Manifestos in architecture are powerful declarations, shaping and reshaping the built environment by challenging conventions or introducing visionary ideas. In India, the concept of manifestos resonates through ancient treatises, cultural movements, and the philosophies of modern architects who have addressed the country’s unique challenges of diversity, heritage, and rapid development.
Indian architectural philosophy is not a single written form but lives in the interplay of tradition, colonial legacies, and post-independence experiments. These manifesto-like ideology statements address the most basic concerns, such as sustainability, cultural preservation, and social equity, which are most relevant for a nation undergoing transition (Hardy, 1995).
History: Proto-Manifestos of Indian Architecture
- Ancient Treatises: Vastu Shastra and Shilpa Shastras
Indian architecture has long been guided by sacred texts such as the Vastu Shastra, which can be seen as proto-manifestos offering a comprehensive framework for designing spaces. These texts emphasize cosmic harmony, environmental adaptation, and societal well-being (Acharya, 2005).
Vastu Shastra addresses structures that should be aligned with cardinal directions and natural forces so that the occupant remains prosperous and healthy. It integrates materiality, climate, and spatial organization to promote sustainable and user-centred architecture.
The Shilpa Shastras provided comprehensive instructions concerning art, sculpture, and temple design, with attention to sacred geometry and symbolic proportions. They consolidated architecture as a manifestation of culture and spirituality while promoting the alignment of form with metaphysical beliefs (Hardy, 1995).
- Temple Architecture as a Manifesto
India’s rich temple architecture reflects a manifesto in stone, encapsulating religious beliefs, community functions, and artistic expression. For example, the Sun Temple at Konark is a symbolic time and cosmic cycle, revealing celestial and earthly connections in it (Brown, 1942).
Similarly, Dravidian temples such as the Brihadeeswara Temple in Tamil Nadu exhibit the integration of engineering skill and spiritual philosophy, underlining a balance between function, ornamentation, and scale (Hardy, 1995). These temples became prototypes for regional architectural expressions, advocating community-centric design principles.
Colonial Influences: Manifesto for Modernity and Hybridization
- Indo-Saracenic Architecture
The British colonial era had come to represent an attempt, in a sense of a manifesto, at blending the Indian and the Western in architecture. This could be seen in buildings such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus formerly Victoria Terminus, where Gothic Revival was integrated with Mughal, illustrating the colonial effort as an adaptation of Western principles for an Indian context (Metcalf, 1989).
That style, though much condemned for its political undertones, opened the way for later experiments in the melting of traditional Indian aesthetics with modernist ideals.
- Lutyens’ Delhi
Edwin Lutyens’ design of New Delhi, particularly the layout of Rajpath and Rashtrapati Bhavan, articulated a colonial vision of power and order. While it lacked a manifesto of inclusivity, its grand axial planning and monumental structures influenced post-independence architects to consider urban design on a national scale (King, 1976).
Post-Independence India: Modernist Manifestos
In post-independence India, new architectural thought leaders came out, whose works carried manifestos of philosophies about nation-building, cultural identity, and modernity.
- Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh: A Blueprint for Progress
Le Corbusier‘s Chandigarh represents the manifesto of a new India-progressive, organized, and modern. The grid system and monumentally styled Capitol Complex, besides having placed a high value on the use of modern materials, negated the colonial legacies that could otherwise be noticed in many such projects (Prakash, 2002).
Although visionary, the city was criticized for being unconnected with Indian realities in terms of culture and society, which brings up debates about applying Western models to Indian contexts (Curtis, 1986).
- Charles Correa: A Manifesto for Critical Regionalism
Charles Correa was an outspoken champion of critical regionalism; that is, he favoured architecture that harmonized the best of global modernism with local traditions. Works like Jawahar Kala Kendra in Jaipur reflect his Indian cultural motifs and adopt contemporary spatial solutions (Correa, 1985).
In his seminal essays, Correa articulated a vision for urban design, which emphasizes community engagement, passive cooling strategies, and human-centric planning. The principles serve as a manifesto for architecture that respects India’s diversity and climatic challenges.
- Laurie Baker: The People’s Architect
Laurie Baker’s low-cost housing philosophy was a socio-economic manifesto. Rejecting the elitism of concrete and steel, Baker propounded vernacular materials such as mud and brick as in the case of projects like the Indian Coffee House in Thiruvananthapuram (Baker, 1989).
His work was sustainable, affordable, and simple, which told a different story from the grand modernist architecture (Menon, 2014).
Contemporary Manifestos in Indian Architecture
- Sustainable and Vernacular Revival
Contemporary Indian architects are looking back to vernacular traditions to meet environmental and social challenges:
Studio Mumbai and Bijoy Jain: Studio Mumbai focuses on artisanship, the use of local materials, and biophilic design, thus it can be said to be a manifesto for “slow architecture” that puts process over the product (Phaidon, 2016).
Auroville’s Sustainable Architecture: Architects in Auroville, like Satprem Maini, speak for earth-based construction and community-oriented design, presenting a manifesto for eco-conscious living (Lepage, 2006).
- Urban Manifestos: Smart Cities and Tactical Urbanism
India’s urban change has inspired manifesto-like initiatives in response to rapid urbanization:
The Smart Cities Mission: Though ambitious in scale, this program has been criticized for its preference for technology-based solutions rather than grassroots participation, with the need for a manifesto focusing on inclusivity and sustainability (Datta, 2019).
Urban Tactical Interventions: Concepts such as Raahgiri Day in Gurgaon promote pedestrian-friendly urban spaces, conceptualizing a manifesto for the reappropriation of public space by non-vehicular means (Shah, 2015).
Important Lessons of Indian Architectural Manifestos
- Synthesizing old and new
Indian architectural manifestos reflect an urgent appeal for infusing inherited knowledge with contemporary demands. Examples include the application of passive cooling strategies in modern designs through simple step-wells of yore (Doshi, 2001).
- Social Equity End
Architects such as Laurie Baker and Balkrishna Doshi show how architecture can address socioeconomic disparities by building affordable housing and community spaces (Doshi, 2001; Menon, 2014).
- Climate Challenges Response
Sustainability has become one of the central themes of Indian architectural manifestos. This ranges from using local materials to integrating renewable energy. Architectures are reimagining how cities should be designed to mitigate climate risks such as urban flooding and heat islands (Datta, 2019).
Indian architecture, influenced by the rich tapestry of traditions and modern innovations, presents a rich treasure of manifesto-like principles that reflect challenges in the cultural, social, and environmental spheres. These principles, with roots in ancient texts as well as in contemporary practice, underscore the need for an architecture that is deeply responsive to India’s unique contexts.
Lessons drawn from these architectural manifestos offer guiding principles, towards producing spaces that are functional, beautiful, and at the same time, inclusive, and sustainable in the context of the unprecedented urbanization and climate change being faced by the country.
Reference:
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