BACKPACKING IN INDIA - things to consider

    India is a country that often overwhelms you – a place so beautiful and natural, yet growing at a rapid pace, only now coming to grips with globalisation and the facebook age. For most parts, it is still pristine and unspoilt. Yet, it is one of the most diverse country anywhere – people, customs, religions, food, climate...all vary from one place to another, yet, co-exist in the vibrant microcosm that is India.

    One of the most inspiring experiences is to travel throughout the length and the breadth of the country to witness the magic that is India, backpacking across the country to really immerse yourself in its culture. It is a journey that will be personally enriching. I have put down a list of things from my own journeys that may be helpful to other like-minded travellers. So here goes -

1.    First things first. Pack light. This is one of the cardinal rules while backpacking. There is no point burdening yourself with a heavy backpack. Carry only essential items. Plan your travels such that they are resource efficient, even in terms of clothes.

2.    Get a good map of the places you intend to visit. It should be small enough to be folded and carried in your pocket.

3.    Always try out the local cuisines and foods. And as far as possible, eat from the local eateries and hotels where the local people throng. Food is one of the best ways to discover a place and you will be able to strike up interesting conversations with the locals and in the process, often learn about interesting places & events to visit, which may not be on the tourist maps.

4.    People, especially local people are one of the most interesting aspects of travelling. Learn about them, talk to them to find out their ways of lives, customs, beliefs etc. You might even be lucky enough to be invited into a local home for a meal!!

5.    Before setting out, do a bit of research about your destination. Note down a few interesting places that you need to visit, tentative accomodation places etc. But keep your research basic. You tend to get better deals sniffing around the actual place.

6.    Try not to rigidly plan your itenary beforehand itself. Think and plan on your feet. There will always be certain places where you would want to spend more time and also those places, which might not be worth spending so much time. So its important that you are flexible enough in your plans.

7.    Always remember that it is not the number of places that you’ve been to that is important. Travelling is about the journey and not the destination, about your experiences, about discovery, about learning. It is also about discovering yourself. So travel with an open mind to experience the real India.

8.    Always keep some buffer time in your travel. Do not plan your travels such that the transport connections are too tight. If you miss one of your targeted transports, it may end up spoiling your entire trip. Also try to be early for all your journeys.

9.    Try travelling sleeper class in the trains as much as possible. Not only is it cheap, you get to meet a lot of interesting people and hear interesting stories. Only thing, book your tickets in advance.(train timings usually go haywire in winter in the northern part of the country due to fog. So if you are travelling during that time, be prepared for delays). Book all your tickets through the Indian railway's website http://www.irctc.co.in/. That way you can stay clear of travel agents. Also, always plan your travels during the night, as overnight journeys saves time and also the cost of accomodation!

10. Use public transport. There is nothing as interesting as a crowded vehicle with locals vying for space. Slightly uncomfortable maybe, but worth the experience.

11. For overnight accommodation, various options like youth hostels, dormitories etc are available almost all over the country. Getting a youth hostel membership is always a good idea, as it is valid all over the country.(http://www.yhaindia.org/memberships/). The facilities are usually decent and it is easy on the pocket too. If possible, try to stay with local families. This is a great way to learn of the local customs and people. Make sure though that your place of accommodation is centrally located, to avoid unnecessary hassles in travelling and wastage of time.

12. Always check out the facilities offered before you pay money and accept the accommodation, as often, what is promised may be different from what is offered.

13. If you are planning to travel to the north India during winter, make sure that your place of accommodation offers hot water.

14. Find out about the check in and checkout times beforehand itself and plan accordingly. Also, find out if there is a closing time in the night. You do not want to get caught out in the night (as it once happened to me and my friend  in a freezingly cold Chandigarh night)

15. Try to avoid autorickshaws as far as possible unless you really have to. One of the things that is surprisingly common all over India is the tendency of the rickshaw drivers to cheat and overcharge (all though this is not true always, and in all places. Mumbai is an exception).

16. If you need to get an auto or a cycle rickshaw from the railway station, always step out of the station first and get a vehicle. The rickshaw drivers in the station will certainly overcharge you.

17. Check out the weather forecasts in advance. Extreme climate is one of the major deterrents while travelling. There is no point if your plans go for a toss due to heavy rains, unbearable cold etc. That being said, weather in India is one of the most unpredictable entities. So dont be disappointed if you find yourself in the middle of a downpour when the forecast was for a clear day!

18. Choose your clothes according to the weather conditions. Loose ones for hotter climates and ofcourse heavy ones for the cold. A small towel is also a handy item.

19. A good cap is handy especially in warmer places.

20. Wear a comfortable pair of shoes or sandals. They must be hardy enough to put up with some good walking.

21. Always carry a good amount of water with you and keep yourself hydrated. Distilled water is available everywhere nowadays.

22. Walk as much as possible. It is one of the best ways to discover a place, to really get to discover it at your own pace.

23. Carry a few basic medicines like those for fever, indigestion etc.

24. Stay away from guided tours as far as possible.

25. Always try out the local tea. It varies across the country in very interesting ways.

26. Keep good care of your luggage while travelling. Do not discuss your plans in detail with strangers, especially on the train. Carry a metallic chain of around 2 feet length and a small lock. This can be used to secure your lugguage at night in the train. Be bold but try to travel safe. Avoid volatile situations; try not to get into arguments or fights. Always remember that you are the outsider here, but do not be pushed over by others. Be stern when you have to.

27. Always respect local customs and practices. You are the outsider and have to respect things even if it may not make sense to you.

28. Charge your mobiles and cameras as required. It is disappointing to find that your camera charge has died down in the middle of an exciting journey. Always carry your chargers with you and keep your batteries fully charged. Railways coaches do have charging points, but it is best not to totally rely on them alone.

29. Also ensure that there is adequate space in your camera for all your clicking. So download and free space inside your camera prior to starting out.

30. Try not to use your camera inside the train, if possible. If it is a day journey only, then you may use your camera. But if it involves night travel also, try to avoid showing your camera outside, as you never know if someone may try to steal it in the night.

31. Carry only the minimum amount of cash as required. ATMs are common all across the country and there is no point losing sleep over the cash in your pocket. But make sure that if you are going to visit places outside the city, you have adequate money to take you through and also something extra for emergencies. In cities, there are money exchange facilities for the foreign travellers.

32. Do not litter, damage or create nuisance in any of the places that you visit. Scribbling on the walls of the monuments is totally uncool.

33. Language might be an issue while you are travelling in India. For the northern part of the country, if you know even rudimentary Hindi, you will do fine. English may not be always understood. For the southern part, if you know English you will be all right. Hindi isn’t understood as much. Yet, the main thing to remember is that language isn’t a barrier if you really want to travel. We Indians are very good at understanding and expressing ourselves in signs and broken words.

34. Always ask and speak to local people for directions and help. You will be amazed to find the hospitality shown to travellers all over the country.

35.Buy only those souvenirs which will not be a hindrance to your travels. Also, always bargain, as we Indians love a good bargain.

36.There are some great out of the way places in India. Sure the common tourist attractions do have their own charm, but there are plenty of quiet, beautiful places away from the maddening crowds which are even more enchanting. So do check out them out for a really satisfying experience.

37.Finally, learn to let go. There will be lot of situations which will be beyond your control. Be prepared to take these in your stride; or else, you'll end up spoiling your time and not enjoying your trip. Travel with an open mind and rest assured; you wont be disappointed!!

REALIZATION HOUSING, AUROVILLE

A very interesting housing project that has come up in Auroville is the ‘Realization’ housing designed & built by the Auroville Earth Institute & Ar.Satprem. One of the reasons why this project is unique is that it is a group housing that is built up with Compressed Stabilised Earth Blocks made locally at the site itself, using the soil dug up for the rainwater harvesting tank. At a time when the entire world is merely paying lip service to ‘sustainability’, the Realization project stands out showing us what true sustainability is. The community is self-sustained, with earth as the primary building material & with energy conservation techniques like Earth cooling tunnels & rainwater harvesting systems being implemented. Moreover, the concept of Realization is unique in itself and as the Realization website (http://www.auroville.info/realization/Home.html) says,

‘Realization aims to build sustainable and affordable homes for Auroville with people’s participation. It aspires to contribute actively to the development of Auroville as a conscious community and as a city of never ending education. Hence Realization proposes alternatives ways to answer the present housing demand. The neighbouring villages do not have enough labour for the construction sites of Auroville and it is difficult since a few years to find construction workers to build Auroville. Hence Aurovilians, Newcomers and volunteers need to work with their hands for building Auroville.’

Aims & Objectives -

• Answer the need of housing: about 70 apartments are planned to be built for around 170 people, over several phases in the next 4 to 5 years. The first phase will have 17 apartments for about 25 people.
• Share resources to help people with low budget: People give what they can: funds and/or work, so that everyone gets an apartment according to their needs and not according to their financial means.
• Develop a participative process: Individuals are involved in the elaboration and management of the project. Everybody can contribute physically, mentally and spiritually in a collaborative way for the growth and progress of Auroville as a place of never ending education and in a spirit of Human Unity.
• Build and live in a sustainable and Eco-friendly manner: Appropriate building technologies and renewable energy sources being used include stabilised earth for the main building material, solar and wind energy, recycling wastewater treatments systems, rainwater harvesting systems on the land and on the roofs, etc.
• Develop community services: For its future residents as well as for the neighbours.

By November of 2007, the initial studies for the project started & by late 2010, the first phase was completed. The initial phase has around 17 apartments for about 25 people, in 3 blocks of apartments organised around a central plaza where a ‘Realization tree’ has been planted. It is as if the buildings rise up from the very ground on which they stand, the rich red of the soil reflected through the CSEB walls of the buildings.

A very interesting concept implemented in Realization is that of the Earth Cooling Tunnels. These are essentially pipes which run under the ground which are used for cooling the interiors of the apartments. They work on the principle that the temperature of the earth at a depth of more than 3 metres is constant at about 27 degrees and in Realization the pipes run at around 6m through the rainwater harvesting tank and come up to the fan in the surface, the result being that the interior temperatures are brought down considerably. This when combined with the rainwater harvesting system, solar energy, windmills etc. make the Realization project truly sustainable, to the extent that the Embodied energy of the buildings are about one-fourth that of a conventional building.

Building a CSEB vault

Building a CSEB vault

Layout plan

Sections & Elevations

Earth Cooling Tunnel

All images courtesy the Realization website

Do check out the following link for more images -  http://www.auroville.info/realization/Gallery.html

LAURIE BAKER QUOTES

• To me probably the most interesting part of designing a building is dealing with the clients— getting to know them, how they live and work and finding out what sort of a building they dream of. It is exciting to put on to paper what you think is in their heads, and then to go on altering or adding or deleting until you think you have put down what they want
• Bricks to me are like faces. All of them are made of burnt mud, but they vary slightly in shape and colour. I think these small variations give tremendous character to a wall made of thousands of bricks, so I never dream of covering such a unique and characterful creation with plaster, which is mainly dull and characterless. I like the contrast of textures of brick, of stone, of concrete, of wood
• This common burnt brick is usually pleasing to look at with warm colours ranging from cream, through orange sandy colours to brown and even blue brown. When built into a wall, pleasing and interesting simple patterns appear. Like people who all have one nose, one mouth, two ears and two eyes but no two look exactly the same, so each brick, although so simple in shape, has its own individuality.
• An equally interesting and absorbing part of practising architecture is translating your two-dimension drawings into three-dimension buildings. I have to be on the site to enjoy this transition from drawings to buildings. Not to be involved in building would be, to me, as foolish as buying a camera and film, viewing and clicking the trigger, getting a negative done, but not getting the print.
• There's an old saying: manners maketh the man. I think they also make good architecture.
• Every district has its own traditions and, by trial and error, over thousands of years, people have learned how to use, and to cope with, all the many factors which are involved in Architecture. – The Site, the Topography and Geology. The climate and vegetation, the available local materials – the religious and cultural patterns of living, and the main local occupants. Unsatisfactory items have long since been discarded and alternatives have been tried until a satisfactory solution has been found.
•  Windows are costly. One square foot of window can cost upto ten times the cost of simple brick or stone wall it replaces. A window has varied functions – to look out of, to let light inside a room, to let in fresh air, or to let out stale air and so on. In many of these situations a ‘Jali’ or ‘honeycombed’ wall is just as effective. Far from being a lot more costly than the basic wall, if made of brick it can be less costly than the house wall!
•  Most materials have their own special characteristics and if used honestly and simply they contribute to the “looks” of a building merely from their colour, their texture and the patterns formed by joining them together. There is no need to cover them over with costly finishes. Let a brick wall look like a brick wall and a stone wall should look like a stone wall. Concrete should look like concrete and not be plastered or painted to look like marble.
•  My feeling as an architect is that you're not after all trying to put up a monument which will be remembered as a 'Laurie Baker Building' but Mohan Singh's house where he can live happily with his family

THE MALABAR SERIES

The town of Kozhikode / Calicut in northern Kerala has an old world charm about it that is really evident when one steps out of the central city spine. The sloping tile roofed buildings have a vocabulary of their own, creating juxtapositions of varying volumes & perspectives along the innumerable by-lanes that dot the place. Magnificent old houses stare out from the greenery, the beautiful double storeyed & triple storeyed houses of old with their unique language evolved over generations still stand proudly, almost unaware of the fate of their contemporaries in the rest of the country. Here, the vernacular is still revered, still in use, still functional. The modern winds of change have caught up with the people here as elsewhere, but yet, the majority of building stock remains the ancestral houses & such. The cold brazen concrete slab structures have still not wiped out the beautiful old structures in the Malabar region. A distinctive architectural vocabulary has evolved in the Malabar region, refining the basic tile roofed typology over time to derive a uniquely Malabari language, one closely entwined with the ethos of the place & the people. 



The soft evening air is filled with the fluttering of the pigeons, sounds of children running around in the courtyard, giggles and murmurs from discussions...a gentle wind wafts through the place while you sit down on the sandstone courtyard floor, still warm from the day's sun. The sun gently lowers and the sky turns orange red. The wind picks up slightly and then the muezzin calls the faithful for the prayers. The atmosphere is one of pure simple joy...

The concept of the courtyard as a gathering place for people and families is best illsutrated here. The space is so vast and immense yet is held together by the collonaded verandahs all around, with the ablution pond in the centre and the huge structure of the mosque as the focus. The flying flocks of pigeons create a special ambience - settling down and flying together in groups around the space. There are scores of people - families and children of all ages. A lot have come to pray, some just to sit in the courtyard and collonades and soak up the atmosphere. Children are running around playing. There is a place where the pigeons are fed grains, flocks of birds eating...and being disturbed from their feeding by the running children. They rise up into the air as one. There are people deeply immersed in prayer, facing the Mecca. People from the surrounding bazaars come in for the evening prayers while the muezzin calls....soon the power of the place takes hold of you and you are transported into another world in another age...

Corner tower

The fluttering pigeons in the evening create a magical ambience

Delhi extending into the horizon

Bird's view of the courtyard

Bridges of Kolkata

Vidyasagar Setu

The Howrah bridge, presently called as the Rabindra Setu was commissioned in 1943. What amazed me was the scale of the bridge, the sheer monumentality of the steel structure. Technically it is a suspension type balanced cantilevered bridge. presently the sixth longest bridge in the world of its type. This massive structure is an interconnected maze of steel trusses, creating an awe inspiring space below. One is totally amazed by the massiveness, the bulkiness, and yet the lightness of the structure. There is an inherent beauty in the criss-crossing steelwork, patterns are created, play of light and shade. The most noticeable thing is that the bridge is abuzz with activity - the heavy and constant traffic along the main carriageways, and the teeming pedestrian masses along either edges. It is indeed a testament to the ingenuity of the design and construction that even after over 70 years, the structure remains as strong as ever...

Rabindra Setu

Rabindra Setu

Vidyasagar Setu

Renovation of own residence at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala by Ar.Sujith.G.S

The existing house consisted of two levels on a gently sloping site, where one entered from the top level through a small semi-open verandah. A small living room and 3 bedrooms were arranged in the upper level, with the dining and kitchen on the lower level to accommodate the slope of the site. The existing design was a simple one, made interesting by the utilisation of the slope of the site. However, the major functional and aesthetic disadvantage of the existing house was its small central living room. The room was itself small and its functionality was totally reduced by the placement off the 3 bedrooms around it. Thus, 3 separate doorways branched off from this living room. In addition, the entry door as well as the staircase opening was again positioned into this small room. Thus, there were circulation paths all around, ultimately diminishing the usable space inside the room.

Naturally, one of the major requirements of the renovation was that the poor design of the living room be addressed. In the end, this was done by sacrificing one of the smaller bedrooms directly behind the living room. The single common wall connecting this bedroom and the living room was demolished with the result that it totally opened up the whole space. In addition, one of the doors to the masterbed was shifted so that it increased the privacy and also for improving the efficiency of the circulation spaces. The window on the leftside of the entrance was removed and a landing alcove created to access the stairs leading to the top floor. This further opened up the space, bringing in another dimension to the spatial volume.

An additional floor was created on the top by adding a multifunctional space which doubled up as an informal lounge and a study. The overriding concerns were to create a space which was open, well ventilated and yet, one which was private. Thus, the vocabulary evolved consisted of floor to ceiling openings, large overhangs and ample greenery. The space was a simple one, a linear volume which opened out onto the landscaped terrace garden on one end and onto the lush greenery of the treetops on the other end, creating a corridor through which wind traversed continuously all day long. The small terrace garden elevates the overall design, creating a well proportioned space which is very private, all the screening provided by the coconuts and the ficus tree canopies. This landscaped garden with the river pebble bedding and green palms help in anchoring the space.  A bedroom space and toilet make up the rest of the space on this floor.

There is an inclination towards the earthy in the form and texture of the materials used – a combination of exposed bricks and pristine white walls, offset by the earthy colour and texture of the matt floor tiles. This is enhanced by the large openings all around, designed in simple steel joinery, creating a seamless transition between the inside and outside. The wardrobes in the bedroom are finished in exposed mdf and glass. The furnitures in cane along with the vibrant hued fabrics spice up the space adding more life. The rustic theme is carried forward in the accessories like the terracotta urns, the traditional old hanging lamp etc. The framed black and white photographs on the walls, taken by the architect himself, add a lot of character to the space.