And alas we reach the climax, the zenith of a journey and the symbol of a country. When one hears the name India uttered, it is the like image in all minds of which transpires. It comes to rest on travel brochures from here to kingdom come, and is plastered across every tourist office billboard... View full entry

India is riddled with temples. Their locations are recurrently amidst dwindling towns and cities, the remnants of ancient empires. Khajuraho is as unequivocal an example as any of this trifling phenomenon. She rests in the state of Madhya Pradesh, the geographical center of India, and was... View full entry

If Rajasthan were as flat as a lakebed the aeries of stone and lace would loose half their height and matching palatial guise. They occupy only the rocky protuberances of her greatest cities, their thrilling palaces hailing precedent to strategic military propriety. I would like to meet a man... View full entry

On occasion one may sense a genuine sincerity from the multitudes of infinite jabber excreted from these Indians, and one must act accordingly when this is found. A simple three-minute gab is all one must endure before chai is posed, and the docile little shop boy shouts away towards some unknown... View full entry

Although Stepwells in Western India are somewhat trite, few exist in reputable condition. A visit to three of India's best may quench the thirst, so to speak, of said particular desire. Quite simply, to ensure year round water supply in the aired West, wells were dug, and stairs placed for ease... View full entry

The lineal dogma of Corbu is a pervading one. Although it can be traced into the hearts and minds of all designers, (consciously or subconsciously), it would seem those in his immediacy received a more potent dose. After apprenticing under Corbu in Chandigarh, planners Prakash M. Apte & H. K... View full entry

A number of jewels reside within the confines of Gujarat's former capital city. After independence in 1947, strong squalls of design impunity caught the trousers of some noteworthy wielders of the T-square and pencil, and drug them halfway around the world. The denouement is a sprinkling of... View full entry

One may not utter the name Ajanta without mentioning its younger and more illustrious counterpart, Ellora. She may not carry the breathtaking panorama, but her grandeur lies elsewhere. Many of her temples are so grandiose in scale they dwarf all the temples of Ajanta! Her miscellany of temples... View full entry

A solid wall of rock, 200 ft tall and in my fair judgment 2,000 ft long. Bent a full 180 degrees and punctured with 30 elaborate, hand carved caves. The elders date back to the first or second century BC and are attributed to the Hinayana phase of Buddhism, and the younger from the Mahayana... View full entry

The power of the architect card floats further here in India than any other. After roaming the caverns of the parking garage of Kanchenjunga Apartments, searching for an open service elevator or stairwell, I followed protocol and attempted my presumptuous stroll past lobby security. It was at... View full entry

Along the western coast of Mumbai is Cumballa Hill, a district of mixed socioeconomic classes. It is here where millionaires and billionaires live harmoniously together, and it is on the crest of Cumballa Hill where the world’s most expensive single family home rests. Mukesh Ambani, the... View full entry

The architect's home- a manifestation of his accumulated knowledge, a reflection of his ideology and philosophy bound by the wills of no client, and often the epitome of his career (think Kings Road House, VDL House, etc.) The architect’s house is omnipresent, dwelling in the back of the... View full entry

I thought it falsity upon first glance. Surely no place on earth exists with such vigorous beauty, such vibrant materiality, and such august structures! She came into view from across the Tungabhadra, her high gopura set juxtaposed against the aphotic monsoon clouds beyond. She was Virupaksha... View full entry

The city of Chennai is wrought with old English bones. Her skeletons- abashed at times, Zelig-esk, & effete- are filled with program of the most considerable kind, of which, at times concurs with its original intent. By trial and error, it seems architects searched for the proper edifice in... View full entry

The main attractions at the Minakshi Sundareshvara Temple are, of course, the four large gopuras (pyramidal gates) to the north, south, east and west. Consequently, they are the only means of access through the towering exterior walls. These gopuras are covered with stucco deities painted in... View full entry

In the advent of the technology boom in India, and accompanying an emerging middle class, comes an architecture of which is foreign to Chandigarh. It is here, in IT Park, where emerging companies place their monuments. These structures stand against the traditional concrete and masonry... View full entry

A number of Delhi monuments are slightly out of reach from the metro and economically unrealistic for singular rickshaw transport. I opted, therefore, to hire a car and driver at the staggering price of 23 US dollars per day. I would see five monuments within two days, all of which are greater... View full entry

Finished in 1931 and designed by Robert Russell, Connaught Place is a striking contrast to the bazaars surrounding. The buildings are broken radially into two tiers, divided again by 7 bisecting streets, and then labeled a block letter from A to N. The plaster colonnades provide shelter from the... View full entry

The journey will almost stretch across all of India, attempting to avoid the torrential downpours of monsoon season. Although the majority of the transportation will be by rail, certain strategic flights have been arranged both early on and at the end of the trip as to account for efficiency. For... View full entry