Thursday 16 August 2012

STREETSCAPE



The term landscaping has different meanings to different people.

Our country population is so large that the greatest influence on our day to day life is not nature but other people.The activities of each person influences the lives and activities of many others.Everytime an individual digs, plants,paves or in someway changes the land,the landscape is somewhat altered for the rest of the population.

The existing plantation is ad havoc in nature done by the intuitive wisdom and perception of few individuals.
Planting has been done without giving any consideration to the building elevation and architecture.
Railings used to prevent encroachment and to prevent people from vandalizing the plantation have themselves become eyesores.

Container gardens block the pedestrian pathways when actually they could contribute a great deal to the urban landscape.They should make a statement as to where they are and what they contain.If proper emphasis is given on its design,location and size they can make a proper impact and add to the character of the street.

In such urban landscape less importance is given to aesthetics and more to the collection of plant species.When actually the small gardens need a sense of design even more than a medium or large garden.

Planting around heritage structures is a amalgamation of plants,which neither the padestrians passing by or the people using the structure can enjoy nor appreciate.

Landscaping is something that should be soothing to the eyes.It should give shade,prevent glare. Act as a link between surrounding landscape improve visual deficiencies and aesthetics.It can be used to define the road,act as wind,noise and dust barrier and help to improve the microclimate.

Tuesday 14 August 2012

BANGANGA

Among the tall skyscrapers of walkeshwar area in Mumbai is a small piece of history –BANGANGA which sits quietly surrounded by temples of various deities and low rise houses and Arabian sea to the west.
 


The place is 10minutes walking distance from walkeshwar bus depot.


A fight of steps takes you down to the fresh water tank.






On the way down you first see the Jaganath mahadev mandir on right and then the Venkatesh balaji mandir.
 


On all four sides of the tank are steps which lead you to the watertank.





History says Lord Rama on his way to Lanka stopped here to seek the blessings of Sage Gautama.To quench his thirst he shot an arrow ( baan )in the nether world and released the Bhogawati underground ganga.So the name banganga.





Temples slowly got built around the tank and the place became a thirthashetra.


The tank is 135mts long 52mts wide and10mts deep.

The earliest settlers were gaud saraswat Brahmins.



DEEPASTAMBHA
 SURROUNDING STRUCTURES
                                                     
 


JABRESHWAR MAHADEV MANDIR
                  















Friday 10 August 2012

RANGOLI ART









Normally in India Rangoli is done in front of the door.Nowdays you also get to see it done on roads like what we see in the photograph.It was a Sai baba procession that was organised on the previous day of Gudi Padwa (maharashtrian new year).We see in the picture the girls drawing the rangoli in few minutes on the entire stretch of road.First coloured rangoli was spread on the floor and then designs were done in contrast colours