K. Kalpana Libri

Several Indian cities that were born as a result of colonization, served as showcases of the power of the colonizer, manifest in huge buildings, wide roads, large green parks and other infrastructure. Their architecture, though early on a pure model of established Classical and other European styles, eventually gave way to a refined combination of strong local traditions. Madras, one of the first major seats of the British, is one such town that has grown rapidly, but unfortunately at the stake of its heritage. Its vast architectural wealth, including the fine examples of the Indo-Saracenic style - that was a marriage between the Hindu and the Islamic styles - is fast vanishing. The richly illustrated volume offers an insight into what remains of this wealth, in the hope of kindling a fresh interest in its upkeep. The chapters have been so arranged and introduced to give a clear picture of how the city grew, from its majestic beginnings at the fort to the southern suburb of Adyar. The suggested walks cover a varied and substantial numbers of buildings and take one through the life of the area. Debates on he future of heritage planning and the history of built form and open spaces have been included an essays. While on the landmark buildings we have detailed descriptions substantiated by drawings, care has also been taken to introduce briefly, residential and other smaller buildings that play an equally important role in lending character to an area. With close to 1000 photographs, every chapter has been laid out differently to capture the unique experiences of each locality.