[Reader-list] Veer Munshi; Pandit Homes & CONSTRUCTION WEEK

[Kshmendra Kaul]

Artist Veer Munshi exhibhited at Tao Art Gallery in March 2009. 
 
Architect Alfaz Miller happened to visit that show titled "SHRAPNEL". It prompted him to write a piece for "CONSTRUCTION WEEK" - "Pandit Homes of the Past".
 
It also led to Deepak Ganju's Video "My Lost Home in Kashmir"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl6nOV7iYTs&feature=related
 
 
Alfaz Miller, the architect, writes:

" In artist Veer Munshi’s painstaking photographs shown at Tao Art Gallery in Mumbai recently, I could see clearly how the Valley has been ravaged and the Pandit houses systematically destroyed. In some cases, only remnants of roofs, wooden balconies and trelliswork could still be seen."
The background to that comment is found elsewhere in the article:

- " When I first visited Kashmir ......... As a student of architecture, I was enthralled as much by its rich architectural tradition as I was by its natural beauty. "
 
- """"" ..... I experienced the traditional Kashmiri hospitality, marvelled at the unique character of its people, and enjoyed its architectural and design diversity.""""""
 
- """""""" Most of all, I was fascinated by the unique architectural idiom of the Pandit Houses located in Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Srinagar. Composite load-bearing structures constructed with either stone or brick walls, these houses were either plastered or left exposed. The walls were thick to fulfill the need for insulation during the snow-bound winters. The floors and roof trusses were made of timber with timber floorboards to match
 
The older houses had timber shingles on the roof, while the more modern ones used galvanized iron roof sheeting. The design of the roof trusses is amazing in the way a variety of roof forms are integrated.  Steeply-pitched roof dormer, clerestory windows and fan-lights are combined to create functional yet aesthetic forms.
 
The architecture of these old houses is symbolic of cross-cultural influences in the Valley. The plastered motifs, the carved arched windows and decorative cantilevered balconies have a distinct Islamic character. The balconies and “mashrabias” (arabesque latticework) also display an Islamic influence.  The Persian influence was just as much evident in the woodwork as it is in the carpet designs.
 
As a youngster, I admired the proportions and meticulous detailing of the houses, both old and new. Built in the traditional way, as they were hundreds of years ago, the variety of roof trusses, how they were designed to take the load of snow and to withstand strong winds, were all intriguing aspects for me. Such designs were missing from my construction books! """""""
Full read at:
http://www.constructionweekonline.in/article-5159-pandit_homes_of_past/
 
 
Kshmendra