For most of us, the
experience of a heavily populated and busy Indian urban area is no small
challenge. To simply explore the city, or just to get somewhere, requires an
amount of energy and patience that we aren't accustomed to in our Western
lifestyle. While walking the streets, our sensory system is under
constant attack - from the noise and the crowds, from challenging sights, and
from strong odors that pervade every part of the city. It seems as we
are all leaves, drifting at the will of the wind on a unplanned trajectory,
attempting to calculate our steps through traffic, waste, and water obstacles.
The city constantly invades our personal space; even if it seems that you have
managed to escape momentarily as your thoughts sail to faraway places of peace
and tranquility, the small, fragile hands of a child grasp at you and pull you
back to the ground, to the difficult visages that prevail here.
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| The Dérive track |
Jama Masjid
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The Jama Masjid mosque
compound is located in the heart of the old city, surrounded by a wall separating
the inner compound from the hustle and bustle of the market outside. The high
walls damper the city noise and creates a visual barrier, as well as preventing
motor traffic.
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Ahmed
Shah Cemetery
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A narrow alley leads
from the market to the cemetery The end of the alleyway opens to an
inner courtyard filled with graves, and the area is shaded by a large canopy of
trees. The cemetery is entirely separated from the city, the sounds
of the market are barely audible, and there are no vendors or motor traffic.
Nevertheless, the space is not welcoming and is not inviting for a lengthy
stay.
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IP Mission Church
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The IP Mission Church
is located at a very busy intersection, and is surrounded by high-traffic
multi-lane roads. The grounds house the priests' residences and the church
itself, separated from the city by a high brick wall. The inner courtyard has a
calm, peaceful atmosphere, as opposed to what exists beyond the church
compound's walls.
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Victoria Garden
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Just across the road
from the IP Mission lies the Victoria Gardens. Compared to the Church, the
Gardens do not have any physical separation from the city's traffic, but its
size and thick vegetation act as a natural filter, allowing for a quiet and
pleasant outdoor space.
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Ahmedabad Rooftop
Restaurant
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So far we have seen
many types of peaceful spaces in Ahmedabad. In examining them we found that
every place has some kind of physical filter or barrier that separates it from
the action of this heavily populated city. In the case of the Ahmedabad Rooftop
Restaurant, height is the barrier that separates the space and provides it with
its quiet and calm atmosphere.
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