Architecture exhibition to take Vizagites on journey through time

VISAKHAPATNAM: From the Lothal Docks of Indus Valley Civilisation (2500-1700 BC) to the most recent Akshardham Temple (2005), from the Sanchi Buddhist Stupas and the cave carvings of Ajanta-Ellora or from the Mughal mausoleums to the 20th century marvels like the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the photography exhibition 'Splendours of Indian Architecture' beautifully encapsulates the architectural wonders of India.
Hosted by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) at the Visakha Museum, the exhibition was inaugurated by chief of the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) Satish Soni on Sunday. Having already been showcased in Belgium and several Indian cities, the exhibition will now be opened to Vizagites from December 14 to 20 from 11 am to 7 pm. The exhibition comprises 37 large format panels with photographs, sketches and text from over 2,500 years.
Besides photographs of the pre-historic city of Lothal, ancient cave architecture, forts and abandoned cities, it also exhibits buildings resulting from India's Islamic and European encounters. Some of the buildings reveal various stages of fusion between the European and existing indigenous Indo-Islamic style, some others essentially British or European and some Gothic or Indo-Saracen in style. The development of an imperial style is visible in the government buildings of New Delhi.
Some of the buildings featured in the exhibition include 15th century Tikse Monastery of Ladakh, Golden Temple of Amritsar, Rock Cut Kailashnath Temple of Ellora, Kandariya Mahadeva Temple of Khajuraho (MP), Dilwara Temple, cities such as Jaisalmir, Varanasi, Delhi, Fatehpur Sikri, Vijayanagar (Karnataka), besides palaces such as Man Mandir Palace of Gwalior, Mandu, Jantar Mantar of Jaipur, Mughal and Islamic structures such as the Qutb Minar, the Jami Masjid, the Taj Mahal, Akbar and Humayan's Tomb, Gol Gumbaz, and Great Imambara of Lucknow, among others. There is also the Convent of St Francis Assisi of Old Goa (16-17th century), European structures such as Victoria Memorial Hall and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Mumbai).
The final section of the exhibition is a tryst with modern architecture, which includes the Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya in Ahmedabad and the Belgium Embassy, Bahai Lotus Temple of Delhi as well as the Akshardham Temple.
"It's a wonderful historical journey through time," commented Payal Soni, wife of ENC chief Satish Soni. "It's a very good initiative by Intach and indeed a most educative experience. The exhibition has been chosen with extraordinary care to depict the advancements and variety of Indian architecture," said ENC chief Satish Soni.