Comments
A Photographer's Lens Revives India's Forgotten Monuments
Photographer Amit Pasricha's 'India Lost and Found' is a photographic journey through India's lesser-known monuments
Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar
19 November 2018
Houzz India Contributor. Internationally published architecture, design and art journalist. www.mangomonk.com
Houzz India Contributor. Internationally published architecture, design and art journalist.... More
Leading Design is a series that explores new innovations, practices and out-of-the-box routes and enquiries pursued by India’s talented design thinkers.
Heritage monuments in India are an emblem of its rich architectural and cultural legacy, and yet, thousands remain obscure and unprotected. With the Archaeological Survey of India considering only 3,650 monuments under its conservation and preservation purview, up to 7,00,000 cultural monuments in the country have succumbed to disuse, disrepair and dilapidation, with 24 even reported as missing.
It is this growing apathy that India Lost and Found (ILF) endeavours to address. Founded and led by Delhi-based photographer Amit Pasricha, the platform showcases forgotten monuments photographed by him. To create the captions, Pasricha sent across curated information to the experts. Their consequential thoughts were then used as the captions for the posts. They are now going to move all caption curations to the experts, whose contributions are crucial in bringing to life the story behind each picture. The ultimate vision is to produce a siteLens on each site. “Our historic sites are like gates to a hidden world. Our vision at ILF is to create a virtual museum of rich thought, both tangible and intangible, centred around photographs of our architectural heritage. Through our photos, we hope to reimagine the pulse of civilisations past – thriving dynasties, bustling trade routes, art and culture, all viewed through a new prism,” says Pasricha. While his collection is hosted on a variety of social and digital platforms, Instagram remains his favourite medium.
Photography style
Pasricha is noted for capturing larger-than-life images, thanks to a technique that involves weaving multiple images together to produce a high-resolution panorama. For its thought generation ILF uses Facebook, but it is through Instagram that he really aims to collect the real audience for the movement. His sweeping panoramic style covers extraordinary angles and arcs, and his gargantuan images are often broken down to fit the grid view on Instagram. A few images seen in this story, for instance, are divided into three parts (somewhat like a triptych) on Instagram, each one with its own caption (the three condensed into one for the image and caption in this article).
The expert network
Pasricha’s movement is a marriage of equals, photographic and textual commentaries. It thrives on inputs and insights provided by his expert network, a close community of academics, subject-matter specialists and professionals, who add value and relevance to his stream of photos on social media. “Our network has several prominent thought leaders including Laila Tyabji, K.T. Ravindran, Arvind Singh Mewar, Amita Baig, Giles Tillotson, Sonali Rastogi, J.J. Valaya, Christopher Beninger, William Dalrymple, Amitabh Kant, Aman Nath and Swapna Liddle. We also have young professionals, PhD scholars and BA programme students. In this sense, ILF is truly a ‘crowd-creative’ project,” says Pasricha.
Heritage monuments in India are an emblem of its rich architectural and cultural legacy, and yet, thousands remain obscure and unprotected. With the Archaeological Survey of India considering only 3,650 monuments under its conservation and preservation purview, up to 7,00,000 cultural monuments in the country have succumbed to disuse, disrepair and dilapidation, with 24 even reported as missing.
It is this growing apathy that India Lost and Found (ILF) endeavours to address. Founded and led by Delhi-based photographer Amit Pasricha, the platform showcases forgotten monuments photographed by him. To create the captions, Pasricha sent across curated information to the experts. Their consequential thoughts were then used as the captions for the posts. They are now going to move all caption curations to the experts, whose contributions are crucial in bringing to life the story behind each picture. The ultimate vision is to produce a siteLens on each site. “Our historic sites are like gates to a hidden world. Our vision at ILF is to create a virtual museum of rich thought, both tangible and intangible, centred around photographs of our architectural heritage. Through our photos, we hope to reimagine the pulse of civilisations past – thriving dynasties, bustling trade routes, art and culture, all viewed through a new prism,” says Pasricha. While his collection is hosted on a variety of social and digital platforms, Instagram remains his favourite medium.
Photography style
Pasricha is noted for capturing larger-than-life images, thanks to a technique that involves weaving multiple images together to produce a high-resolution panorama. For its thought generation ILF uses Facebook, but it is through Instagram that he really aims to collect the real audience for the movement. His sweeping panoramic style covers extraordinary angles and arcs, and his gargantuan images are often broken down to fit the grid view on Instagram. A few images seen in this story, for instance, are divided into three parts (somewhat like a triptych) on Instagram, each one with its own caption (the three condensed into one for the image and caption in this article).
The expert network
Pasricha’s movement is a marriage of equals, photographic and textual commentaries. It thrives on inputs and insights provided by his expert network, a close community of academics, subject-matter specialists and professionals, who add value and relevance to his stream of photos on social media. “Our network has several prominent thought leaders including Laila Tyabji, K.T. Ravindran, Arvind Singh Mewar, Amita Baig, Giles Tillotson, Sonali Rastogi, J.J. Valaya, Christopher Beninger, William Dalrymple, Amitabh Kant, Aman Nath and Swapna Liddle. We also have young professionals, PhD scholars and BA programme students. In this sense, ILF is truly a ‘crowd-creative’ project,” says Pasricha.
Panch Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh, 16th century
Panch Mahal, a pillared five-floored pavilion, contains 176 richly carved columns. The building is known as ‘Badgir’, or wind tower, that served as an antidote to the region’s scorching heat. The building was most likely a pleasure palace for the royal harem. The top storey provides a good view of the huge courtyard and pool. It is from here that Akbar liked to watch games of Pachisi – an ancient Indian form of chess – being played in the courtyard below. Court historian, Abul Fazl, author of Akbarnama, says that Akbar was fond of challenging his courtiers to the game. Sixteen young slaves from the harem, wearing the players’ respective colours, represented the pieces, and moved about the squares according to the throw of the dice.
Panch Mahal, a pillared five-floored pavilion, contains 176 richly carved columns. The building is known as ‘Badgir’, or wind tower, that served as an antidote to the region’s scorching heat. The building was most likely a pleasure palace for the royal harem. The top storey provides a good view of the huge courtyard and pool. It is from here that Akbar liked to watch games of Pachisi – an ancient Indian form of chess – being played in the courtyard below. Court historian, Abul Fazl, author of Akbarnama, says that Akbar was fond of challenging his courtiers to the game. Sixteen young slaves from the harem, wearing the players’ respective colours, represented the pieces, and moved about the squares according to the throw of the dice.
Jahangiri Mahal, Red Fort, Agra, 16th century
Jali (lattice) screens on the watchtower at the corner of the Jahangiri Mahal offer sweeping views of the Yamuna, as also of the Taj on the right and the Itmad-ud-daulah on the left.
Jali (lattice) screens on the watchtower at the corner of the Jahangiri Mahal offer sweeping views of the Yamuna, as also of the Taj on the right and the Itmad-ud-daulah on the left.
India Gate, New Delhi, 1931
In the centre of New Delhi stands the 42-metre-high India Gate, an Arc-de-Triomphe-like archway that straddles a crossroads. Like its French counterpart, the monument commemorates the 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting for the British Army during World War I. About 150 metres east of the war memorial, at a six-road junction, is a 73-foot cupola, inspired by a sixth-century pavilion from Mahabalipuram. Edwin Lutyens, an English architect, used four Delhi Order columns to support the domed canopy and its chhajja. The canopy was constructed in 1936 as part of a tribute to the recently deceased Emperor of India, King George V. In late 1968, the statue was removed from under the canopy and briefly placed in storage before being moved to Coronation Park, to join other British Raj-era statues.
In the centre of New Delhi stands the 42-metre-high India Gate, an Arc-de-Triomphe-like archway that straddles a crossroads. Like its French counterpart, the monument commemorates the 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting for the British Army during World War I. About 150 metres east of the war memorial, at a six-road junction, is a 73-foot cupola, inspired by a sixth-century pavilion from Mahabalipuram. Edwin Lutyens, an English architect, used four Delhi Order columns to support the domed canopy and its chhajja. The canopy was constructed in 1936 as part of a tribute to the recently deceased Emperor of India, King George V. In late 1968, the statue was removed from under the canopy and briefly placed in storage before being moved to Coronation Park, to join other British Raj-era statues.
Lallgarh Palace, Bikaner, Rajasthan, 1926
Built in the Art Deco style, the indoor swimming pool at the Lallgarh Palace can be viewed through jali screens from the zenana areas (parts of the palace reserved for women) on the first floor. While the exterior of the palace is inspired from Rajput and Mughal architecture, the interior is distinctly European.
Built in the Art Deco style, the indoor swimming pool at the Lallgarh Palace can be viewed through jali screens from the zenana areas (parts of the palace reserved for women) on the first floor. While the exterior of the palace is inspired from Rajput and Mughal architecture, the interior is distinctly European.
Siddhpur, Gujarat, late 19th century to early 20th century
Siddhpur in Patan, Gujarat, is known for its mansions, spread over an area of 18 mohallas. Dawoodi Bohras, an Ismaili trading community, built these majestic European-influenced havelis (large traditional houses with courtyards) more than a century ago. The mansions are arranged along the main streets in a grid plan, with the exquisitely decorated façade of each opening to the street.
Siddhpur in Patan, Gujarat, is known for its mansions, spread over an area of 18 mohallas. Dawoodi Bohras, an Ismaili trading community, built these majestic European-influenced havelis (large traditional houses with courtyards) more than a century ago. The mansions are arranged along the main streets in a grid plan, with the exquisitely decorated façade of each opening to the street.
Akbar’s Tomb, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, 1613
The embellishments inside Akbar’s tomb in Agra are unique. The mausoleum was built as a ‘Bihishtabad’ or ‘Paradise Town’ for the deceased emperor. A beautiful ornamented monument like this one needs utmost care and conservation.
The embellishments inside Akbar’s tomb in Agra are unique. The mausoleum was built as a ‘Bihishtabad’ or ‘Paradise Town’ for the deceased emperor. A beautiful ornamented monument like this one needs utmost care and conservation.
Battisi Bawdi, Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh, 1480s
The largest stepwell in Chanderi – Battisi Bawdi – derives its name from its 32 flights of steps. The monument originally stood in a garden (which has now vanished), validated by a nearby inscription reading, “If anyone visits this place, he will say it is heaven”. Legend has it that Battisi Bawdi is incapable of running dry as long as there is water in the oceans.
The largest stepwell in Chanderi – Battisi Bawdi – derives its name from its 32 flights of steps. The monument originally stood in a garden (which has now vanished), validated by a nearby inscription reading, “If anyone visits this place, he will say it is heaven”. Legend has it that Battisi Bawdi is incapable of running dry as long as there is water in the oceans.
Bibi ka Maqbara, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, 1660s
Bibi ka Maqbara is the last imperial Mughal mausoleum to be set in a charbagh (a quadrilateral garden layout based on the four gardens of Paradise mentioned in the Qur’an). It is the tomb of Dilras Banu Begum, Aurangzeb’s first wife and chief consort. On account of its somewhat superficial likeness to the world-famous marble tomb commissioned by his father in Agra, Bibi ka Maqbara is almost apologetically referred to as the ‘Taj of the Deccan’.
Bibi ka Maqbara is the last imperial Mughal mausoleum to be set in a charbagh (a quadrilateral garden layout based on the four gardens of Paradise mentioned in the Qur’an). It is the tomb of Dilras Banu Begum, Aurangzeb’s first wife and chief consort. On account of its somewhat superficial likeness to the world-famous marble tomb commissioned by his father in Agra, Bibi ka Maqbara is almost apologetically referred to as the ‘Taj of the Deccan’.
Shalimar Bagh, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, 1619
The beautiful Shalimar Bagh is one of Kashmir’s oldest surviving Mughal gardens and was Jahangir’s gift to his beloved Nur Jahan. Imagine a gift of such proportions.
The beautiful Shalimar Bagh is one of Kashmir’s oldest surviving Mughal gardens and was Jahangir’s gift to his beloved Nur Jahan. Imagine a gift of such proportions.
Junagarh Fort, Bikaner, Rajasthan, 20th century
Ganga Niwas was added to Junagarh Fort by Maharaja Ganga Singh as a court for Nawabs. Transverse arches support the wooden ceiling of this majestic durbar hall. A Ganga Golden Jubilee Museum here displays many artefacts demonstrating the antiquity of this region, including terracottas from the 4th and 5th centuries, and finely carved stone deities from the 11th century.
Ganga Niwas was added to Junagarh Fort by Maharaja Ganga Singh as a court for Nawabs. Transverse arches support the wooden ceiling of this majestic durbar hall. A Ganga Golden Jubilee Museum here displays many artefacts demonstrating the antiquity of this region, including terracottas from the 4th and 5th centuries, and finely carved stone deities from the 11th century.
Junagarh Fort, Bikaner, Rajasthan, 16th century
Karan Mahal, a public audience hall, was built by Karan Singh in 1680 to mark his victory over the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Considered one of the most exquisite palaces with gardens, it is characterised by stained glass windows and intricately carved balconies embellished in fluted stone and wood columns. Many years later, kings Anup Singh and Surat Singh added inlaid polychrome glass, mirrored patterns, and red and gold paint to the structure.
Karan Mahal, a public audience hall, was built by Karan Singh in 1680 to mark his victory over the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Considered one of the most exquisite palaces with gardens, it is characterised by stained glass windows and intricately carved balconies embellished in fluted stone and wood columns. Many years later, kings Anup Singh and Surat Singh added inlaid polychrome glass, mirrored patterns, and red and gold paint to the structure.
Shah Pir’s Tomb, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, 1600s
Although the construction of Shah Pir’s tomb was orchestrated by Nur Jahan, the building was never completed, leaving the saint’s grave exposed to the sky. The dome-less, red sandstone structure is superbly finished, with well-defined arched recesses on both its exterior and interior walls.
Although the construction of Shah Pir’s tomb was orchestrated by Nur Jahan, the building was never completed, leaving the saint’s grave exposed to the sky. The dome-less, red sandstone structure is superbly finished, with well-defined arched recesses on both its exterior and interior walls.
Spituk Monastery, Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, 11th century
Spituk Monastery is better known as Spituk Gompa or Pethup Gompa. The monastery is home to 100 monks and a giant statue of Kali (unveiled during the annual Spituk festival).
Spituk Monastery is better known as Spituk Gompa or Pethup Gompa. The monastery is home to 100 monks and a giant statue of Kali (unveiled during the annual Spituk festival).
Ek Minar ki Masjid, Champaner, Gujarat, 1536
Set against the backdrop of the Pavagarh hills is the Ek Minar ki Masjid. Today, its five-storeyed minaret, the high plinth on which it stands and a portion of wall are all that survive. While a majority of the remains at Champaner are attributed to Mahmud Begada, this mosque was built by Bahadur Shah during his brief reign before his death at the hands of Humayun.
Read more:
Leading Design: A Typeface Emerges From Where There Were Tattoos
Life in Architecture: Sameep Padora
Tell us:
What image did you love the most? Tell us in Comments below.
Set against the backdrop of the Pavagarh hills is the Ek Minar ki Masjid. Today, its five-storeyed minaret, the high plinth on which it stands and a portion of wall are all that survive. While a majority of the remains at Champaner are attributed to Mahmud Begada, this mosque was built by Bahadur Shah during his brief reign before his death at the hands of Humayun.
Read more:
Leading Design: A Typeface Emerges From Where There Were Tattoos
Life in Architecture: Sameep Padora
Tell us:
What image did you love the most? Tell us in Comments below.
Related Stories
Working with professionals
How to Find an Architect That's Right for You
Make the construction and renovation of your home a pleasant and memorable journey by selecting the right architect
Full Story
Indian Homes
11 Indian Homes That Revolve Around Courtyards
Take inspiration from these homes that make a solid case for courtyards in urban life
Full Story
Decorating Guides
Building Secrets to a Cool, Breezy Home for Hot Indian Summers
Get updated on climate-responsive design strategies for a home that stays naturally cool all year round
Full Story
Working with professionals
What's the Difference Between an Architect and a Civil Engineer?
We clear up the confusion between the professional roles and scope of work of an architect and a civil engineer
Full Story
Architecture
These Indian Homes Know How To Combat Harsh Climate
See how these homes by SPASM, Kumar Moorthy & Associates and JPLUSDARCHITECTS mitigate the ramifications of harsh climate ahead of time
Full Story
Decorating Guides
What Are the Biggest Challenges in Renovating an Old House?
Here are some common problems which may arise during the renovation of an old property
Full Story
Indian Homes
How to Beat the Summer Heat by Keeping the Roof Cool
Here are ways to cope with the high summer temperatures that heat the roof and the top floors of residential buildings
Full Story
Decorating Guides
How to Design a Home That is Not a Burden on the Environment
Incorporate smart details with simple lifestyle changes to create a home that is kind to the planet
Full Story
Architecture
What Is Kerala Architecture?
Let's explore what design elements constitute traditional Kerala house architecture
Full Story
Architecture
Expert Speak: What Are the Best Materials for Home Elevations?
Houzz checks in with an expert about the the most sturdy and adaptable materials for home facades
Full Story