1. Leh
The terrain and the monasteries of Tibet — epitomes of cold climate, of vernacular architecture. They are important tools for understanding site interactions and building processes.
2. Chandigarh
Chandigarh is worth a dekko, as the only full example of Nehruvian dream converted into city architecture. See how the current population inevitably responds to miscalculations made in a bygone period.
3. Varanasi
The ghats and temples, seeing the chaos of Indian street life, and the fervor of religious zeal that circles around ghats culture. Consider the wonderful book of Diana Eck ‘Banaras: City of Light your friend, and check the place for mystical symbolism if you wish.
4. Gangtok
The streets — they can end up in someone’s house when you get lost in them, or open up to spectacular mountain views! You can have to go through somebody’s house occasionally, where the lady cooking or the uncle watching television will both greet you. Gangtok’s peculiarity is the way ornamentation produces a conventional look, although the structures maybe concrete.
5. Jodhpur
Jodhpur earns its position to exemplify an old town ‘s organic growth cycle. As one architect states, “It is a sturdy town with some level of roughness. It must be experienced to consider the relationship of the settlement to topography and climate, the variety of styles of houses that developed because of the land and social structure.
6. Ahmedabad
For being “the mecca of contemporary architecture in India” — perhaps the only city in the world to have good examples of Corbusier as well as Louis Kahn in it {interestingly, Wright had already suggested a house here}. In addition to these, a plethora of contemporary buildings, particularly by BV Doshi, and heritage structures such as stepwells and mosques, require a 4-5 day trip to this area.
7. Panjim
And the similarities that this city provides to the ‘mainstream community’ portrayed by major cities above, make it a city worth a visit, as well as combining Portuguese colonial community with that of the communities along Goa ‘s coastline. Churches, mosques, and monuments evoke monumentality, while the old houses and public areas in themselves are worth investigating.
8. Auroville
Auroville is a bold, utopian metaphysical and ecological living experiment. It is a foreign neighborhood of about 2,500 people near Pondicherry providing many incentives for volunteering {the place is better grasped from within}. Go there to witness the ongoing developments in construction materials and explore an unconventional lifestyle focused on the contrast of life-work and group life.
9. Trivandrum
Due to its traditional architecture, characteristic of this equatorial climatic zone, this city is a must-visit; and Laurie Baker’s works establish a true benchmark in terms of cost-effective construction.
