archilogue 73
Curator: Amrita Ravimohan
Authored and images: Steven Canara
Edited: Shriti Das
Steven Canara is an architect and an academician who completed his Bachelor’s in architecture from
A.P.I.E.D., Vallabh Vidyanagar, Anand in 2015. Post working with Snehal Shah Architect is Ahmedabad,
he pursued his master’s in architecture from C.E.P.T., specializing in History, theory and criticism and
graduated in 2018. He currently works as an associate professor in A.P.I.E.D. and also practises at
Sarthak architects and interior designers in Ahmedabad. He is a passionate photographer intrigued
by traditional and monumental architecture.
↑A zoom in of the same water body.
T
ravel and photography is food for my soul. I try to capture the essence
of the places and spaces through photography and sketches. Mandu,
Madhya Pradesh was a study-trip for first year architecture students at
a college where I teach. The place was a first for students and me; not
only in terms of the place, but also in terms of our respective positions-
for them as students of an architectural college and me as a teacher. But
in the context of the place and the anticipation of witnessing Mandu’s
architectural marvels; the concerns seemed secondary.
For me, the gestalt principles, such as symmetry, continuity and figure
ground matter a lot. This affinity, not only dominates how I design,
but also how I perceive architecture. And boy! oh boy! Mandu had
buildings, possessing such design principles in abundance. Be it, the
mammoth scale of Jama masjid and the Hindola Mahal or the burrows
of Chand Baodi and Rani Rupmati pavilion, each and every space was
fascinating and unique. Even while inside a building, every space was
different from the adjoining one. This aspect upheld the Indian ethos
of diversity and exaggeration quite effortlessly. At the same time, it
posed a challenge for me to comprehend and thereby reinterpret those
principles in today’s contemporary times.
Traversing through the winding narrow streets of Mandu, I was
reminded of my experiences while moving through the pols in
Ahmedabad. All throughout the old city spread over 64 square
kilometres, innumerable small and big monuments are poised at
intermittent intervals. The settlements were interspersed amidst
them. Yet, even today, the city upholds its mystic charm, unperturbed
by the commercialisation around it.Mandu was indeed a rejuvenating experience for me. I strived to
encapsulate those intangible moments of drama created by the light
and shadow piercing through the magnificent arcades and arches
into the buildings and also by the array of majestic domes and water
bodies through sketches and photographs. The architecture of Mandu
is a testimony of pure geometry and proportion and is a consciously
crafted marvel.Note: all the photographs were shot by Steven Canara during
the R.S.P. trip to Mandu, M.P. from A.P.I.E.D. College in Vallabh
Vidyanagar, Anand, Guajarat and all are of monuments in Mandu.