...

where sunrise and sunset and the silent glory of stars

are not daily ignored; where natures festivities of owers and
fruit have their joyous recognition from man ...
Rabindranath Tagore
The Studio The Team
LAYERS Studios for Design & Architecture understands that built environments in
todays times are complex structures with numerous overlapping layers of activity, functions, usage
patterns, aesthetics, desires and prospects for the future. We, at our studio, try to understand all
the needs of our clients from their projects and provide comprehensive design solutions based
on their individual requirements and aspirations. Working in the elds of Architecture, Landscape
Design and Interior design, the aim of the practice has been to incorporate local traditions,
international ideas, respect for the environment and cutting edge technology in its design
sensibilities. The studio strongly believes that all design activity should be a way of life which
governs our decisions at every point in our daily lives.
The studio also collaborates with professionals from various related elds such as product &
furniture design, interaction design, craftsmen and even the humble mason on the site to develop
its ideas and designs.
Currently, the studio is based in Delhi and is headed by Neha Bhardwaj and Gaurav Kapoor,
architecture graduates from School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi.
Neha Bhardwaj
Principal Architect
Qualications:
B. Arch, School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi
Afliations:
Member, Council of Architecture, India
Associate Member, Indian Institute of Architects
Awards:
Prof. T.J. Manickam Gold Medal for Best Thesis of the Bachelors and Masters Programmes
offered by the School of Planning and Architecture for the academic session 2006-07
Various prociency awards during the course of architectural studies in School of Planning &
Architecture, Delhi
Experience:
- Partner, Layers Studios For Design & Architecture
- Consultant for Integral Designs a premier landscape design practice in Delhi - worked on
various projects such as the Open Spaces and Landscape Component of Zonal Development
Plan, Zone D, Delhi Masterplan 2021 with DUAC, various housing projects in Gurgaon and
Lucknow, landscape design for various hotels across India.
Gaurav Kapoor
Principal Architect
Qualications:
B. Arch, School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi
Afliations:
Member, Council of Architecture, India
Associate Member, Indian Institute of Architects
Awards:
SPA Gold Medal for Best Student of the Bachelor of Architecture Programme offered by the
School of Planning and Architecture for the academic session 2006-07
Various prociency awards during the course of architectural studies in School of Planning &
Architecture, Delhi
Experience:
- Partner, Layers Studios for Design & Architecture
- Project Architect & Consultant with TEAM a group of professional from elds of
architecture, planning and management - worked on various projects such as New Wing - National
Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, YMCA Camp Site at Sattal, U.K., Centre for Performing Arts,
M.I.E.R, Lakshmangarh, Rajasthan and other institutional projects across India
Architecture is a social act and the material theatre of human activity.
-Spiro Kostof
We have a belief that to become a good architect/designer, one has to rst become a
good and a well-rounded human-being. This cliched statement certainly well denes our aim as
architects; for we believe that Architecture is not limited only to constructing building for various
human activities but are instruments that generate, inuence, and sometimes overpower opinions,
emotions, actions and thought processes of its users. Built environments can greatly impact our
abilities of forming an overall healthy perspective for our surroundings, our interactions with
fellow humans and our responses to the environment and a general sense of well being.
At LSDA our interests are not just limited to architecture & design, the partners as individuals,
have keen interests in activities like cooking, travel, gardening, photography, reading, carpentry,
craft making, etc backed with a penchant to have their daily dose of thought provoking discussions
on issues varying from design, to policy making, to movies, to sports, and so on. The studio
environment is created such that it promotes all-round thinking and participation in various
activities, helping us in better understanding of our culture, history, context, technology, needs,
aspirations, and above all our way of life and the people we work with.
Being a small rm, we commit ourselves to only a few select projects at any given point of time.
This ensures that the principals are directly involved at all stages of the project at hand and they
end up doing what they enjoy the most, i.e., design, rather than just managing the practice. At
LSDA, we boast of providing customized design solutions and details to the needs and liking
of our individual clients, where the needs have not just been limited to the spatial and budgetary
requirements that the clients provide us with initially. We as a practice involve our clients in the
design process and at times compel them to think about various other issues that relevant to them,
the community and our human race at large. And rightly so, on many of our projects, we end
up being more than just architectural & landscape design consultants, doubling up as our clients
nancial planners, management consultants, property managers, art collectors, interior decorators,
media managers, at times fashion & life-style consultants too, though we never get paid extra for
these add-ons.
We limit our involvement in all of our projects as design consultants and does not venture into
turnkey solutions, though we understand that due to changing lifestyles and time constraints, the
clients do not have enough time to devote to their projects. With our recommended team of
consultants, contractors and vendors (all individuals businesses in their own sense) we have got
projects completed, at times, with the client being stationed abroad and only being able to devote
just a few hours during the entire period of the project from conceptualization till hand over.
As architects, we strongly feel that we have a responsibility towards our environment, culture,
tradition and our way of life. Since, time immemorial architecture and landscape has dictated our
interaction with the mentioned aspects and vice-versa. Thus, a thorough understanding of these
aspects, specically in the context of India, is a prerequisite for our better future. At LSDA, setting
propositions and questioning the prevalent solutions to such problems becomes a focal point in
all its design decisions. For example, a simple decision, taken in one of our renovation projects,
to ensure that all ooring material and metal grilles taken out while doing the renovation shall
be utilized in an innovative way in the landscape as sculptures, pathways, for outdoor structures,
etc lead to a tremendous saving for the client and our small contribution towards saving precious
natural material, saving fuel for transporting the material which otherwise would need to have been
bought and for transporting the waste taken out to a dumping ground and above all we saved a
few tons of construction material ending up somewhere in our environment as waste. Most of the
time, there is no high-end or state-of-the-art technology involved in the design decisions that
we make, but any analytical and logical mind would understand how these are deeply rooted in the
concepts of climatology, conservation, efcient planning and intelligent design.
Even though, we work purely as consultants, design and architecture to us is not just limited
to drawing on paper or its digital counterparts. The process of design begins with an idea and
is developed and rened upon during every stage till the actual product/building is produced/
completed and ready for use, and one can argue, that it continues further when the product/
building is getting used as well. It is this very process of design development that we enjoy the
most and thus in all of our projects we are very closely involved in the execution stage as well.
And whatever little experience we have had till date, the best of our design/architecture details
have been invented at site rather than on the drawing board. This practice also enables us to get in
touch with the people, who are the physical hands behind these projects, the real craftsmen.
The studios design sensibilities are strongly rooted in the principles of timeless architecture,
which as a term to us means designing while keeping in mind the current day context but with a
strong reference to the ideas/concepts of architecture & design which held good for centuries
before and shall continue to hold ground for a few more in the future. A corollary to this would
be works of great thinkers and writers like Rabindranath Tagore, R.K. Narayan, etc. whose works,
even after being decades old, seem more relevant than ever before. Notions of scale, proportions,
harmony, balance and rhythm form the basis of all our design interventions. Further, our attempt
has been to use materials which age beautifully, to design spaces which adapt themselves with
changing needs of its users, design buildings where aesthetics are not superuous but is equally
important to functionality of the design and above all, designs that evoke feelings of well-being,
pride and happiness in its users and us.

Our way of working keeps developing with our changing context, technology and ideologies,
though what has remained constant at LSDA is a passion to create beauty and as we put it
across;
Beauty doesnt merely lie in the eyes of the beholder.
It lies more in the hands of the creator!!
The Way We Work
The Work
Desert Dreams
Typology: Residential Landscape
Client: Davendra Salecha
Location: Jodhpur, Rajasthan
Project Size: 9000 sqft
Year: 2008
Featured :
CW Interiors, April 2009 Issue
The landscape was designed to visually
reshape the site and to establish a
symbiotic relationship with architecture.
The attempt was to merge the outdoors
with the indoors. For this, a circular
form for the rear lawn was envisaged,
which seamlessly owed from inside,
resembling the uid form of the letter
S. Then, a central open space was
created as a sit-out area that could also
be host to get-togethers, surrounded
by plantation to create the intimacy of
interacting with nature. A pergola was
designed to populate the barren, narrow
passage from the driveway to the rear
lawn, and stone columns representative
of the stark Jodhpur landscape, were
positioned at the entrance.
Hardscapes and green areas were
balanced throughout - large sections of
garden were heavily planted with shrubs
while the paved areas were shaded by
installing a small pergola draped with
creepers and by planting trees around
them.
Urban Rustic
Typology: Residential Renovation
Client: S.N. Menon
Location: Sector-14, Noida, U.P.
Project Size: 3500 sqft
Year: 2008-09
The house was in a really bad shape
before LSDA started the renovation of
this small house in Noida, U.P. There
were small windows in all rooms with
almost no connection with the outdoor
garden area. Most spaces, though
decently sized, seemed cramped and
claustrophobic.
Though, there was a small light court
within the house that came through
as a connecting architectural element
that tied the interior spaces through the
oors. This court, with plants having
bold & striking foliage, was to became
the most recognizable feature of the
house after the renovation.
When the renovation started, windows
were made bigger and redesigned to
allow maximum connection with the
front garden area and the light court.
Facing the south direction, the light
court actually brings in direct sunlight to
all the living spaces of the house during
winters whereas cuts off harsh summer
sunrays without comprimising on the
natural light quality.
The house had a monochromatic yet
warm colour theme throughout, that
was designed to make it a blank canvas
for its occupants so that they can give
their individual character to each space.
Create-Net
Typology: Ofce Interiors
Client: Creatnet Pvt. Ltd.
Location: Hosiery Complex,
Noida, U.P.
Project Size: 5000 sqft
Year: 2010
Working within limited budgets is often
seen as a deterrent to design freedom
and innovative detailing but with a
client who is responsive to alternative
materials and ideas and shows faith in
your creative pursuits, limited budgets
leads to creative detailing and use of
some not so conventional materials.
An ofce space for a garment
merchandising rm shows exactly
how unconventional materials such as
bamboo and jute coir (baandh) used to
make moodhas (round jute or cane stools)
can be used to bring down costs of
construction without compromising on
aesthetics, function or visual appeal of
the space.
In this project, materials such as
bamboo and coir rope were used as they
did not require any nishing such as
plaster/ paints or other treatments. In
fact, they provide a perfectly nished yet
aesthetically pleasing surface for walls,
partitions and drop ceilings.
Being a garment rm, the use of these
materials establishes a strong contextual
link between the work and the
workplace. Projects such as these create
enormous potential for experimentation
and learning about various materials
that are not so commonly used in
mainstream interior designing material
palettes.
Private Oasis
Typology: Residential Landscape
Client: Davendra Salecha
Location: Jodhpur, Rajasthan
Project Size: 4800 sqft
Year: 2009-10
Featured :
Home Review, January 2012 Issue
We got really excited when one of our
very rst clients and an avid gardener,
wanted us to design his garden in
Jodhpur. The city is known for its harsh
climate and the real challenge for our
team was to create a beautiful garden
that soothes the eye of its viewer in the
glaring Jodhpur sun.
A Zen garden, dual landscaped pockets
extending the lush feel of greenery, and
impressions of Champa leaves captured
on an accent wall were some of the
diverse elements of this landscape
design that worked to create a private
oasis.
Owing to the high plinth of the house,
the garden space was carefully divided
into two levels such that the garden
owed seamlessly from one space to
another. Local craftsmen were involved
in creating a stone feature wall having
carved water plant leaves depicting
the virtual presence of water in the
otherwise dry landscape. Another panel
was laser cut to give the impression of
Champa leaves.
Because of the harsh summer sun,
the planting palette was restrictive.
Large trees such as Badam, Kachnar
& Amaltas were placed such that once
grown to their full size would shade
most of the other plants and would
eventually help in diversifying the
planting palette.
Garden around a Pavilion
Typology: Residential Landscape
Client: Ashok Singhvi
Location: Gandhidham, Gujarat
Project Size: 1 acre
Year: 2010-11
This family of ve brothers in
Gandhidham, Gujarat believe in living
together and spending quality time
with each other in a true Indian family
style. The brothers with their families
lived in identical houses maintaining
the togetherness of Joint families but
striding along with time and providing
enough personal space for individual
families.
The primary design brief was to create a
garden space that can hold innumerous
family get-togethers and helps the
family to connect with each other in an
outdoor space.
Design for this family garden was
developed around a pavilion that
was the spine of all outdoor activity.
Children and elders could relax, interact,
play, eat & drink and gossip at the same
time. The garden has a large gathering
space as well for small functions and
cricket & football matches. The garden
already had a large number of Date
Palms ((Phoenix dactylifera) spread
across the site, some in clusters and
some alone. The area under the clusters
provided a natural spot for siting seating
areas for the family.
The entry to the houses was also
designed through a common court (one
court for 2 houses) so that there are no
boundaries or physical barriers. Every
house, though, had a small garden space
connected to the master bedroom that
was more private and screened from
other areas for the family to enjoy their
personal time.
Typology: Residential Architecture
Client: Indu Bansal
Location: Sec-48, Noida, U.P.
Project Size: 3200 sqft
Year: 2010-11
One would generally dene a project
like this as another row house on a
small plot in a suburb. But for us, it was
an opportunity to question the whole
idea of prevalent builder-ism which
in lieu of increased FAR norms have
scarred our urban fabric with bulky and
overpowering masses of built entities.
Within, the same framework of FAR
requirements, the attempt was to
break the volume of the front facade
of the house and to bring it down to
human scale based on the concepts of
proportions and scale.
Planting was incorporated in the
elevation as an important element with
built-in planters, pergola for creepers
to climb on, use of rain chains as water
channels, etc which further helped in
softening the otherwise solid block of
building.
A simple solution, like doubling up
the toilet ventilation shaft as a light
well adjoining the dining room instead
of enclosing it in solid walls, as it is
generally done, made a huge difference
to the indoor natural light quality of the
house as well.
Small House in a Big Suburb
Typology: Housing Landscape
Client: Amrapali Developers
Location: Amrapali Eden Park,
Sector-50, Noida
Project Size: 4 acres
Year: 2010-Ongoing
Inspiring Eden
Allure of the Aravallis
Typology: Residential -
Renovation, Interiors, Landscape
Client: Rajen Parikh
Location: Mandi Hills, Delhi
Project Size: 4.5 acres
Year: 2010-11
Featured :
Home Review, December 2011 Issue
The quaint farm house built upon the
Aravalli hills stood in its quite state
of bucolic grace when it called for a
complete refurbishment in order to
increase the utility of available spaces,
redene the interiors and establish
better inside-outside dialogues.
The renovation was envisaged as a
contemporary interpretation of the
rustic theme of the existing structure.
A harmony is achieved by balancing
the rusticity of the farmhouse and its
environs with eccentric tones of bright
colours. Wood furniture add the raw
appeal throughout the house but at
the same time their designs have been
kept as contemporary and clean-line.
Connections with the outdoor were
strengthened by creating a lot of
transition spaces throughout the house.
Landscape design was a challenge
because of an acute water shortage.
Existing trees and foliage clusters were
used to plan the layout and pathway,
avoiding any extra planting that could
increase the water demand. Green turf
was avoided and instead earth and gravel
were retained while strategic placement
of terracotta and bright containers
balanced the plain, brown scenery. They
added the much needed colour to the
otherwise barren landscape.
Retro-Fit
Typology: Residential -
Renovation, Interiors, Landscape
Client: Mukund Sanghi
Location: Maharani Bagh, Delhi
Project Size: 4000 sqft
Year: 2011
A very close friend from Jodhpur
was getting married in Delhi and
wanted us to renovate his house
which was originally built in 1962 but
was presently in a dilapidated state.
A major renovation requirement was
the servants access to their quarters
which were on the roof and were being
accessed by a makeshift staircase right
in front of his dining room. Apart from
that, the existing balconies on the rst
oor were very narrow and unusable.
They also needed to be extended so that
the rooms could enjoy a sunny outdoor
space.
After looking at the house, our rst
impression was to recreate the almost
Retro-esque feel of the house for the
interior spaces. Warm and bold colours
with owing forms reminiscent of that
time, were seamlessly incorporated
throughout the house. An old chandelier
from one of clients movie halls in
Jaipur was dismantled and made into an
art installation in the staircase. A lot of
the existing furniture was repainted and
re-used.
For the exterior, the design was mainly
aimed at creating a facade that looks
as if it has been there forever yet had
a contemporary appeal to itself. A
very popular yet humble architectural
element of the 60s, the concrete
Jaali, was given a contemporary avatar
with clean line design and innovative
construction detailing. After renovation,
the servants access coherently merged
with the front facade of the house.
Urban Revival
Typology: Urban Landscape +
Cinema Renovation & Interiors
Client: Picture Palace Cinema
Location: Udaipur, Rajasthan
Project Size: 1.25 acres
Year: 2011-Ongoing
Typology: Ofce Interiors
Client: Icreon Communications
Pvt. Ltd.
Location: NSEZ, Noida, U.P.
Project Size: 13500 sqft
Year: 2011-12
A young software rm, with worldwide
business network wanted to expand
their India operations and gave us
the design brief to create an ofce
environment for their team of 250
strong software professionals, that is
as vibrant and energetic as themselves.
Another of their major requirement
was to avoid linear desk system while
planning the space for maximum users.
This led us to create an open ofce
layout with adequate places for
impromptu interactions and discussions,
accented with bright yellow walls
(also the colour of their mascot). The
highlight of the project is a group
desking system that allows spaces for
interaction within each set of work
stations and makes the workspace
more intimate and interactive. While
intentionally avoiding any linear desk
arrangement, space was efciently
organized to create teams for companys
various ongoing projects.
The ground oor was the companys
image projection oor and had a long
Wall of Fame running the entire length
of this oor. This wall displayed all
of their prestigious clients and works
executed by them.
The library with colourful seating played
a pivot around which all the spaces
on the ground oor were planned.
The team uses this space for informal
interviews and as break-out zone during
work hours.
Fun@Workspace
Typology: Residential Architecture
Client: Manishi & Ranjan Kukreti
Location: Sec-46, Noida, U.P.
Project Size: 4800 sqft
Year: 2011-Ongoing
As the owners presently stays in
London, the brief was to build a house
within optimum costs, but at the same
time, it should be enticing enough for
a tenant to enjoy it and, in case, they
plan to come back, for them to occupy
it immediately. Apart from the costs,
the house should require minimum
maintenance possible.
Within the constraints, the idea was
to design a house staying true to the
materials used in its construction and
use alternative & cost-effective options
rather than using cheap imitations of
expensive materials which have ooded
the market recently.
Based on the concept of using materials
which age well, the house was planned
as an exposed brick work house
accentuated with concrete bands, metal
pergolas & fenestrations, which shall be
painted in bright shades of turquoise
blue. A modern interpretation of the
traditional brick jaali was incorporated
in the design as an enclosure to the
otherwise external staircase. The interior
spaces were highlighted using patterned
terrazzo tiles laid along with Indian
marble ooring. The exposed materials
lend beautiful textures and patterns to
the house, at the same time, saving costs
which would have to be incurred on
plastering and painting these surfaces.
Such kind of architecture is losing its
relevance primarily as it requires much
extra efforts and detailing from the
architects end, but we feel that the
results are worth the effort.
Exposed Elegance
Nature Served
Typology: Hospitality: Interior
Renovation & Landscape
Client: Hotel Devraj Niwas
Location: Jaipur, Rajasthan
Project Size: 1.2 acres
Year: 2011-Ongoing
Typology: Residential Landscape
Client: Mahesh Sharna
Location: Udaipur, Rajasthan
Project Size: 24700 sqft
Year: 2012-Ongoing
Typology: Residential Architecture
& Interiors
Client: Mukund Sanghi
Location: Udaipur, Rajasthan
Project Size: 4500 sqft
Year: 2012-Ongoing
Contemporary Rustic Luxury Living
Typology: Hospitality Landscape
Client: Hilton Hotels
Location: Jaipur, Rajasthan
Project Size: 7.5 acres
Year: 2012-Ongoing
(Project in collaboration with Integral Designs)
Typology: Hospitality Landscape
Client: Holiday Inn
Location: Panchkula, Haryana
Project Size: 4 acres
Year: 2012-Ongoing
(Project in collaboration with Integral Designs)
Pink Sands Hotel, Panchkula Hilton Garden Inn, Jaipur
Residential Architecture
Typology: Residential Architecture
Client: Dr. Upadhyay
Location: Noida, U.P.
Project Size: 4500 sqft
Year: Unbuilt
Typology: Residential Architecture
Client: Sujata Bagla
Location: Palam Vihar, Gurgaon
Project Size: 4000 sqft
Year: Unbuilt
Residential Architecture
Graphic Design
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Kanchipuram, Viman 18
KANCHIPURAM
Kanchi, the capital of the Pallavas, has had a
chequered history, beginning from the pre-Christian
era. Kanchi was not connected with any of the early
Tamil kings, though it was the point of conuence
of religions, and a centre of commerce. Hiuen
Tsang (Xuan Zang) visited it and found many Bud-
dhist Sanghas, the remains of which can still be seen.
The Jain presence was also considerable, till Brah-
minical inuence began to penetrate south India.
Kanchi was perceived as being outside the original
Tamil country, with greater afnities with the north.
It was referred to a Mahanagaram (big city). A
Sanskrit saying, nagareshu Kanchi implies that
Kanchi was the rst among cities. In the early centu-
ries CE, Vedic scholars from the north came in large
numbers to settle here, and there were considerable
intellectual connections between Kanchi and Patali-
putra. Kanchi had the distinction of being the only
city south of the Vindhya to be included among the
seven sacred cities of India; the other six being Ay-
odhya, Mathura, Ujjain, Maya, Avantika and Puri.
The two Pallava temples of Kanchi, the Kailasanatha
and the Vaikunthaperumal, still in a good state of
preservation, mark a dramatic surge forward from
the Shore Temple at Manallapuram. The structures
are more complex, the superstructure more imposing
and the sculpture more elaborate and profuse. How-
ever, though grander, one misses the sensuous grace
of the sculpture and the elegant sweep of the towers
of the Shore Temple. Both the Kanchi temples have
inscriptions which are of interest to the historian.
Those in the Vaikunthaperumal temple trace the
genealogy of the Pallavas and their contacts with
south-east Asia. The inscription in the Kailasanatha
temple refers to the Pallava Chalukya conicts in
the 7th and 8th centuries.
Carved Pillar
Corridor
Opposite: Darasuram Outer Walls
18
M. S. Sriram and K. Ramasubrama-
nian, p. 141, Science in India, Ed. J. V.
Narlikar.
19
Abul-Fazl, Akbarnama Vol. I, p. 364,
Footnote 1.
Facing Page:
An illustration from the Akbarnama,
showing dancers from Malwa performing
before Emperor Akbar (Photo Victo-
ria and Albert Museum, London)
Below:
Humayun, the second Mughal emperor
shown on the left of Timur, who sits
in the centre of this allegorical painting
and hands the imperial crown to Babur,
Humayuns father (Photo Victoria and
Albert Museum, London)
that no new observations were made. However, since
the basis of Indian astronomy was observational, its
scholars could not rely on calculation or interpolation
alone. For instance, Nilakantha Somayaji, a scholar
of ancient religious texts and a noted astronomer-
mathematician, not only composed in the 16th century
in Kerala one of the most elaborate commentaries on
Aryabhata but also presented astronomical constants
veried through his own observations and inves-
tigations.18 Major reforms in the traditional Indian
calendar based on actual observations were essential
when the equinox shifted back an entire sign in the
zodiacevery two thousand years. However, minor
adjustments in the calendar were also necessary at
intermediate stages. At these times changes in stellar
positions were observed and noted. While these ob-
servations were generally based on traditional instru-
ments of astronomy, some scholars did explore other
instruments. Thus, the rst detailed Sanskrit work on
the cylindrical sundial was written around this time.
In fact, the political climate in most of the
Indian subcontinent again became more conducive to
the arts and sciences from the 15th century onwards,
especially during the reign of the Mughal dynasty.
Humayun, the second Mughal emperor, who lived
almost two hundred years before Sawai Jai Singh,
preceded him as a famous royal patron and skilled
practitioner of astronomy. His sister, the Princess
Gulbadan, records in her memoirs that Humayun
himself took the astrolabe and calculated the time
deemed auspicious for his marriage with his future
wife, Maryam-makani.19 Sher Mandal, which still
exists within the walls of the Purana Qila in Delhi, is
said to have been used by him as an observatory.
Humayuns son, the great Mughal emperor
Akbar, was famed for his interest and support to the
arts and sciences. He actively encouraged a mingling
of knowledge from all traditions. Scholars from
all over and beyond the boundaries of the Mughal
Empire came to his court. Bhaskara IIs 12th century
work, Lilavati, deemed to be the most complete and
main text of arithmetic in Sanskrit, was translated
JANTAR MANTAR 185
Samrat Yantra, Jai Prakash Yantra &
Rama Yantra respectively (2010)
Facing Page
Map of Jantar Mantar with main Yantras
marked
JAI
PRAKASH
YANTRA
MISRA YANTRA
SAN
SAD
M
ARG

(P
ARLIAM
EN
T STREET)
BHAIRON
MANDIR
ENTRANCE
SAMRAT
YANTRA
RAMA
YANTRA
SHASTHAMSA
YANTRA
TOLSTOY MARG
0 6 12 24 36 60 84 FEET
24
Dharampal, Indian Science and Technol-
ogy in the Eighteenth Century, Collected
Writings Vol. I, Introduction, pp.
1-34.
termed astronomers in the sacred literature of the
Hindus. Sawai Jai Singh, in choosing the location of
his observatories, was therefore continuing a link with
this ancient system in addition to following his own
individual research.
Astronomy, reputed as being the most
famous of the ancient Indian sciences, continued to
be connected with affairs of religion in various ways
even in medieval times, as noted by Al-Biruni, the
famous 11th century AD Persian traveler and scholar.
It is thus, no coincidence that a temple exists in
the Delhi Observatory, and that it is located on the
east-west axis in line with the original entrance of the
Observatory and its most important instrument, the
Samrat Yantra. The sun, worshipped by many devout
Hindus even today and an essential element in ancient
and medieval Indian astronomy, also had a symbolic
connection with Jai Singhs Kacchawaha dynasty.
Designated suryavanshi, or of the house of the sun,
this dynasty claims descent from Kush, one of the
twin sons of the seventh incarnation of Vishnu,
Lord Rama. Lord Ramas genealogical line is traced to
Surya, the sun.
Though it is frequently said that no theoreti-
cal progress was made in Hindu astronomy after the
12th century AD, yet in Sawai Jai Singhs time astrono-
mers routinely made complex calculations, took
observations, wrote commentaries on earlier works,
composed practical manuals to simplify the use of
standard texts and predicted stellar events.24 Their
skills were an indispensable part of society, continu-
ing the ancient indigenous system, which by then had
also been inuenced by newer astronomical informa-
tion from West and Central Asia and from Europe.
The Jantar Mantars represent one of the last links
with this tradition, when astronomy was linked as
much with religious observances and spiritual objec-
tives as with practices in daily life; where observations
were made with the unaided human eye; and where
such observations were of real use in determining the
appropriate time for conducting activities related to
the religious, agricultural, social and cultural calendar.
A ROYAL OBSERVATORY 18
The Delhi Jantar Mantar is an enigma. Its
huge and arresting forms evoke awe even
today when architecture seems to consist
primarily of strange shapes and propor-
tions. Most people who see it are left with
many questions.
What is it really?
Why is it called Jantar Mantar? Is it
linked to the performance of some
mystical religious rites?
How were its gigantic structures made?
Do they form part of a maze? Are they
forerunners of abstract art installations?
Or are they buildings? If so, what is this
strange architectural style, so different
from the other buildings of its time?
How, if at all, is it linked to astronomy?
This informative history and eld guide
explains all this and more. Based on over
a decade of extensive research, it uses
archival images, photographs, drawings
and sketches, to unravel how the 300 year
old Jantar Mantar Observatory looked and
worked in the past.
Each instrument of the Jantar Man-
tar is explained separately as a guided
walk. The book includes information on
traditional Indian astronomy, and on the
political and cultural background of this
royal observatory established by Maha-
raja Sawai Jai Singh II. It not only traces
its transformation into an archaeologi-
cal monument, but also charts the way
ahead by which the Delhi Jantar Mantars
historical function may be revived and
conserved for future generations.
Carry this book to the Jantar Mantar and
walk around the instruments with it. Or
read it before and after your visit to un-
derstand one of the worlds most unusual
and intriguing works of architecture.

`680
AN INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS BY RABINDRANATH TAGORE
THE LAST HARVEST
distinct background wall colours that underscore
each of the phases. The background wall colours
symbolically reect the more important settings
in Tagores life ranging from the colours of his
ancestral home Jorashanko in Kolkata and those of
the landscapes of Bengal and Birbhum, San-
tiniketan the site of his experimental university.

The Introductory walls and the walls of the
Phase 1 selection have been envisaged as a rich
deep Maroon hue reecting a typically Indian
colour reminiscent of festivals of Bengal or the
dark gleaming oors of Tagores ancestral home
in Kolkata.
Phase 2 walls would be of dark Terracotta remi-
niscent of the colour of earth along village roads
and river banks of rural Bengal, an environment
that Tagore knew well and loved deeply.
Phase 3 walls would be dark Ochre, an extension
of the Terracotta - another colour of earth seen
in village homes including the adobe dwelling
Shyamali constructed by Tagore for his own use in
Shantiniketan.
Phase 4 walls would return to the Maroon of
Phase 1 coming a full circle this time symbolically
addressing the typical shades of the borders of
traditional hand woven textiles that the people
of Bengal wore - the men in dhotis and women in
saris. Since it is people and faces that the portraits
and masks of this phase highlight.

In the arrangement of viewing/movement
sequence planned, there would be certain wall
surfaces which would not be used for hanging the
View of Entance Area showing Introductory Section
TV Viewing Area showing incorporation of Text and Photographs with the LCD Screen
9

Exhibition Venues
(September to December 2011)
Asian Art Museum, Berlin,Germany
Museum Jan van der Togt, Amstelveen, Netherlands
Asia Society, New York, U.S.A
National Museum of Korea, Seoul, Korea
V&A Museum, London, U.K
National Gallery of Modern Art
New Delhi
Ministry of Culture
Government of India
Preamble
The Government of India are commemorat-
ing the 150th Birth Anniversary of Rabindranath
Tagore and have constituted a National Commit-
tee under the chairmanship of Honorable Prime
Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh to plan and take
up a number of programmes and projects at
the national and international level. To oversee
and monitor the programmes the Government
has created a National Implementation Com-
mittee under the Honourable Finance Minister
Mr. Pranab Mukherjee. As a part of these com-
memorative programmes planned, is the exhibi-
tion of Rabindranath Tagores paintings slated to
be showcased at select museums across the world
from 2011 to 2012.
Introduction
Rabindranath Tagore was a phenomenon even
in his own time. Tagore during his lifetime, as a
poet, an artist, a philosopher and a visionary, was
like no other across the civilized world. Today,
150 years after his birth his vast outpouring of
works in diverse elds of music, literature, art and
education remains as relevant as when they were
rst created.
Rabindranath Tagore was born on 7th May 1861
into an exceptional family that for several genera-
tions had been pioneers in the cultural and social
reform of Bengal. Rabindranaths father Ma-
harshi Devendranath was a remarkable gure in
the history of Bengal - a deeply spiritual person,
a philosopher and reformist. Maharshi Deven-
dranath was a committed social reformer, an
active member of the Brahmo Samaj and a close
friend and associate of its founder, the celebrated
Raja Rammohan Roy.
Rabindranath Tagore had later stated during his
talks in China
I am proud to say that my father was one of the
great leaders of that movement, a movement for whose
sake he suffered ostracism and braved social indigni-
ties.
Rabindranath Tagores family consisted of highly
talented persons who were in the forefront of
cultural and social change in 19th Century Bengal.
Rabindranath Tagore had written,
Most of the members of my family had some gift -
some were artists, some poets, some musicians and the
whole atmosphere of our home was permeated with
the spirit of creation. I had a deep sense almost from
infancy, of the beauty of nature, an intimate feeling
of companionship with the trees and clouds, and felt
in tune with the musical touch of the seasons in the
air. At the same time I had a peculiar susceptibility
to human kindness. All these craved expression, and
naturally I wanted to give them my own expression.
The very earnestness of my emotions yearned to be
true to themselves though I was too immature to give
their expression any perfection of form.
From Talks in China, 1924
Tagore therefore grew up in a household that was
actively engaged in the arenas of literature, ne
arts, music and dance. The interaction of his fam-
ily was not limited to the spheres of Indian and
Bengali culture, but was fuelled by a curiosity to
1

Above : Rabindranath Tagore (Photo Collection of Visva-Bharati)
Cover Page : Rabindranath selecting works for exhibition
in Moscow, 1930 (Photo Collection of Visva-Bharati)
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