Ahmedabad...progressive tradition

Swaminarayan Mandir Lakupur

 How is it possible to value the old while modernizing for the present? Ahmedabad's citizens are asking just that of their council representatives and via the opinion pages of their daily newspapers.  This is a city of 6 million and growing fast. The buildings are a conglomeration of 14th century Islamic architecture, Persian, British influence, Raja extravagance, slumdog poverty, Hindu, Jain, Christian, Buddhist, you name it. So while Ahmedabad as a whole is modernizing, they are maintaining the buildings of the Old City by refurbishing inwardly without destroying the surface.

Apparently this is an old city who self-divided into self-contained neighborhoods with separate wells and pols. Each doorway led to a specific cult, religion, trade, with a latticed face room above the open door, pol, to allow or warn others. The city has contracted with many of these pol neighborhoods, so heritage walks can be conducted through homes. One Hindu community of 300 family members has reaped the benefits of daily, 365 days a year, walks through their homes and streets by having indoor plumbing. 

So we are taking advantage of this and touring with 13 Sri Lankan architectural students who are keeping silent about their foreignness, so as to pay Indian prices.  We notice what they notice. They notice the French wood frames tucked into the Islamic bird feeders.  So we interact with the Maned Chowk vegetable vendors, the Jumma Masjjid mosque, ragamuffin Ragasthan gypsies trying to fit in with the influx of rural Gujarats. No hostilities, just open doors and smiles. For their way of life is valued enough to be seen without judgment.

Pol over the open doorway

Our Sri Lankan architectual friends