DESIGN MARVEL
Simple and evocative
A. SRIVATHSAN
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What makes the Sabarmati ashram important is not just the austere architecture, but also the later modern addition made to the campus.
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Sabarmati Ashram: Austere architecture.
The Lord has bound me
With the cotton thread-of love…
Mirabai, 16th century poet.
It was not surprising that this song and the metaphor of cotton-thread, so fragile yet so strong, appealed to Gandhi. Not only did he cite this poem in his autobiography, but Gandhi also went on to shape his life and struggle on the principles of simplicity and firmness.
When he built the Sabarmati ashram in Ahmedabad, the architecture he chose too reflected a sense of immediateness, simple rustiness and warmth that came along with it.
Remarkable design
Gandhi founded the Ahmedabad ashram in 1915 when he returned to India. A few years later, he moved to the present site on the banks of the Sabarmati and considered its location near the British jail as appropriate. This ashram was the hub of his activities and part of many famous struggles including the Dandi Salt Satyagraha.
What makes the Sabarmati ashram important is not just the austere architecture, but also the later modern addition made to the campus. The Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalya, a museum and institution, built in 1963, is considered one of the most creative and evocative modern buildings in India. Charles Correa, India’s celebrated architect, designed this building and many consider it as his best.
The Gandhi Smarak is a series of simple pavilions with tiled roof. The formal simplicity is enriched by the intelligent juxtaposition of courtyards, open verandahs and enclosed spaces. The multiple framed views of the spaces appear absorbingly layered in the play of light and shade. The use of the square and pyramidal sloped roof may look traditional, but the building is undoubtedly modern in spirit. The new addition goes beyond the simplicity of the old ashram and sumptuously uses water and landscape.
The building is not a grand spectacle, which it could have easily turned into as a commemorative structure dedicated to Gandhi. Like the person who started it all, the design demonstrates the creative power of simple ideas. The building is remarkably restrained, but nevertheless evocative and comfortable to be in.
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