Nagpur: Renowned Architect and Spiritual Engineer Abhishek Deshpande after conducting an in-depth research on Indian Architecture spoke to Nagpur Today about some concepts and ideas that were responsible for the prosperity which existed in India in historical times.
According to Architect Abhishek Deshpande, during and after British reign, the architecture that is practiced is based on the idea that Form Follows the Function. Construct any building as you want (utilitarian). They seldom use the concept of symmetry and geometry. He believes that Traditional Architecture is based on Symmetry and Geometry. Geometry is the base of any Vastu Shastra or Vedic Architecture.
When Moguls came to Hindustan, they ignored fanatism and accepted Sama. He explained that there are two main concepts which the Islam follows. One is Sama which is the Love of God and the second is Shariat or Law of God.
The Moguls preferred to follow Sama i.e. Love of God. That is one reason why they became tolerant to every religion, caste and creed that existed in Hindustan then.
It was during the reign of Emperor Akbar when he and his scholars translated many Vedic scriptures and books into Persian language which was the language of the Royals in Moguls Dynasty. Many believe that Moguls followed Hindustani Architectural methods and concepts Vedic or Tantric Architectural methods and concepts.
One would agree that Hindustan was in its peak of prosperity. This could also be seen in the writings of all foreign travellers who traversed Hindustan in its length and breadth.
Why or how was Hindustan prosperous then?
If you closely observe Red Fort of Agra or Red Fort of Delhi, one could notice some similarities. They are based on Vedic or Tantric architecture. The use of particular stones, too play a significant role.
One would notice the use of following stones:
- The use of Red Sand Stone in Maratha Architecture
- The use of Yellow Sand Stone in British Architecture
- The use of Jaisalmer Stone in Rajasthan Architecture
However, Moguls also used a combination of certain stones. These were White Marble and Red Sand Stone. The examples of these are Jamal Mashed, Taj Mahal, and Red Fort etc. As per Vastu Shastra or Tantric Shastra, both the White marble and Red Sand Stone have and display their unique features and effects. While Red Sand Stone represents Mars (Mangal Grah), White Marble represents Moon (Chandra).
If anyone has the presence of both the Mangal and the Chandra in the place of Bhaggya in their Kundli, they are said to have Gajalaxmi Yog and they have chances of becoming prosperous like Ambani and Jindal.
Can this Prosperous Yog be replicated artificially or recreated?
Yes. It is very much possible says Architect Abhishek Deshpande. He claims that one can see in history what the effects of using both the stones had on Hindustan. Be it Akbar, Aurangzeb, Shah Alam, Bahadur Shah Zafar etc. The GDP of Hindustan was 33% then. Till 1851, all the English travelers who wrote travelogues wrote that there are no beggars in Hindustan. They went on to add that Hindustan is a country of Gold. This Prosperity is because of the effect of the use of the combination of both the stones.
He believes that the modern architecture and Architects should start following the ancient science of Architecture of Vastu Shastra or Tantric Shastra instead of the following the concept of form following the function. The use of these two stones in the architecture combined with geometry and symmetry would make our country prosperous as before.
