts The Rock Garden sits near Sukhna Lake.
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It consists of man-made interlinked waterfalls and many other sculptures that have been made of scrap and other kinds of waste (bottles, glasses, bangles, tiles, ceramic pots, sinks, electrical waste, broken pipes, etc.) which are placed in walled paths.
Place 16 Capitol complex Chandigarh Capitol Complex, located in the sector-1 of Chandigarh city in India, is a government compound designed by the architect Le Corbusier and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is spread over an area of around 100 acres and is a prime manifestation of Chandigarh's architecture. It comprises of …. • Punjab and Haryana High Court or palace of Justice. • Secretariat Building. • The Palace of Assembly. • Entry gate to the Palace of Assembly. • The Open Hand Monument. • The Tower of Shadows. • Geometric Hill.
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Place 17 Le Corbusier Museum An incredible piece of history curated here! Chandigarh was conceptualized by Le Corbusier and his team at the behest of Government of India. The drawings, concepts, real furniture, blue prints, and pictures of development of the City Beautiful is carefully kept here. An absolutely gem of a place to visit if you are an art connoisseur, history buff or architecture person. Can see the evolution of the city from scratch to clearing of land to design of various buildings to final completion of landmarks of world architecture. Many pieces of original furniture designed by Le Corbusier’s cousin Pierre Jeanerette are also on display.
Night journey to Armbrister….. Day 9 Place 18 Golden temple The Golden Temple is an open house of worship for all people, from all walks of life and faiths.It has a square plan with four entrances, and a circumambulation path around the pool. The four entrances to the temple symbolises the Sikh belief in equality and the Sikh view that all people are welcome into their holy place.[14] The complex is a collection of buildings around the sanctum and the pool. One of these is Akal Takht, the chief centre of religious authority of Sikhism.Additional buildings include a clock tower, the offices of the Gurdwara Committee, a Museum and a langar – a free Sikh community–run kitchen that offers a vegetarian meal to all visitors without discrimination. Over 100,000 people visit the holy shrine daily for worship, there is a mam made pool surrounded the temple on all four sides . PAGE 14
Place 19 Wagah border Wagah border is first defense line of India , the boundary demarcation line dividing India and Pakistan upon the Partition of India. Border crossing ceremony The Wagah- border ceremony happens at the border gate, two hours before sunset each day. The flag ceremony is conducted by the Pakistan Rangers and Indian Border Security Force (BSF).
Overnight travel to Delhi …. Day 10 Place 20 Qutub Minar Qutub complex consists of ,qutab minar alauddin’s tomb ,quwwat-ul- & madrassa islam masjid ,screen ,iron pillar,iltutmish tomb 1 ,alai darwaza ,imam zamin’s tomb ,alauddins tomb & madrassa ,alai minar alai darwaza imam zamins tomb Qutb Minar is one of the tallest minar towers in the world. PAGE 15
Place 21 Akshardham Delhi In Swaminarayan Akshardham, similar to its predecessor Swaminarayan Akshardham in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, the main shrine is the focal point and maintains the central position of the entire complex. There are various exhibition halls which provide information about the life and work of Swaminarayan. The designers of the complex have adopted contemporary modes of communication and technology to create the various exhibition halls. The complex displays millennia of traditional and modern Hindu culture, spirituality, and architecture. The complex features an abhishek mandap, Sahaj Anand water show, a thematic garden, and three exhibitions namely Sahajanand Darshan Neelkanth Darshan, and Sanskruti Darshan . According to Swaminarayan the word Akshardham means the abode of Swaminarayan and believed by followers as a temporal home of God on earth.
Water dance show
Day 11 Place 22 Lotus temple Lotus temple is also known by the BAHAI House of worship/ BAHAI FAITH. The Temple are well known for their architectural splendor and the temple constructed in Delhi is a continuation of this rich tradition. This is prominent attraction in Delhi. It was completed in 1986 and serves as the mother temple of the India subcontinent. The temple structure like as the half open lotus flower, afloat surrounded by its leaves. The temple is open to people of all cultures, faiths, and languages. It is the symbol of a United India. The concept of the temple is external difference sacred symbols common to all Indians religions. PAGE 16
In the interior dome structure three ribs spring from the crown of each arch. he structure of the inner leaf, comprising a cusp (ridge) and a re-entrant (valley). Best place for medication and prayer . Place 23 Humayun’s tomb Humayun’s Tomb is an ancient monument of historical importance where the second Mughal emperor Humayun was buried. After that we went for shopping at Chandni Chowk and reached Delhi railway station at 7.30pm from their our return journey starts to Chennai by Tamil Nadu Exp and reached Chennai on 24.07.2022 around 7.00 am Thankyou St. Peter’s institute of higher education and research for arranging this wonderful educational north India trip. And special thanks to Ar. T. J. Vasudevan sir for accompanying and guiding us .
Submitted by Name : vinodhini m Sem : IX year : V Reg no : SP18ARU009 course : Architectural Design SPIHER
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