Seth ram lal khemka haveli covered by silkroad dragonair

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市井百態 德里庭院大宅的大門內外及 陽台上的生活面貌 Everyday flourishes Life goes on around Delhi’s ornate haveli doors and balconies

通往過去的拱門 A RCH WAYS TO TH E PA S T 舊德里大部分的庭院大宅已徐徐老去，甚至變成頹垣敗瓦； 一位印度建築師希望憑藉自己的努力，讓這些驚世建築恢復昔日的輝煌 Today most of Old Delhi’s havelis, or courtyard mansions, lie rundown or in ruins.

One architect hopes her work will see more of these marvels restored to their former glory 撰文 WORDS DANIEL ALLEN

SILKROAD JANUARY 2016

圖片 PHOTOGRAPHY KARAN KUMAR SACHDEV

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早上 9 時， 舊德里的Chota Bazaar尚未甦

安樂窩，而對於參與這座大宅修復工程 醒。這裡距離建於殖民時代、已成殘磚碎 的印度建築師來說，這份工作差事讓她 瓦的克什米爾門只有數步之遙，附近汽車 樂在其中。 零件店林立，但捲閘依然拉下。天台上有 德里建築設計公司Aishwarya Tipnis 幾位賽鴿師正在訓練在天空盤旋的鴿群， Architects的創辦人Aishwarya Tipnis表示： 狹窄的小巷上則有學生、電單車及流浪狗 「當我首次看到這座haveli，即印度式庭 在雜亂無章的電線下零星走過。 院大宅時，其狀況慘不忍睹。大宅擁有超 但是於其中一條街道的一座建築內， 過150年歷史，亦曾經過大幅度修葺，卻 忙碌的一天原來早已展開。工人們背著一 從未有人妥善地維修過。儘管如此，我依 袋袋沙子及木材，有些還帶著印度薄餅 然覺得我們應該盡力去拯救它。」 「Haveli」一字源自波斯語，原意指 Paratha及印度拉茶的早餐，在美輪美奐的 拱門下進進出出，駱驛不絕。抬頭看，窗 「封閉的空間」。而印北庭院大宅的歷 台的外牆已圍上了竹棚，而竹棚木板上的 史則可追溯到 1600 年代，於蒙兀兒帝國 工人敲下外露的磚塊之後補上灰泥。 （1555年至1857年）後期更是相當盛行。 拱門旁邊掛著一塊閃閃發亮的新門 其實印度的庭院大宅與「 haveli 」 牌，標示著這座古老大宅的名字「 Seth 的 本 義 大 相 徑 庭 。 大 宅 的 結 構 專 門 為 Ram Lal Khemka Haveli」。近一個世紀以 迎 合 住 戶 日 常 習 慣 而 設 計 ， 並 非 只 是 來，大宅的住戶都視這座建築為家族的 個 封 閉 空 間 。 雖 然 大 部 分 庭 院 大 宅

DELHI

AT NINE IN THE MORNING Old Delhi’s Chota Bazaar has yet to come alive. Here, a stone’s throw from the crumbling brickwork of the colonial-era Kashmere Gate, the metal shutters on most of the neighbourhood’s myriad auto-part shops remain closed. A few kabootar baz, or pigeon racers, direct their wheeling flocks from the rooftops, while the occasional student, scooter or stray dog navigates the narrow alleyways under a jumbled mass of wires.

Yet on one street, and at one building, the working day is already well underway.

A steady stream of labourers file in and out of an ornate, arched gateway, carrying bags of sand, timber and the occasional breakfast of paratha and chai. Overhead a bay-windowed facade is covered in bamboo scaffolding, as more workers on planks hack at exposed brickwork and reapply mortar.

As a shiny new sign to one side of the gateway indicates, this is the Seth Ram Lal Khemka Haveli. For the people living here, this has been their family home for nearly a century. For the Indian architect involved in the building’s ongoing restoration, it represents a labour of love.

‘When I first saw this haveli – or courtyard mansion – I was a little bit overwhelmed by its condition,’ says Aishwarya Tipnis, founder of Delhi-based Aishwarya Tipnis Architects. ‘It dates back over 150 years and had been modified a lot. I don’t think it had ever been properly repaired. Yet it was still clear to me that we should try to save it.’

The term ‘haveli’ is derived from a Persian word meaning ‘an enclosed space’.

While haveli architecture in northern India dates back to the 1600s, it really took off during the later days of the Mughal Empire (1555-1857).

Contrary to their name, havelis did far more than simply enclose space, with a structure designed to facilitate the everyday routine of their residents. Most are still entered through a massive arched

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復修為樂

Seth Ram Lal Khemka Haveli大宅的修復工程 令建築師Aishwarya Tipnis（本圖）樂在其中 Finding a fix Restoring the Seth Ram Lal Khemka Haveli has become a labour of love for architect Aishwarya Tipnis (pictured)

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瑰麗堂皇 向19世紀詩人致意的Mirza Ghalib Ki Haveli大宅（左圖及下圖）；住在 Masterji Kee Haveli大宅內的家族對於 前來參觀的訪客無任歡迎（左頁） Grand showcase

珀斯的飲食業融合不同文化與國家的特色。 我認為透過食物能夠體驗珀斯的真實面貌 When I first saw this haveli, I was a little bit overwhelmed by its condition. Yet it was still clear to me that we should try to save it.

依然以寬闊的拱門及厚實的木製門板 作入口，但這些大門大部分時間都會 鎖上，住戶平常會從大門中的小內門 出入大宅內的外庭院。在古時，庭院 通 常 建 有 一 道 牆 來 分 隔 外 庭 院（ 男 士 庭院）及內庭院（女士庭院）。 富戶的庭院大宅傳統上會有多達八 個庭院，門廊更達六層樓高。舊德里是 蒙兀兒君皇沙賈汗於 17 世紀建成的一座 圍城，當時管治大半個印度次大陸的舊 德里貴族，就是在這些宏偉的大宅內發 號施令。 時至今日，舊德里依然有數百座 庭院大宅，零零星星地分佈各地，而更

有一部分已在經過修復後開放予訪客參 觀。其中樓高四層的Masterji Kee Haveli 大宅坐落於熱鬧的Sita Ram Bazar市集附 近，大宅中央庭院兩邊共有58扇門， 通往以漂亮古董及家具佈置的房間。此 外，印度政府還管理維護 19 世紀初詩人 Mirza Ghalib的故居，在大宅內展出其詩 作、照片及私人物品。 很不幸地，以上的例子純屬少數。旅 客只要隨便看看舊德里的其他大宅，就會 發現大部分曾經輝煌一時的大宅均已日久 失修。蓮花形噴泉及花棚早已消失不見， 就連陽台亦鋪滿塵埃，花卉雕刻亦被歲月 侵蝕，變得面目模糊。 Tipnis表示：「大眾普遍認為舊德里的 居民及建築數量已愈來愈少，而且與時代 脫節。這些庭院大宅數十年來之所以被投 閒擱置而變成頹垣敗瓦，其中一大原因就 是大家都認為這些大宅並非人們心目中的 理想宅第。」 在Seth Ram Lal Khemka Haveli大宅主 要庭院的一隅，擺放著一個令人感到新奇 的裝置。這個裝置以一部舊拖拉機引

Mirza Ghalib Ki Haveli (left and below) pays homage to a 19th-century poet; the family living in Masterji Kee Haveli (opposite page) welcomes tours

gateway, protected by a solid wooden door. But most of the time the larger door is locked, and a smaller portal carved within the larger door allows people into the first of the inner courtyards. In the past a wall would typically have separated the outer mardana (men’s courtyard) from the inner zenana (women’s courtyard).

Traditionally, the wealthiest families owned havelis with as many as eight courtyards, with galleries up to six storeys high. It was from these impressive, luxurious structures that the noblemen of Old Delhi – a 17th-century walled city in Delhi built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan – once ruled much of the subcontinent.

Today hundreds of havelis remain dotted across Old Delhi, and several have been restored and welcome visitors.

Located in the bustling Sita Ram Bazar neighbourhood, Masterji Kee Haveli boasts four storeys, a central courtyard

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flanked by rooms with 58 doors, and some beautiful period antiques and furniture.

The Indian government has also preserved the former home of early 19th-century poet Mirza Ghalib, which now displays his work, photos and belongings.

But these are the exceptions. A visit to most other Old Delhi havelis would reveal formerly glorious mansions in states of disrepair: the lotus-shaped fountains and wooden trellises have disappeared, the balconies are caked with dirt and floral carvings have been eroded by time.

‘There’s a general view among Delhi people that both the residents and buildings of Old Delhi are regressive and old-fashioned,’ says Tipnis. ‘One of the reasons havelis have been neglected and left to crumble for decades is because they are not considered sophisticated, desirable dwellings.’

In one corner of the main courtyard at the Seth Ram Lal Khemka Haveli lies a

curious installation. Incorporating an old tractor engine, which powers a continually revolving metal arm and wheel, its low-tech set-up is in keeping with the venerable surroundings. ‘This is our patented lime mortar mill,’ Tipnis says with a laugh. ‘We wanted to use authentic materials to restore the haveli, but in India you can’t go and buy lime mortar off the shelf. Nor did we have the budget for an expensive solution. What you see here is an improvised approach to restoration.’

Mixing up lime mortar was just one of many challenges Tipnis and her team have had to overcome. The first task facing the young University of Dundee-trained architect was to convince Devki Nandan Bagla, the current co-owner of the property, that he shouldn’t just sell up and move out.

‘When he first approached us in 2012 he was pretty sceptical about restoring the property,’ says Tipnis. ‘But after we

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Dharampura Haveli 大宅 Back to beauty The newly restored Dharampura Haveli

隨著愈來愈多民眾懂得欣賞 庭院大宅，並視它們為舊德里 生活文化的一部分，對此我 認為我們已作出了微薄的貢獻 I think, in some small way, we’ve added to the burgeoning appreciation of havelis as part of Old Delhi’s living culture

擎為動力，不斷推動旋轉金屬臂及滾輪，雖然技術簡 陋，卻恰好與周遭的古老環境融為一體。Tipnis笑言： 「這是我們專利的石灰砂漿碾磨機。我們本想利用原 裝建材修復這座大宅，但在印度不可能買到現成的石 灰砂漿，再加上我們也沒有這個預算。你現在看到 的，就是我們即興想出來的修復方案。」 混製石灰砂漿只是Tipnis和她的團隊面臨的眾多挑 戰之一。這個畢業於蘇格蘭University of Dundee的年 輕建築師面對的首個挑戰，就是說服大宅的現任主人 Devki Nandan Bagla放棄出售和遷出物業。 Tipnis憶述：「他在2012年第一次接觸我們時， 對修復大宅抱著一個懷疑態度。但當我們向他說明將 如何修復大宅，以及整個工程的費用之後，他逐漸對 修復工程充滿熱忱。你可以說我們的最大成就，就是 將一個普通人變成真正的古蹟愛好者。」 金錢和多重業權等問題，令大部分庭院大宅的修 復工程舉步為艱，但Tipnis及Bagla都希望他們的企劃 能 發更多業主加入。 Tipnis說：「雖然我一分錢也沒賺到，但我並不介 意。隨著愈來愈多民眾懂得欣賞庭院大宅，並視它們 為舊德里生活文化的一部分，對此我認為我們已作出 了微薄的貢獻，再加上令這座宏偉建築重生所帶來的 成就感，我已感到心滿意足。」

explained what we wanted to do, and how much it was going to cost, he became increasingly enthusiastic. You could say our biggest achievement here has been converting a layman into a genuine heritage enthusiast.’

For many havelis, issues over money and multiple ownership typically make restoration problematic, but both Tipnis and Bagla hope their project will inspire others to follow the same route.

‘It doesn’t bother me that I haven’t made a single rupee,’ says Tipnis. ‘I think, in some small way, we’ve added to the burgeoning appreciation of havelis as part of Old Delhi’s living culture. That, together with the pleasure gained from reviving a magnificent structure, is enough for me.’

探索德里 港龍航空的姊妹 航空公司國泰航空設有 由香港飛往德里的 航班，每周有14班

DISCOVER DELHI Dragonair’s sister airline Cathay Pacific flies to Delhi from Hong Kong 14 times a week

SILKROAD FEBRUARY 2016