Day 115: Rest day in Ahmedabad
/Ghandi, Le Corbusier and step wells
We weren’t originally going to come to Ahmedabad, but I’m so glad we did. We‘ve had a very educational day learning about Ghandi, the city’s heritage and architecture, as well as the chance to explore three buildings designed by architect Le Corbusier. Amazing!
Surrounded by fifth centuRY mosques and colourful temples, I’m still more interested in free climbing goats
A vintage Hercules. I want one!
We weaved through the “pols” of the old town, each one originally a stand-alone community, maybe a trade like perfume makers or a particular religion such as Jain. All the time, our guide, Nirav was able to give us so many details about the buildings, plus, he seemed to know everyone.
Many of the houses were exquisite tumbledown chic, but still mostly private dwellings housing families and extended families.
The trip was through a rabbit Warren of laneways. Nirav explained “Gujaratis don’t like to fight, so they run away. What better escape than a maze of narrow doorways and passages, only known to locals.
Sarina drinking her chai the Gujarati way, from the saucer.
We then headed to the Ghandi Ashram, where he and a community of followers lived in the 1930s. We saw the incredibly simple room he lived in, with minimal furniture and possessions. There was also a very good exhibition explaining his life and his teachings.
The Ghandi Asram, where he lived during his initial non co-operation campaign
Sarina being taught to spin cotton. Ghandi spun cotton as a way of doing real work for the ashram, as well as a form of meditation.
“My notion of democracy is that under it the weakest shall have the same opportunity as the strongest...
...Western democracy, as it functions today, is diluted fascism.” Mahatma Ghandi
As true today as it was then, in my opinion.
The other goal of the day was the chance to see the buildings designed by Le Corbusier in the city in the 1950s. As an architecture student, it would be sacrilege for Tiger to pass up this chance.
The City Museum. Interesting building, not being cared for very well
Tiger, taking it all in
We then went to the Mill Owners’ Association building, which is Le Corbusier playing to all his strengths. It has rectilinear forms, brise-soleil, De Stijl influenced Monrianesque colour panels, curved concrete forms to balance the right angles and a good helping of plants to soften the building into its environment.
It reminded me of Brunel University, but it was so much more successful.
The Mill Owners’ Association building
Lastly, we saw the Villa Sontham, which follows many of the same cues, but as a large private residence.
The Villa Sontham. Still a private residence we sneaked up the driveway to see.
A great day of exploration.
A big thank you to Nirav our guide. AN Ahmedabad heritage expert who is a Ghandi fan and is extremely knowledgeable on local architecture. What better guide.