Historic Reinterpretation and Conservation of Srirangam Town

A.SIVARAMAN REG NO 1350012 M.ARCH (GENERAL) 2013-2015 BATCH HINDUSTAN UNIVERSITY

SRIRANGAMHISTORIC REINTERPRETATION AND CONSERVATION


HISTORIC REINTERPRETATION AND CONSERVATION OF SRIRANGAM TOWN

Introduction:The historic urban areas evolved through

processes of ancient town planning and cultural exchanges, leading to a townscape, that is in many situations visually attractive, ecologically sustainable and culturally, historically identifiable.

While these distinctive historic urban areas are important to the overall quality of our communities, the views and visual relationships between historic townscapes and people are often destroyed during rapid change, especially in developing urban settings.

In India, traditional cities are developed around a historic core, where the core area is called as walled city or inner city. The typical plan of the inner cities puts the temple at the centre, the markets immediately adjacent. The seat of government / palace is seldom at the centre, and is usually on the outskirts. Bordering these public areas are the residential districts. Some of these ancient cities have well defined boundary or setting.

Temple



In historical south Indian cities like Madurai, Trichy, SRIRANGAM, Thanjavur, Chidambaram, Kumbakonam etc. the temple dominates the plan at the centre.

`These sacred monuments were constructed in such a position that they would dominate the surrounding area, providing a focal point for the town or city. Today there is a threat to this viewscape, the urban development which is happening in the immediate setting of the temple is obscuring the visual dominance, importance or its aesthetic contribution once these monuments had to the townscape.

Srirangam, whose "temple-city" of Sri Ranganathaswami comprises no less than seven enclosures and 21 "gopura".Construction of this monumental edifice between two rivers near Tiruchinapalli (Madras State) probably began in the 10th century.

Today its structure and sculptures show signs of serious wear and weathering. At the request of the Indian Government, Unesco has made an on-the-spot investigation of the problems of renovating and conserving the Srirangam temple.



SRIRANGAM :One of the largest in India (its outer wall is four miles in circumference), it is perhaps the most representative of the Vijayanagar dynasty architectural style (1350-1565) with its multiple monolithic columns adorned with stone sculpture and decorative carving



History and planning system of Srirangam:

Srirangam was born as a small temple complex in the 1st Century B.C...but as its reverence and importance grew.. it developed as a well known temple town....and further on developed to become a major node of Hindu culture, history, art, literature, politics, education. With this continuous progression of Srirangam under the constant guidance of kings and governments, Srirangam outgrew its significance as a temple complex and boomed as a premier urban center in South India. The Arts, Literature, Poetry, Education, Vedic Learning, Hindu (particularly Vaishnava) philosophy reached great heights and became the very pillars of reverence that today Srirangam stands on. The planning of Srirangam - focused predominantly on religion and Hindu culture and philosophy, developed as a series of concentric spaces, designed with strong religious and social hierarchy, based on the liturgical Parameswara texts which describes planning principles on the seven sacred circles (the sapta prakara ksetra).



History and planning system of Srirangam:

This discipline of hierarchy can be still observed today in present day Srirangam....which unlike most historical centers in India……continues to grow and be supported the central Temple Complex. The fortified temple town of Srirangam, today, is only a fractal......a minuscule dot among a million other dots....!! Today, Srirangam has grown way beyond the enclosures into a sprawling urban core. Though the temple still certifies its importance as a cardinal point in the development of Srirangam, I see that it has diminished in stature and glory, not because of anything but our own persistence on wanting to leave history behind.



THE SETTLEMENT PATTERN OF SRIRANGAM

The planning of the Agraharams followed a grid iron or concentric ring patterns, with the temple forming the main focus.

The row of houses is either single or double storied, with the traditional pitched roof form striking a significant profile against the sky. The streets were narrow and formed an integral extension of the ‘living space’.

The linear settlement pattern culminated at a temple or was arranged around the temple in various concentric rings, as seen in the great south Indian temple towns. Water bodies were always seen it the vicinity of these settlements as the Vedic life recommended both spiritual and physical purity.

The evolution of this particular architectural typology may also speak about the social position of the Brahmin community




Indian temples are one of the best places to study transition spaces. If we read the temple plan we will arrive at the hierarchy of transition spaces.

The very first transition happens when we enter in the temple through giant Gopuram. Then we come to Sabhamandapa that is connected to Mandapa through a colonnade acting as a transition space.

Then the Antaralaya between the Mandapa and Garbhgriha stands as another transition space. Garbhgriha is again protected by Pradakshina path one more form of transition space.




There is hierarchy of transition spaces here. This transition is not only a physical transition but also a psychological transition required to enter in a god’s abode.

A person entering into a temple mentally gets prepared for his actual confrontation to almighty. He can’t directly enter to Garbhagriha as he cannot achieve that level of devotion required to enter in a shrine. He develops it slowly through transcendental travelleling of his own self. Based on this concept srirangam temple was created



THE SRIRANGAM TEMPLE:



SRIRANGAM OLD PHOTO



SRIRANGAM PHOTO



The second is the town of New Bagalkot in the Stale of Karnataka. Here the principles of equity, affordability, job generation etc., (discussed in the section on Ulwe) are developed within an overall urban form which has deeper cultural relevance, recalling

SRIRANGAM – THE ANCIENT TEMPLE TOWN ON THE RIVER CAUVERY, BUILT AS SET OF CONCENTRIC RECTANGLES, IN THE FORM OF A VEDIC MANDALA,DEPICTING THE NON-MANIFEST WORLD.

Charles correa reinterpratation

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Historic Reinterpretation and Conservation of Srirangam Town