Platform for Architectural Transfers in the Indian Ocean rim
About  |  

09th January 2025
Thursday 5.30 pm IST
Respondent:  Sonal Mithal  (CEPT University)
<Registration Link>



Indian Ocean motifs and milieus: Some traces from the ‘native town’ of Bombay

Sarover  Zaidi
(Jindal School of Art and Architecture)


Sarover Zaidi’s work aims to trace the circulation of architectural ideas and forms through the ‘native town’ of Bombay. Classified in contrast with the colonial city, the ‘native town’ gets determined and fixed into categories of native-ness not just as a sociological category, but also in the classification of it’s architectural form, determined through the category of  ‘vernacular architecture’.  As part of my anthropological work on architecture of the ‘native town’ of Bombay, I explore the manners in which this area is marked as chaotic, disorganized and one withholding suspicion, as it does not cede to the idea of the colonial organized city namely ‘town’ in its forms of structure, citizenship and planning. This erases histories of networks, encounters, and exchange that have existed in the port city of Bombay, from pre- colonial times.  Built incrementally and influenced by traders, settlers, visitors and workers, this area brings together ‘Indian ocean’ influences in both its linguistic and built forms. Encompassing the Arab worlds, Iran, Africa and also aesthetic forms from the hinterlands of Kathiawar, Rajasthan, Mughal architecture of the northern provinces, the ‘vernacular’ architecture here presents a bricolage of languages and forms of living.


Building Selfhood: Gendered Patronage and Shahjahan Begum’s Architectural Vision
Saniya Siddiqui
(School of Planning and Architecture)



This talk is a preliminary exploration of gendered architectural patronage during colonial modernity in South Asia, focusing on the princely city of Bhopal under the rule of Shahjahan Begum (r. 1868–1901). Shahjahan Begum stands out as one of the few women rulers of her time, navigating colonial and patriarchal systems to leave a profound mark on Bhopal’s built environment. Through her architectural initiatives—ranging from public institutions to urban projects—she crafted a narrative of self-representation, authority, and cultural assertion. This presentation discusses the methodological approaches to studying Shahjahan Begum's contributions, drawing from historical texts, archival materials, and architectural evidence. It reflects on the challenges and possibilities of reading architectural histories through a gendered lens, engaging with broader historiographical debates within the discipline of architectural history. By critically examining categories such as “patronage” and “representation,” this talk seeks to unpack how gender and power intersect in the production of built heritage. This talk also encourages emerging insights on: How might gender-focused approaches reshape the field of architectural history? What other methods or perspectives could enhance this inquiry?