HYDERABAD – “THE CITY OF NIZAMS”

As the wise words of John Glenn state, “Exploration, of course, is going to new places, but I don’t think we go to new places just solely to say: well, we’ve been there, and come back; interesting though it may be. To me, each time we go farther into a space we use that to do basic research that can’t be done before you go there”.

For a case study done to gather a direction towards the understanding of a design, our experience began in the Kacheguda Express on the 17th of September 2019, from Chennai and lasted till 21st of September 2019, which is still etched into our mind and soul.

There is a harmonious blend of art, religion and philosophy in the Indian culture. They are so beautifully interwoven in the fabric of Indian way of life and thought that they are inseparable. Shilparamam is Hyderabad’s tribute to India’s natural beauty, richly diverse cultural heritage and vibrant ethos. It is a place where artisans from across India showcase their individual skills in a plethora of arts, crafts and culture. Shilparamam is a kaleidoscope of India’s colour, diversity and talent. It is conceived as an endless, year-round festival of arts and crafts showcasing ethnic art, crafts and skills of the rural folk from all parts of the country.

The conduction of exploration, discussion and individual study of parts led to the eye-opening details about how the unique architecture of the place brings out the traditional essence of each individual space. The centre brilliantly utilizes the naturally existing features into landmark regions.

A visit to the Golconda Fort and Charminar opened gates to the glowing and prosperous past of our ancestors. The street vendors and shops that sell beautiful pearls and stone bangles remind us of “The Bazaars of Hyderabad”, by Sarojini Naidu. It provides an insight into the nickname earned by Hyderabad as “The City of Pearls” and “The Bangle City”.

Our next stop for exploration was IKEA that operates under the vision and business idea: “To create a better everyday life for the many people”. Their main motto is to offer a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them”. This aided in the understanding of interior, furniture, cost efficiency and most importantly spatial arrangement.

What we took away from this expedition was way more than basic architectural analysis, but a window into this field, our ancestry and ourselves. It gave us a taste of the Nawabi lifestyle.