Chapter – 2

Weaving a New Future Using

Ancient Threads

Glimpses of glorious India

Amrita School of Engineering
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

By
Shakunthala
EEE department
 Chapter – 2
Weaving a New
Future Using
Ancient Threads

Weaving the Future from the

Threads of the Past
 Ancient Indian architecture generally begins with
How old is Indian one of the world's earliest civilizations, the Indus
River Civilization (2700 BCE to 1900 BCE), and ends
architecture? circa 800 CE when the Medieval period for Indian
architecture starts.
This topic highlights the importance of using Patrick
Geddes' ideas, on ancient Indian town planning, to
shape India's future cities.
Particularly by studying the planning of Indian
temple-cities, we can gather valuable guidance for
creating sustainable future cities(urban areas).
Weaving the Future from the Threads of the Past
 Fritjof Capra, a physicist and systems theorist, became well-known for
his 1975 bestseller "The Tao of Physics.“ Austrian-born American author.

Fritjof Capra In this book, Capra shows how modern physics and Eastern mysticism are
linked.
Born: 1 February 1939 (age
85 years), Vienna, Austria Capra's work explores where science meets spirituality.
Holistic view of reality

In "The Tao of Physics," Fritjof

Capra talks about Nataraja, a
Hindu god known as the Lord of
Dance.

Capra sees Nataraja's dance as

symbolizing creation,
preservation, and destruction—
similar to modern physics ideas.

He connects Nataraja's dance to

how energy and matter
interact, like in quantum physics.
Leonardo Da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15
April 1452 -1519 May) was an Italian
polymath of the High Renaissance
who was active as a painter,
designer/planner, engineer, scientist,
theorist, sculptor, and architect.
(A polymath is an individual who
possesses a wide range of knowledge
and expertise in various fields.)
"Renaissance" in European
history

Renaissance means rebirth. It's

commonly referred to as a "cultural
rebirth."
It first emerged in Florence in the
14th century but flourished in
Southern and Northern Europe
throughout the 15th and 16th
centuries.
The Renaissance in Europe brought
back ancient learning(knowledge)
and bridged the gap between the
Middle Ages and modern times.
Leonardo approached
science in a unique way
compared to Newton and
Galileo

Capra shows how Leonardo da Vinci

had a wide-ranging way of thinking in
all his scientific works.
Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) was an
Italian astronomer, physicist and
engineer, sometimes described as a
polymath.
Sir Isaac Newton FRS (25 December
1642 – 20 March 1726/27) was an
English polymath active as a
mathematician, physicist, astronomer,
alchemist, theologian.
 Aeronautics: Leonardo studied flight by observing birds in detail. He didn't
just watch them fly; he understood how their bodies, the air, and their
Leonardo's broad flight were connected. He tried to copy nature's smart designs for flying
systems perspective in by drawing and writing about bird wings to make machines for human
all his scientific works. flight.
This shows how he considered all aspects together, not just one thing at a
time, when working on flying machines.
 During the Renaissance, thinkers drew inspiration from ancient Greek
and Roman philosophers and scientists.
"Renaissance" Example -
Leonardo da Vinci, for instance, studied the works of scholars like
Science and Philosophy
Aristotle and Vitruvius, which helped revive classical learning in
areas such as anatomy, engineering, and natural philosophy.
 Natural philosophy, or the
study of nature and the
Natural physical universe, was the
philosophy main approach to
understanding physics before
modern science emerged.
 Leonardo, though a military engineer, didn't focus on offensive(aggressive)
operations. Instead, he came up with creative city planning ideas for
defense. He had innovative insights into building design and function, and
Leonardo's advanced city his urban planning ideas were ahead of his time.
planning ideas for Capra mentions that Leonardo's town planning, which emphasized
defence biological and human-ecological aspects, wasn't popular in Europe.
Interestingly, it took another four centuries for similar concepts to be
proposed, which were then seen as advanced. This inspiration came from a
different ancient culture.
Prof. Geddes (1854-
1932)
Prof. Geddes (1854-1932) was a
Scottish polymath skilled in
biology, town planning,
geography, and humanism.

He first met Sister Nivedita during

his first trip to the United States
and later met Swami Vivekananda
during his second visit.
Was Geddes like a
successor to Leonardo?

Sister Niveditha, also

known as Margaret E.
Nobles, a British social
worker, writer, and
disciple of Swami
Vivekananda,
acknowledged(recognized
) Prof. Patrick Geddes in
her book 'The Web of
Indian Life' for his
contributions.
Geddes - An Heir to
Leonardo?......
Vivekananda, Nivedita, and Geddes met again
at a Paris exhibition.
Sister Nivedita introduced Geddes to physicist-
turned-physiologist J C Bose during the event.
Geddes later became Bose's main biographer.
When he visited India, he toured many temple-
cities, especially in South India, which
fascinated him.
Beyond mere fascination, he explored the
scientific systems behind the creation of these
cities.
Systems view of
Indian Temple
Towns
Geddes was fascinated by
Madurai, especially its central
temple.
However, he noticed that the
original construction was
distorted.

Despite the changes made by

British influence and the
destruction of the original town
plan, Geddes still found Madurai
endlessly attractive.
 Significantly Paripāṭal – a classical work belonging to ancient Tamil literature
(eighth century) describes an organic view of the ancient Madurai,
Systems view of Indian The city resembles the lotus that blooms out of the navel of Vishnu
The streets of the city resemble the arrangement of petals in the lotus
Temple Towns………. The palace (or temple) is the receptacle(center) of this lotus shaped city and
The inhabitants represent the pollen of the lotus.
Systems view of Indian
Temple Towns……….
If these lines are true, then the city reflects the
primordial (the ancient) lotus flower, symbolizing
the universe's birth from pure consciousness,
Vishnu.
The city's layout and its inhabitants resemble a
flower and its pollen.
While comparing a city to pollen may seem poetic,
Patrick Geddes argues there's truth in it.
The "primordial lotus" symbolizes the start of
creation in Hindu belief, representing life coming
from cosmic waters and showing purity and the
unfolding of existence.
 According to
Geddes….
From 1914 to 1925, Geddes worked in
both India and Palestine. In Palestine, the
Jews were enthusiastically rebuilding their
homeland.

However, in India, the colonial

government wasn't keen on Geddes'
ideas. They didn't appreciate the wisdom
behind Indian city planning.

Despite this, Geddes encouraged for an

Indian-style approach to city
development, which he found smarter.

He liked the small streets that led to

comfortable squares with trees, where
gardens and courtyards provided peaceful
shade.
 Tel Aviv and Kanchi
He admired Kanchipuram, for its advanced
drainage system and sewage management,
which helped gardens grow well.
His sketch of Kanchipuram highlights the
importance of the city center.

Geddes wanted to expand Kanchipuram to the

north due to population growth.

He saw Kanchi as a group of small

communities, each centered around a temple,
forming a sacred geography.

Later, Geddes applied the insights from

Kanchipuram to design Tel Aviv. In Tel Aviv,
the( temples)houses of the spirit were
replaced by secular gardens.

("Secular gardens" refer to gardens or green

spaces that are not associated with religious
or spiritual purposes. )
Tel Aviv is Israel's cultural and commercial capital.
Tel Aviv and
Kanchi……..
Geddes visited Srirangam and
understood the deep
philosophy behind temple and
paddy field designs, seeing
how simplicity links to spiritual
concepts.

Geddes' continuous effort/

request also made an impact on
Indian intellectuals. To preserve
the disappearing science of
Indic architecture, Mr. A. V.
Ramachandra Ayyar took an
initiative.
 He organized an All-India Sthapatya Vedic conference in 1918 to discuss
problems in Indian architecture and town planning. However, there was

Tel Aviv and little progress afterward.

Geddes aimed to blend traditional Indian architecture with modern ideas

Kanchi…….. and connect them to the Indian nationalist movement.

But he didn't agree with the main leaders. For instance, in Allahabad, the
Nehru family and others were building new houses away from the old
town, which went against Geddes' ideas. Only Gandhi seemed interested
in Geddes' ideas.
 Geddes observed how spiritual and cultural events in India
affected urban planning. Despite criticism from some in
Protestant Britain and possibly America, he considered the
Sacred Festivals for
Hindu car festival essential for city life.
Secular Town Planning He believed the festival played a crucial role in keeping
streets wide and clear, preserving them in a time before
motor vehicles.
 Sacred Festivals
for Secular
Town Planning

Geddes suggested using the car festival instead of legal

notices to fight against encroachments(violations).

He emphasized teamwork between temple leaders and

city planners to plan festival routes for better city
planning.
He also suggested the car procession symbolize street
openings, highlighting the importance of suitable streets
for the festival.
.
 Sacred Festivals for Secular
Town Planning

In Indore, Geddes changed the way people

celebrated Deepavali. Instead of just
celebrating Ram's victory, he used it as a
way to fight dirt and pollution.

He did this by burning a big effigy of the

Rat, which represented the filth causing
diseases like Plague, along with Ravana.

He also used this opportunity to

appreciate and honor the often overlooked
and disliked sanitation workers.
A Lineage

Later, Radhakamal Mukherjee continued Geddes' work

in human ecology by applying sacred elements to
Indian town planning.
This tradition includes features like home orchards
utilizing sewage(manure) for garden growth, streets
with trees for shade, and adequate width for cars, and
temples playing a central role in village sacred
geography.
 Geddes got inspired by both ancient Indian town planning and
Bose's research on plant communication.
Anthropologist Naveeda Khan thinks Geddes should have
considered plants' communication abilities to guide town
A Lineage……… planning in a more evolutionary direction.
*** An anthropologist is a scientist who studies human
societies, cultures, and their development over time.
 Geddes wanted to blend old Indian temple-cities with modern town planning that
includes everyone. In Srirangam, he suggested a way to grow while keeping the city's
Democratizing history alive.

the Sacred He thought temples could be places to learn ancient languages and sciences.
He also wanted to help everyone develop equally and stop slums from forming, by
Space sticking to the city's original plans.
Geddes believed that if cities grew in line with their history, it could help stop slums
from spreading, which is a big issue in India today.
 An interesting place to check out is Dholavira, an ancient site
over 4500 years old from the Indus Valley civilization.

Conclusion Dr. Ravindra Singh Bisht, a former official from the

Archaeological Survey of India, says it's a outstanding
example of, town planning, showing precise mathematical
skills in both arithmetic and geometry.
 Conclusion….
Every country, like India, wants a great future. India's history is
special.
As India plans new cities, it's important to think about Patrick
Geddes' ideas on ancient Indian town planning.
Indian temple-cities give us important lessons about more than
just money and politics.
They teach us about biology, psychology, ecology, and spirituality.
Biology: It's all about living things - how they're built, how they
work, how they grow and evolve, and where they live.
Psychology: Figuring out how people think, feel, act, and learn, as
well as understanding mental health and problems.
Ecology: It's about how living things interact with each other and
their surroundings, like how animals and plants depend on each
other and their environment to survive.
Spirituality:A spiritual atmosphere is like a convenient feeling of
being connected to deeper truths and feeling at peace. It makes
people feel happy and in tune with themselves and others around
them.
Conclusion…….

Urban planners today

can learn from
Dholavira's history, to
create sustainable and
prosperous cities, by
blending(mixing) past
wisdom(ideas) with
present needs.
 Storm drainage systems, in places like Chennai in Tamil Nadu are
important for keeping roads and parking lots from flooding when it
The Chennai floods rains.
However, they often get clogged with garbage and aren't maintained
Worst floods in 150 years well enough.
This leads to blockages that stop water from draining properly, causing
floods in cities. So, it's vital to keep these systems clear to prevent
flooding.
***He admired Kanchipuram for its advanced drainage system and sewage management,
which helped gardens grow well.
Activity

Explore the architecture and planning of ancient town Dholavira. Attempt to

extend these plans for a 21st century city.
 ॐ नमः शिवाय
लोकः समस्ाः सखु िनो भवन््ु