Renaissance Idiot's ramblings

  What happens after one is cremated? Why only go for cremations? What is the path to salvation? Many questions wander around the minds of those who visit or hear about the spaces of death. For the curious and the lost, a repository of Vedic and scientific knowledge that gives answers in spirituality and ecological sciences. A far cry from the programme of the crematorium, the space is meant to be isolated and introverted to disconnect the user from the sites happenings, and while providing a safe haven. *** Read Utsav's Design Dissertation titled 'Dignity in Death: A crematorium design thesis', click the link here . Watch the Dissertation jury presentation video here .  Watch the final design presentation here . 

  THE CREMATION SPACE When a diya gets lit, the hand instinctively protects it from the wind. Similarly, the cremation service is the last service to their loved one, where the person takes the responsibility of conducting the required rituals, cremating the body wholly and scattering the ashes in a holy water body. The cremation space allows these activities to be held while allowing for massive congregations around the deceased. The walls around it, like arms protecting the flame and the people in it from the elements outside. *** Read Utsav's Design Dissertation titled 'Dignity in Death: A crematorium design thesis', click the link  here . Watch the Dissertation jury presentation video  here .  Watch the final design presentation  here . 

As torrential rain begins to envelop the city, people of Vrindavan seek the help of Krishna to save their families and belongings. Krishna responds by lifting Govardhan lift atop his little finger and providing every villager and animal a place under it for seven consecutive days. The temple complex was envisaged as a memorial of the story where elements from the feat were personified as the form of the temple complex. God’s presence in the times of doubt and fear is comforting. For the group of people arriving into the crematorium, just after suffering the loss of their loved one, being under the watchful eyes of the Almighty stills a nature of being looked after. The massing had to be light to be fitting of the puranic proportions. Wooden joists were stacked atop one another, with each subsequent course corbelled to give the impression of the hill (construction technique reference, Yusuhara Wooden bridge museum, Kengo Kuma and Associates). The central support houses the idol and ...

  Imagine, opening up your future newspaper, or before your youtube video starts, you see an advertisement, trying to sell you a prestigious ticket to become a member of a particular religion. "With the idea of Recycle and Reuse becoming popular, allow your soul to be a part of it by accepting Hinduism!!" Or on the contrary think of your favourite influencer/actor telling you how great Christianity is because you can wear a beautiful white gown and get married in a church, only at the price of accepting Christ as your lord and saviour.  All this sounds extremely ridiculous, far-fetched and maybe even insulting. Religions, are considered as pious and untouched guides to our morality and are famous for teaching its followers to be loyal to it. These being defined through centuries of human life on earth and also above it to answer what comes before and after it all. However, for an off chance, can they be commoditized ? and in turn be sold to you? For their inherent benefits?...

What makes something seem wrong? seem scary? or seem dark? I dont really have an answer for that. Sometimes, the general consensus answers it for me, expressing a particular piece is specially twisted or worse than the usual (in a good way ofcourse) Its funny how the whole exercise started, I always wanted to practice anatomy, get better in sketching. But instead of taking the typical path of drawing hundreds of eyes, hands in graceful positions or drawing famous faces; I chose this method, as it would've given me the same type of practice also any thing mangled or mutilated covered up my lack of skill. After more than 50 drawings, there has been an improvement, and has manifested my linear thought process of coming up with a certain pose, and then editing it to make it uncomfortable. Glaring errors usually make the drawings look really novice, even seem like cringy edgl0rd sketches.  It is amazing that a form that we are so well aware and used to knowing, seeing, feeling that too ...

  “I heard you paint houses, Frank?” “Yes sir I do, and I do my own carpentry too.” -         The Irishman (2019) The tale of time and power, contract serial killer, mobster and a friend; Frank Sheeran’s rise and absolute demise are all visualised and narrated through the old man himself; engaging in the revelling story of friendship, loyalty and protection. Starting from its many metaphors serving as foreshadowing of the approaching end, return back to haunt him. The POWs digging their graves, on the face of death. The rotting smell of the fish being a smug nod to “something fishy” and the now tainted morality of Frank.  A story where Scorsese chooses to showcase deaths being cold, quick and like clockwork, commenting on the detached psyche and “Its time” acceptance of Frank, completely devoid of honour and emotion. Only ignored for Jimmy Hoffa, his friend and Sally Bugs, a bad hit. The editing choice to introduce side characters with ...

  UN- CAGE: The bird feeder Dont you hate it when the semester is over, the jury was as humiliating as it can be and worst of all youre still left with the model that you sinked more than 5k ruppees on? Atleast the sheets with your mediocre drawings can be stashed away, but this model HAS to stand the test of time and be the proof against time of your work. Nah, not really, it just acts as a constant reminder of how you cannot be a designer like your idols you dream of. Well worry not, my friend! Use the models base to repurpose it for something worthwhile. If the base is contoured, the bird poop might just slide off it (depending on the slope obviously!). Since you failed to provide a space for humans to live in, doesn't mean its completely inhabitable. Just let little birdies live, feed and breed in it. You can even list it as a sustainable project in your portfolio, that your employer would just brush past with no consideration. Use some of the wooden sticks they make you buy i...

A Sacred space is a derivation of an individual’s belief. With the coexistence of multiple religions around the globe, the definition of a sacred space has diluted down to mean the same as a holy space, which isnt true. The idea of being sacred is achieved in a sense of tranquility, compassion and bliss with oneself and the attitude towards others. Its a space that incubates love and conciousness. It serves to deviate hatred from the hearts and convinces the individual to embrace and to realise. A sacred architectural space must strive to achieve all this in the terms of its motive, scale, form, material and accessibility. Architecture serves the purpose of a symbol for its users and if the symbol achieves this level of purity and cognition, then it can being to serve to motivate the users within it.  Zoroastrianism is a one of the oldest faiths still being practiced in the present. Called the Parsis, they saw persecution from the Islamic invasions and sought refuge in India and ot...

 Collage by Utsav Chaudhury B efore the pandemic entered India, I was busy completing the remainder of my 90 day internship in Goa; with dreams of leaving work and exploring Goa for the month of May. Alas to my surprise, the lockdown came into effect and along with it the absolutely confusing months of March and April where everyday was going into a forest, hunting and gathering for the week’s supply of vegetables, spices, Maggi and others. It was a situation like no other and to my good fortune I had moved into a new apartment with 3 new roommates, which meant we could divide in groups of two and distribute the shopping list amongst each other. Alternate days of coming back from the ‘hunt’ and laying all our food down on the balcony floor for it to sanitise under the sun rays while we tallied up and divided the expenses amongst ourselves was our new normal. Although it is no doubt an extremely scary and panicking situation, where the basic necessity of everyday food wasn't readily...