Tuesday, March 18, 2008

akshardham temple










Akshardham is an example of contemporary temple architecture.There is a connect with the classical yet there is modernity in the use of materials and craft. Temple ponds were in the past used by the community as a common bathing ghat and a shared resource. Now it is an architectural element. There is a lot more to temple design that pure architecture. Ancient texts are full of specifications for each element, the direction it should face, vastu requirements etc. Folklore talks about "perundachan" a famous craftsman and his masterpieces which blended with nature and created the platform for harmonious living. The Mahabharata talks about Mayan who built the Pandavas which was referred to as a consummate form of applied art.
Ayn Rand in her novel " Fountainhead " also used architecture as a context to explore objectivism