The Unsung heroes of architecture community

Workers working late night in Kathmandu

Today, on World architecture day when everyone is celebrating the contribution of architects, I would like you to also think a bit about the workers, masons and artisans without whom Architecture will just be limited to plans, elevations and sections. They are the unsung heroes, the under celebrated warriors and the silent guardians of any Building which is constructed. They are the backbone of any project but still get less or no credit at all. Architects and workers complete each other.

This reminds me of a song which I learnt when during a month in a worker's protest last year. Its called 'Hathoon ke kaam' sung by the famous activist couple, Vinay and Charul. The song is about Beautiful hands of workers that have created wonders which are now idle.

There is a beautiful paragraph which says:

"Mitti ki khudai ki, Bhatti ko jalaya re,

Eetoon ko pakaya re, Bangla Banaya re,

Sansad ka har ek khamba maine hi uthaya re,

soun kyu foothpath pe, ke mere liye kaam nahi."

It can be roughly translated into:

"I dug the ground, I started Brick kilns,

I burnt the adobe to make bricks, I built the Bungalows with it,

I raised every pillar of the Parliament building,

Why should I now sleep on the Footpath? as there is no work for me now."

Technology is growing so fast that pretty soon there will be no need of masons/artisans/helpers at all, I wonder where will these skills go? Will the beautiful wood carving on the windows be replaced by the parametric designs chiseled out by a Laser cutter? Will we all be just designing the whole building on a computer and let the 3D printers build it? Only to sit in that building to do nothing but to work on the computer?

Kanpur

Bakhang, Nepal

Bhopal

Radha, a daily wage laborer Siddhipur, Nepal

A brick Kiln worker in Macchegaon, Nepal

Satnarayan ji working in Muzaffarnagar.

Mason Abbas during a slab casting.

Comments

Doors of Kathmandu

The most versatile piece in a building, [the door] has been a mode of expression [for] ages. The door in apartments and modern societies is just a mode of a transition from outside to inside. In traditional cities and neighborhoods, like that of Kathmandu, it’s much more than that. It’s the place where people spend most of their time. Sitting at the Chaukhat, socializing and chatting. The door is not just a tangible unit, it’s the respect you give to your building. Below are the photos I clicked during my site visits and explorations in and around Kathmandu, Nepal. The collection will keep on updating. Update: A wonderful poem by my ex-professor, mentor and friend, Saurabh Tewari द्वार नहीं हैं ये बस लकड़ी के। सदियों से चल रही संस्कृति के। बस रंग नहीं हैं, अभिकल्प नहीं हैं, प्रमाण हैं ये नेपाल की हस्ती के। नेपाल के दरवाज़े देखिए, निपुण प्रभाकर की आँखो से। There is a tradition of offering prayers at the door every morning. The two red dots are the

Hunnariya Memoriya, The story of my internship.

Prologue: “ I have not slept for more than 6 hours since the time I started my internship. There have been times when I haven't slept at all. Everyday is a beautiful day here. There is no unproductive or bad day at Hunnarshala. I sleep less because I am always so excited and enthusiastic for the next day to come, the next day with challenges, adventure and something new to look forward to. ” I am Nipun, a student of architecture. What you are going to read is the story of six months that changed my life. Hunnarshala is a not for profit company based in Bhuj, Gujarat. It mostly works in the fields of disaster rehabilitation, housing for poor, and social architecture. It is very specific about the use of sustainable and eco-friendly designs and materials in its projects. The involvement of the users and the knowledge of communities is paramount in its designs. I was going to Spain for my internship for six months but my visa got rejected. Around the same time, I got

The foot print investigators (Paggis) of India

I met three old men for an assignment today. They have a very special skill which has almost died. They say, that there are only 4 or 5 Paggis are left in Kachchh today. Paggis are men who identify the footprints of People and animals and get information about them. They help people, police and even army in investigating the foot traces of terrorists, thieves, lost cattle etc. I went to their village with Naeven Bhai, the driver of Sehjeevan who knew them well. This meeting was one of the best one since a long time. I had only a few hours to cover their story and come out with a photo essay. With a lot of curiosity, I bombarded them with many questions. A crux of what came out is below: They belong to the Sodha community of Sindh, Pakistan. In 1971, during the India Pakistan war, they crossed the border and took refuge in India, in Kachchh. They were eventually given special 'Paggi certificates' by the police and also once invited by the police and the Intellig

Pictures and words

Search This Blog