Indus village - An ancient acropolis.

摘要

"As I grew up and became engaged in activities which promised to lead to India's freedom, I became obsessed with the thought of India. What was this India that possessed me and beckoned me continually, urging me to action so that we might realize some vague but deeply felt desire of our hearts" - Jawaharlal Nehru1;This project is an ongoing quest; a personal discovery of India, which I have been passionate about ever since I was a child. Growing up in India exposed me to its glorious diversity and led me to reflect - how this diverse system works? How have our origins influenced us? Where are we going? I also realized that "India's extraordinary history is intimately tied to its geography"2. This project is an attempt to showcase India's connection to its roots and its continuity through recent times through a design solution.;India is replete with ancient monuments and historic sites -- however, most of them lack well planned and managed information centers, which can provide information and assist the visitor. The lack of such centers has made it challenging for visitors, both Indians and foreign visitors, to grasp and appreciate India's culture and history -- a history that is fascinatingly modern and "sustainable" from its ancient days. As a result, visitors usually do not appreciate the relevance and significance of an historic site, or are given incorrect and misleading information.;As part of my research, I will use a number of resources, including movies, documentaries, books, journals and personal experiences of family and friends to explore the act of experiencing India's cultural sites. I also intend to use the Internet for preliminary research, coupled with journals for more in-depth analysis.;The research will be complemented with research from organizations with a similar focus and interest, such as UNESCO, Global Heritage Fund, Archeological Survey of India and others. Finally, it will be supplemented with field studies and personal interviews as I plan to visit India, as part of a data gathering exercise.;Through design and with the help of new and advanced technology, I want to create a program that acts as an interface between the history and people to educate and promote an interactive experience of the historic site. This research program will also help me in studying historic sites and their fundamental elements.;The design will be developed to bring out the philosophical and historical elements of the site and integrate the site's connection to its users. The tangible nature of the space (given the ability for users to interact with the space) will make the user's experience so natural and artistic causing one to wonder where reality begins and where history ends.;1Jawaharlal Nehru. The Discovery of India. (New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund, 1999).49 2Geographia. India. (1997-2005). http://www.geographia.com/india/india02.htm (accessed Sep 21, 2009).