Documentation Book - Gulbarga Fort and People

GULBARGA FORT AND PEOPLE d o c u m e n tat i o n b o o k

dhruv jesrani

This book documents the journey of the entire project from start to finish, from classroom exercises, to masterclasses, and sitevisits. It also documents the process of brainstorming, ideation, insight-generation, and execution of the concept.

This project involved a process-based approach, and is, therefore, not output-specific. The outcome presented is just an iteration, and not a final piece, as such interventions need more time and many more iterations before they can be implemented.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This project would not have been possible without the kind support and help of many people. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all of them.

Firstly, I would like to thank my project guides, Shreyas Srivatsa and Mahesh Bhat, for their constant guidance, support, advice, and faith in my work.

All the project mentors, Vinay Malge, Sudhir Desai, Ishita Shah, Mohan Seetharam, Keshava Malagi, Naveen Bagalkot, Padmini Ray Murray and Professor Neelkanth Chhaya for sharing their knowledge, wisdom, and experience, and always being there for clarifications or even just a chat.

The people we met in Kalaburagi, for opening up their city, homes and hearts to us and helping us in every way possible.

Rehman Patel, Mohammad Ismail, Ayazuddin Patel, Mr. T.V. Sivanandan, Mr. Rishikesh Bahadur, Mr. Sajjad Shahid, Mr. Kazi Ashraf for sharing their knowledge about the city and giving us feedback in every step of the way.

Qazi Rizwan-ur-Rahman Siddiqui Mash’hood, the caretaker of the Gulbarga Fort and the President of the Bahmani Foundation, and all the residents of the Gulbarga Fort, who have chosen to be unnamed, for helping me with all my research and insights.

I would also like to thank my classmates for their helpful feedback and innumerable pep talks.

Finally, I would like to thank Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology for providing me this unique opportunity.

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PROJECT BRIEF

Opportunities Collaborations

To work collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary team

‘Culture of Resilience’ is a place-based project where students

This project is in collaboration with several organisations,

To work in the field – tools and techniques to gather

will engage in an interdisciplinary manner to ‘think’, to

individuals in Dhakan region including Gulbarga and Srishti

information, engage with communities and stakeholders

‘conceptualise’ and of ‘making‘, to reveal how culture emerges

faculty with backgrounds in architecture, urbanism, archiving,

To conceive all the outputs from student projects as one large

out of learned human behaviour manifesting in the form of

curation, journalism, Kannada and Dhakani literature, human

project and present to real-world stakeholders in Gulbarga and

responses to places of human habitation. This in turn will

geography, UX/UI design, digital humanities, system design,

Bangalore

encourage the development of a bewildering diversity of ways

futures thinking, social development and conservation.

To take the project into an implementation phase after

of life, language and cultural forms. The approach is to use

An integrated workshop and hackathon will be facilitated

graduation in the form of fellowship or apprenticeship

‘Place as Text’ – to read, to observe, to record, to speculate, to

in Gulbarga as part of this project in collaboration with

subverse, to investigate, to critique, to propose and to change.

communities, external partners and Srishti faculty members.

We will examine how culture can become an asset to drive

Travel and Expenses Students will travel for fieldwork to Gulbarga. The deposit made

transformation in historic cities?

Student capabilities

by students towards study tours will cover the fieldwork costs.

UNESCO Chair at Srishti invites you to collaboratively explore

Sense - having an inquiring mind, curiosity and interest in

The individual student will cover local travel expenses within

the cultural landscape in the Dhakani region also known as

contextual perspectives

Bangalore.

the Hyderabad-Karnataka region. Dhakan has rich diversity

Shape – A desire to work with people and communities, to

The individual student will cover the production cost of the

of cultures influenced by architecture, language, crafts,

engage with a complex context and respond with sensitivity and

final artwork or design output.

social movements, culinary practice, syncretic philosophy and

awareness of the impact of your work.

several other local traditions that makes it distinct from its

Shift - use different mediums and forms to articulate and

We are currently exploring funding opportunities from Aga

surrounding region. This project is situated in Gulbarga, one

challenge normative perspectives

Khan Trust to partially cover the fieldwork. All projects will

of the important historic cities in the Dhakan region. The

be exhibited in Gulbarga to raise funds from Hyderabad-

influences to investigate and explore are open to the student’s

Possible Outputs

Karnataka Region Development Board for the fellowships or

interest and practice. A few suggested micro- contexts are -

The combinations of form and medium is open that can result

apprenticeships.

Isalmic art and architectural monuments, Dhakani Urdu and

in Illustrated books, technological artifacts, VR/AR applications,

calligraphy traditions, cultural hot-spots, Sharana movement,

curatorial works, business services and systems, envisioning

Buddhist traditions, indigenous art forms to mention a few.

entrepreneurial ecosystems, scenario construction, animations,

These cultures co-exist with present day development paradigms

participatory games, community archives etc. The outputs listed

in Gulbarga but are seldom included. Students will construct

above are merely suggestive and we welcome other ideas from

experimental lens to build propositions that demonstrate - how

students working on this project.

can art and design practices act as a catalyst and mediator to sense, shape and shift developmental paradigms?

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PROPOSAL

Introduction

Abstract

The residents within the Gulbarga Fort have been living there for decades and have built a relationship with the space around

Places have phases in life like human beings. Much

them. However, they have been termed as “encroachers” by

of the importance of a place depends upon the people who

the the ASI and Government, and are identified as such by

live there in a time frame and who make it a blob of throbbing

the locals of Gulbarga, which has caused them to stop visiting

significance attached to it. Stories of the fort, cannons, and

life pulsating with a distinctive culture. Gulbarga is one such

the monument. Every article related to this issue highlights

Jamia Masjid provide tourists and travellers with many stories to

place where each layer of history keeps on adding to the city life

only the constant efforts made to evacuate them. Their stories,

take back with them. The structures display a fusion of various

architecturally, culturally and spiritually.

hopes, and aspirations are being left out and it is important to

styles of architecture, as well as incorporate scientific elements to

bring back these conversation in order to make the government,

demonstrate their knowledge of sound and light.

Warangal and later fortified by Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah,

ASI, and locals realise that these residents are not simply

the founder of the Bahmani dynasty. A total of 26 cannons

“encroachers”, but also human beings with their own identity

has been a controversy for many decades. While they have been

made this fort a force to reckon with in those days of battle. Its

and personality, and to raise the question of whether there can

termed as encroachers, and law requires them to evacuate and be

own defence was ensured by two walls—one outer, one inner

be ways in which they can be made custodians of the

relocated, it is not so simple to do so because of various factors,

and the 30 feet deep moat. The Fort remained the capital of the

Fort and Masjid.

such as the fact that they have been living in the Fort for many

Bahmani Empire from 1347 A.D. to 1424 A.D. The Bahmani

generations, and their strong attachment to the place. While

King Muhammad Shah invaded the renowned Hindu Kingdom

their identity is stripped down to the term “encroachers”, they

of Vijayanagar thrice and the land between the rivers Krishna

are also human beings who have a voice that needs to be heard.

and Tungabhadra was the constant bone of contention.

The aim is to interact with the people residing within the

There are pros and cons to all sides of the argument, but an

Today, the Fort is under the control of the Archaeological

Gulbarga Fort, understand their history and relationship with

equal platform is required to voice these arguments and debates.

Survey of India.

the monument, document their hopes and aspirations, and

share these stories with the stakeholders (ASI, Government, and

The Gulbarga Fort has a rich historic and cultural

The issue of people residing within the Gulbarga Fort

This toolkit, therefore, provides the three major

The Gulbarga Fort was built by Raja Gulchand of

However, within this fort area, there has also been an

Purpose

stakeholders; the residents of the Fort, the Archaeological

ongoing history of land encroachment, wherein people have

the Gulbarga Fort authorities) in order to reframe conversations

Survey of India (ASI), and the locals of Gulbarga, a platform

built houses and shops, and have been occupying the area

about heritage regarding what is considered and what gets

to get together and relook at the situation in a fresh manner.

for decades.

left out.

The activities of this toolkit are designed in a way in which the

stakeholders not only understand each other’s perspectives,

the fort was made in the early 1970s by Deputy Commissioner

but also relook at their own perspective about the situation.

Balasubramanyam. But after his transfer from Gulbarga, the

Through these activities, the stakeholders will be given an equal

people who had been evicted took possession of the houses they

voice, which can then lead to negotiations and debates about

had built inside the fort. Since then, many more efforts have

how to go about the situation.

been made to clear encroachments inside the fort.

The first attempt to clear all encroachments inside

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Inquiry

Methodology and Approach

Gathering this information from all the different lenses, and sorting it out to make sense of it. This will be done through:

•

Who are the people and authorities that are trying to

•

Site visits to Gulbarga Fort and observing through

•

Context Mapping

protect the Gulbarga Fort and what are their motivations?

neutral lens in order to understand how people generally live

•

Question Mind-Mapping

•

over there, what the neighbourhood looks like, relationship with

•

Sorting the information through different lenses

within the Gulbarga Fort, and what is their relationship with

others in the community.

(social, political, cultural, environmental, and economical).

the space?

•

•

that are directly associated with the Fort, i.e., locals who live

What is the history of the community occupying space

Are there any parties that are trying to protect the

Interaction with the people other than the residents

human rights of the residents of the Gulbarga Fort?

around the Fort, guides, shopkeepers, etc.

•

•

Are the residents causing damage to the Fort/Masjid?

Interaction with locals of Gulbarga that do not live

Possible Outcomes: •

Board Game: A board game can be a highly effective

If so, then of what kind? If not, then why is there the need to

nearby the Fort in order to get their perspectives on this matter.

way to bring about interaction and participation of different

evacuate them?

•

parties in order to understand each others’ perspectives and be a

Speaking with the ASI to get information and

understand the history of the settlements through their lens.

mode for conversations and negotiations.

What it means to term a community as encroacher and why it is

•

required to evacuate them.

the different stakeholders together in order to bring out

The residents within the Gulbarga Fort have been living there

•

information that cannot be generally brought out through

for decades and have built a relationship with the space around

stance on the matter and understand why they are opposed to

general tools such as surveys or interviews. It is a good way to

them. However, they have been termed as “encroachers” by

the settlements within the Fort.

ensure that there is equal power with each participant.

the the ASI and Government, and are identified as such by the

•

locals of Gulbarga. Every article related to this issue highlights

who will give me their perspectives on why the settlements are

only the constant efforts made to evacuate them. Their stories,

there and why they should stay.

hopes, and aspirations are being left out and it is important to

•

bring back these conversation in order to make the government,

their history, how long they have been living there, what their

ASI, and locals realise that these residents are not simply

relationship is with the Fort/Masjid, what problems they face,

“encroachers”, but also human beings with their own identity

and what they go through when there is police action. This

Week 06

and personality, and to raise the question of whether there can

interaction will also help me understand as to what their needs

During this week, I will evaluate the feedback received from the

be ways in which they can be made custodians of the Fort

are, what hopes and aspirations they have, and what they want

seminar, make the necessary changes in the proposal.

and Masjid.

for their children.

Importance of the Project

Speaking with journalists and columnists to get their

Toolkit: A toolkit can be an effective way in bringing

Interacting with the representatives of the settlements,

Finally, speaking with the residents, understanding

Work Plan Week 05 Seminar 01

Week 07 Prepare for workshop. Speak with experts, prepare questions for interview, go through secondary research material.

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Week 16 Week 08

Final submission of the essay and output. Final touches,

Workshop in Gulbarga

printing and reprinting.

article7693558.ece (accessed February 9, 2018).

T.V. Sivanandan, “Governments urged to safeguard monuments at Gulbarga Fort,” Hindu, September 27, 2015, http://www.

Week 09

Week 17

thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/governments-urged-to-

Workshop in Gulbarga

Doc-book submission

safeguard-monuments-at-gulbarga-fort/article7693558.ece (accessed February 9, 2018).

Week 10

References

Workshop in Gulbarga

UMassAmherst. “What is Heritage?.” https://www.umass.edu/ Cambridge Dictionary. “Meaning of “heritage” in the English

Week 11

Dictionary.” https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/

This week will be spent to identify possible outputs, work on

english/heritage (accessed February 9, 2018).

chs/about/whatisheritage.html (accessed February 9, 2018).

the first draft for the doc-book and work on the presentation for Seminar 2.

India and You. Gulbarga, Karnataka. Crossroads of History.

March-April, 2010.

Week 12 Seminar 02

Shah, Angilee. “INDIA, CHINA, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF STORYTELLING.” Pacific Standard, March 14, 2012.

Week 13

https://psmag.com/social-justice/india-china-and-the-

This week will go into evaluating feedback of Seminar 2, and

importance-of-storytelling-40370 (accessed February 9, 2018).

thereafter starting off with the first iteration of the output.

Special Correspondent, “ASI wants encroachments inside Week 14

Gulbarga Fort cleared,” Hindu, December 19, 2006, http://

The main goal of the week will be to work on the draft essay,

www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/

and also work towards the doc-book.

asi-wants-encroachments-inside-gulbarga-fort-cleared/ article3035566.ece (accessed February 9, 2018).

Week 15 Understanding how to execute the output in a better way, and

T.V. Sivanandan, “Buildings come up around protected

working towards the second iteration.

historical monuments in Kalaburagi,” Hindu, June 04, 2016, http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/ governments-urged-to-safeguard-monuments-at-gulbarga-fort/ 11

JOURNEY MAPPING The very first exercise of this project was to take two post-its and

The second part of the exercise was to reflect on the previous

on one, write down a very rough idea of what type of work we

semester’s timeline, and map out each step of the entire journey.

want to do for this project, and on the other, write down what

This would include mapping out the points at which our

challenges we think we might be faced with. This exercise was

energy levels peaked during the semester, and where it dropped.

meant to resolve questions we had regarding the project brief. I

This exercise helped us relook at the previous semester and try

had signed up for this project because I knew I wanted to work

to structure the course in such a way where we get the most

with design thinking and communities. I did not exclusively

productive when our energy levels are supposed to be low.

want to end up solely with a visual output that did not make

Mapping this out helped me come up with milestones that

much of a solid impact. Since this was a multi-disciplinary

would help me stay motivated and productive throughout

project, I wanted to explore human-centered design and

the semester.

design thinking.

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SHIVAJINAGAR The goal of this exercise was to get a feel of a place by observation, interaction through different lenses. The class was divided into clusters that ventured into different localities in Bangalore that were relatively old and had historical significance.

My cluster went to Shivajinagar, where we went around the locality talking to different shopkeepers, vendors, workers, residents, in order to understand their history, what relationship they share with the space, and what being there means to them.

We had no specific route in mind. We visited pet store owners, flower sellers, workers at the beef market, shopkeepers, temple priests, iron box repairers, basket weavers, and people from many other professions.

It was interesting too see such an old side of the city being

After talking to the people in Shivajinagar, I realised that it’s not

preserved the way that it was, despite the speedy rate of

just the architecture or location of the place that preserves its

development in the rest of the city. What was also fascinating

historic value, but also the people who have been there and are

was that while many shops and structures don’t last for too long

there right now that help keep the stories and

these days, be it because of development, or any other factor,

connections intact.

many structures in Shivajinagar have lasted for centuries, as have its occupations.

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MASTERCLASS WITH JASMEET SINGH ON SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP This masterclass with Jasmeet Singh really helped me understand the basic nuances of how business, design, and system thinking can come together to create an ecosystem for social impact.

It was helpful in understanding the different types of social enterprises, how each of them operate, and whether interventions are always required. Role-playing, planning, and forecasting played a significant part in helping us as a class understand the difference between each model.

It also introduced us to the idea of wicked problems in design, where trying to solve one problem can open doors to bigger and more complex problems.

This masterclass made me reflect on the idea of how all of us come with our own biases about what we think is right and wrong. We look for problems based on our understanding of what problems there can be, and want to solve it, whereas for the people that are part of the so-called “problem�, it may not be a problem to them at all, and that any intervention from our part to overcome the problem might create an actual problem for them in the process. It is thereby necessary to not be unbiased, but be aware of the biases that you have, and try to overcome those biases. It is important to be informed and not to make biased judgements about such situations.

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FIELD GUIDE

- Sex Ratio

- Trade and Commerce

10. Geography

11. People to gather information on

Before leaving for our first recce trip to Gulbarga, we made a

- Location and Size

12. Emergency Contact Information

Field Guide for ourselves so that we have the basic information

- Climate

about the place, monuments, culture, etc.

- Physiography

The guide had information about the following:

- Soil - Flora and Fauna

1. Schedule of the study tour

- Natural Weather

2. Project Brief 3. Map of Gulbarga 4. Timeline of Gulbarga 5. Brief History of Gulbarga 6. Places of Importance: - Khwaja Bande Nawaz Dargah - Gulbarga Fort - Sharana Basaveshwara Temple - Buddha Vihara - Haft Gumbaz - Sannati - Shree Dattatreya Temple - Station Bazaar - Janata Bazaar 7. Places to eat 8. Local Delicacies 9. Communities - Population Growth - Literacy - Work Participation Rate - Density - Schedule Caste/ Schedule Tribe 15

RECCE TRIP TO GULBARGA

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GULBARGA FORT Gulbarga Fort and the Jamia Masjid was the first historic site we

landed up there, and what their history was; and that if people

visited in Gulbarga.

have been living within these houses, then what must their relationship be with the Fort. If there is a living ecosystem, how

What struck me first was the moat around the Fort. I had

is it affecting the Fort?

never seen a real moat in my life, and so this was something I found really intriguing. However, I also noticed that it was not

Soon after, we walked to the Jamia Masjid, and met Mr.

maintained at all. There was moss and plants growing out of it,

Hussain, who would give us a brief history into the structure.

and it had become a dumpyard filled with waste.

The architecture of the Masjid really caught my attention, since it was letting in a lot of natural light, as well as having a great

When we entered, what caught my immediate attention

acoustic system, where sound could travel naturally during

were the number of houses that were constructed within the

prayer time without the help of a microphone.

walled area of the Fort. I was eager to find out as to how they

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We then explored other parts of the Fort as well. We looked at the world’s longest cannon, and it made me imagine as to how it would have worked back in the day, and what impact it must have had on the image of Gulbarga. We were told stories that the cannon had a large contaniner of water next to it, where the soldiers would dip their heads in right after firing it in order to recover from the shock and prevent going deaf from the sound. By looking at it at first glance, one would not be able to imagine such stories, but once these stories are told, it becomes interesting to imagine such stories and anecdotes with various other such historical structures and monuments.

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KHWAJA BANDE NAWAZ DARGAH Originally a black stone structure, white washed later, Khwaja Bande Nawaz Dargah is a important cultural hotspot in Gulbarga. It houses the tombs of the family members of Bande Nawaz. It is an ongoing practice, the latest tomb is only years old. But women are not allowed inside the domes that houses the tombs. The place is different symbolic ornamentations on each dome and has calligraphy on various arches and entrances.

Bande Nawaz was invited to Gulbarga by Firoz Shah Bahmani.

He was one of the early writers of Urdu. The library inside the Dargah has a handwritten Quran in Kufi by Grandson of Prophet Mohammad. There were many architectural similarities to that of Rajasthan. It made me wonder if the reason behind this could be the that the Bahmanis travelled from Delhi to Deccan and Delhi and Rajasthan have been in constant touch through out the history, which might have resulted into this hybrid style. Other than architecture, there were evidences of a Hindu-Muslim hybrid culture, like Coconut and Patasha Prasad being sold at the Dargah market.

Many people visit dargah for various personal reasons and purposes. For example, we met a young girl who came to a specific tomb to be cured of evil spirits. That tomb belongs to a 7 year old member of Khwaja Bande Nawaz’s who did something ‘bad’ and the earth opened up and took him in.

The dargah is full of small stories and anecdotes associated to different tombs which make the place even more interesting.

Another popular legend is that a thief tried to steal a Gold Chandelier inside a dome, he climbed onto the casket and 20

suddenly the chandelier moved higher, and with a strong invisible force, the thief was thrown against the wall. They say that the blood splatter is still visible. It made me wonder if this is a tale to inculcate fear in the people about bad deeds? Do we consciously create and promote legends and myths in order to spread a message?

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FIROZABAD Firozabad is a small village with a population of 5000 where the

were thorns all over and no paved roads. The empty lands were

main occupation of the village is farming. Jowar and cotton are

turned into cotton fields, and the structures were on a brink

the main crops grown there. The languages spoken in the village

of collapse.Many structures also seemed to be partially buried

are Kannada, Urdu and Hindi.

underground. The structures were made using slab stacking technique and mortar. Architectural elements such as jalis,

As a class, we were divided into groups and each group had

arches, domes, motifs, and cube patterns (similar to te ones in

to cover different locations in and around Gulbarga. This was

Gulbarga Fort) were found there.

a way for us to cover as much of the area as possible in order to locate different micro-contexts that we can work with, and

We then went back to the Firozabad village where we struck

also get an understanding of a place through different lenses,

up a conversation with a few people living there. They told

collect information in an unbiased manner, and come back with

us about the harmonious relationship between the different

different critical questions.

communities in the village, the constant connection between Gulbarga and Firozabad for various reasons like employment,

We went to the Firozabad Fort first, which was supposedly one

selling agricultural produce, obtaining ration, higher education

of the earliest planned townships. However, it was completely

and better health facilities. Also, the water from river Bhima

in a state of ruins, with no person nearby, much less security

is not used by the villagers as it contains untreated sewage

guards. It was tough to navigate through the Fort, as there

discharge from Gulbarga. They informed us that the state of

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There are two schools in the village, one Kannada medium and one Urdu medium. We got the chance to visit the Urdu medium government school in Firozabad.

The students come from varying background and there are more girls in the school as compared to boys, however, after speaking to the Principal and a few of the teachers, we found out that it’s more of the boys that go for further studies, and not the girls. While the cases of children dropping out due to child marriage have decreased, the drop out rate has gone up since the wealthier families are shifting to Gulbarga for better opportunities.

The school students were unaware of the importance and history of the Firozabad fort and it is not part of the school curriculum.

The teachers said that the students are very smart but lack support from parents. Therefore for the school functions they invite parents and talk about the importance of education.

the fort has deteriorated even more in the recent years as many

crow sat on the highest dome, drank water and said, “Naune

villagers and even the municipality officials from Gulbarga have

Nau door gaye� (99 lakhs got submerged). Firoz Shah then

taken the stones from the Fort for newer constructions.

immediately moved out of Firozabad and went to Gulbarga.

They told us about the legend of Firozabad fort, a story that

These stories were fascinating to me because none of this is

would be told to us by many more people over there. The Fort

actual recorded history, but in fact oral history that has been

was built on the banks of River Bhima by Firoz Shah Bahmani

passed down for many generations, and probably will continue

to make it the capital. The structure was complete and all

to be passed down orally.

possessions had been shifted inside it. However, one night, it rained heavily and the river flooded. The water level rose and the whole fort was submerged along with all its possessions. A 23

SHARANABASWESHWARA TEMPLE + BRAHMAPURA Sharana Basaveshwara Temple is an ancient temple located in Gulbarga. The temple is dedicated to an eminent Hindu religious teacher and philosopher, Shri Sharana Basaveshwara, a Lingayat saint of the 18th century known for his Dasoha (Giving is earning) and Kayaka — an advancement of the Karma doctrine philoshophy. The temple houses the Samadhi of Sharana Basaveshwara at the center called the “Garbha Gudi”.

Baswappa/ Appa ji is the descendant of the deity who is worshipped by people. Appa ji has opened many schools and colleges.

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Brahmpur And old, colourful colony next to Sharana Basveshwara Temple.

Most of the families in the area are Brahmins which gives the locality its name- Brahmpur. Most of them are tenants living together.

There are also a few Lingaayats living in the locality. Lingaayats preach Sharana Basaweshwara whereas the Brahmins preach other gods like the Venkatesh and Paandurang.

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MR. T.V. SIVANANDAN We went to meet veteran journalist at The Hindu, Mr. T.V.

MASTERCLASS WITH KESHAVA MALAGI

Sivanandan at his house. He has been covering Gulbarga

After returning from Gulbarga, one of the first masterclass was

and its affairs for many decades, so he had a vast amount of

with Keshava Malagi, which dealt with information and how to

information and knowledge on various issues such as current

process everything that has been collected. The exercise was to

affairs, politics, communities, localities, law, etc.

divide the class into 4 groups that would look at the following:

He started off by giving us a brief history of Gulbarga and the

1. Real and Imagination

regions around it. He proceeded the conversation by talking

2. Colour and Sound

to us about politics and what laws, rules, and regulations

3. Food habits and Cultural practices

made Gulbarga what it is today. There were many more topics

4. Communities and places

addressed during the meeting that we discussed on, such as poverty, communities, GI tag for Tur Dal, and more.

Each group writes down everything (they’ve seen and heard) that is specific to Gulbarga. This was helping putting out all the

This conversation helped me think about the possible

information into a brown sheet.

opportunities for intervention in Gulbarga, such as branding of tur dal in order to open its market and make the rest of the

While I was earlier opposed to brown chart paper, this exercise

country aware of its speciality. Meeting with him in person was

made me open to using them and putting out everything I

a good opportunity for me to understand what someone like

know into one sheet. This practice has been really helpful

him thinks about various issues in Gulbarga, and what really

in coming up with ideas for output and compiling complex

matters in such a place. He showed great interest in the different

information all in one place.

suggestions and propositions we were bringing up, which helped get us all that much more motivated towards working hard for the project.

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SECOND VISIT TO GULBARGA

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The class was divided into three clusters: - Historic sites and public spaces - Tracing and interpreting history - Communities and practices Each cluster had to create a calendar for the sessions, which included the names of members interested in the sessions. The sessions were: - Session 1 - A dialogue with Meenakshi Bale facilitated by Keshava Malagi.

- Session 2 - Session by Shreyas Srivatsa and Vinay Malge on “Curating the City” - Session 3 - Session by Srijan Mandal on Public History and Memory - Session 4 - Session by Sajjad Shahid on “Regional Historicity of Gulbarga” - Session 5 - Session by Prof. Neelkanth Chhaya on the topic of

- Session 8 - Session by Sudhir Desai on “Making sense of data

cluster had to present their progress to T.V. Sivanandan,

“Design as participation in time, change, and continuity”

and developing models”

Rishikesh Bahadur, and Sajjad Shahid.

- Session 6 - Session by Kazi Ashraf on “Study in Buddhist

- Session 9 - Session by Mohan Sitaram on “Mapping socio-

9th of March was a break day.

Sites” as well as some of his own work

spatial layers - Locative Art” Start of the Make-a-thon from 11th - 14th March.

- Session 7 - Session by Arijit and Asha on the

- Session 10 - Session by Padmini Ray Murray on Critical

Mangalore Tile Factory

Making

Setting up of the exhibition on the 15th of March.

- 4th of March was Cluster Presentation Day, where each

Final Exhibition on the 16th.

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MEETING WITH AYAZUDDIN PATEL Early on in our second trip, we went to visit Mr. Ayazuddin

According to Mr. A. Patel, communal harmony is so prevalent

of the monuments in Gulbarga and how with each changing

Patel. He is a famous historian, artist, and photographer in

because of the influence of Sufism in the Gulbarga area.

dynasty, the architecture evolved to reflect the sensibilities and

Gulbarga. We went there in a group so that we could address as

However, he was reluctant to carry on the conversation, but did

ideologies of the era. He informed us about the succession of

many topics at one time. The conversation that took place really

mention that the only disruptors were the politicians. He also

dynasties in their chronological order: Tughlaq, Bahmani, Adil-

helped me understand Gulbarga through many different lenses,

said that heritage belongs to the government and not to one

Shahi, Mughal, and Nizam.

and not just through that of Gulbarga Fort, which was going to

religious community.

Regarding Gulbarga Fort, he described to us the plan of the

be my project.

He described how each dynasty contributed to the architecture

fortification, as well as the communities living in and around the fort and their interaction with it.

He emphasised on the fact that there are no good museums in and around Gulbarga because most of the ancient relics and artefacts have been destroyed or taken away to foreign countries.

Another reason being that the structures having potential to be converted into good museums are being used by government officials.

He felt strongly that if the infrastructure services of historic sites are improved, there is more scope of public engagement. He frowned upon the temples that were needlessly built in gardens and public spaces. He commented on the indiscriminate looting of our national artefacts by colonial powers and the United States of America.

We were accompanied by his brother, Mr. Rehman Patel, who is another historian, writer, and faculty at the Gulbarga University.

He too shared his experience and knowledge about Gulbarga, its monuments, communities, and stories.

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VISITS TO THE FORT AND SETTLEMENT

On 28th February, I had gone to the Gulbarga Fort

number and asked me to call him any time of the day.

to interact with the people living there. However, they thought

When I tried calling him, however, he did not lift the call.

I was some kind of government official, and therefore, all the

So I went back to his house the next day unannounced. This

responses I got were very defensive and superficial. Mr. Hussain,

time, he was there, and I introduced myself to him as someone

the guide at Gulbarga Fort, directed me to the Qazi House and

interested in the architecture and design of the Fort, and would

told to meet Qazi Rizwan-ur-Rahman Siddiqui Mash’hood,

like to have a conversation about it. The aim was to bring in

who is the President of the Bahmani Foundation as well as the

the settlements a bit slowly, so he does not think I have any bad

care-taker/person in-charge of the Jamia Masjid. While he was

intentions in mind. He was slightly busy that day, but promised

not available that day, I got the chance to meet with his brother,

me that he would meet me at the studio space in which we were

who showed me around his office, which was painted in all the

working and clarify every question I had about the settlements

colours of the different castes in order to convey the message

and community.

of secularism and religious harmony. He gave me the Qazi’s

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A few days later, he did come to the studio space along with a hobbyist historian, Mr. Mohammad Ismail. The spent the day talking to the class about the history of Gulbarga and addressed issues such related to museums, school curriculum, etc. During this time, Qazi Rizwan Siddiqui gave me a piece of paper with some information about the settlement and his household. He mentioned the influx of people after the Babri Masjid incident.

At the end of the conversation, he told me that in order for me to talk to the people living in the settlement, I will have to come only in the evening time once they are back from their jobs.

He told me that they will not trust me completely if I go alone, and that he accompany me so that they know that I am not a government official.

A few days later, I planned on visiting the residents and having a conversation with them. So around the evening time, I called the Qazi, and he told me to wait by the gate so he can take me 34

from there. However, when I reached the gate, he was already there, along with a group of men who were residents of the settlement. It was clear that these men were under his influence and were sharing all the information that he had asked to share.

The main points from the conversation were as follows: - They have been living inside the Fort for many generations, at least since their grandparents’ time.

- Their main occupation is wall painting.

- There are no new houses. All of them are old.

- It is an all Muslim settlement. However, they have friends that are Hindu and there is communal harmony.

- They face many issues, such as harassment from the ASI guards, police, and Fort authorities.

- They also face water and electricity problems, and are not allowed to make any repairs to their homes of any kind.

- They are very attached to the Jamia Masjid. They believe that there should be someone to read the Namaz everyday, and that they are the ones to do it.

- They do not mind living under the harsh circumstances because of their faithfulness to the Jamia Masjid.

- They do not trust the relocation plans because they think that they will be taken away from the city into some jungle.

- Come what may, they will not budge from their homes, they were clear about that fact.

- Qazi Rizwan Siddiqui has major political influence, and has been stalling their relocation for many years now.

- They are hoping for their children to continue living in the Fort and continue living there for many generations.

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This conversation made it clear that the residents had power

We went to a few houses, and spoke to women and children.

through the political influence of Qazi Rizwan Siddiqui. After

The main points of takeaway were:

this interaction, one of the residents who was an auto driver, offered to drop me off back to my hotel.

- The water and electricity problems faced in the village are not nearly as dire as the men portrayed it to be.

On the way, I asked him a few questions which I had asked the

- A lot of children go to schools. There are Kannada and Urdu

group before. I asked him that if there was a scenario in which

medium schools nearby but the English medium school is a bit

he can help out with the Fort, such as being a guide, or any

further away.

kind of help, would he do it. He happily agreed, saying that the

- The women do not want their children to stay back in the

residents have been living in the Fort for a really long time, and

Fort, but want them to move away to live better lives.

that they know the entire place by heart. They would be the

- The women are not that firm in their stance towards staying

best guides. However, in the previous conversation, everyone

back in the Fort, despite the fact that their ancestors stayed

was collectively opposed to helping out the ASI/government

here too. They believe that if the ASI wants them to move out

with the Fort in any way. I asked him more questions, and the

and has a good relocation plan which ensures them of a good

answers were more and more different from what they gave me

neighbourhood with basic facilities, then they will be happy to

when they were in a group. This made it clear that I needed to

move away.

go back to the Fort again without informing Qazi, and speak to

- The community is very closely-knit and that they all get

the people on a one-on-one basis in order to get more

together very often.

honest answers.

- The children like to play cricket and other such games near the entrance. However, at night, they are sometimes harassed by the

So a couple of days later, I went back to the Fort with Charvi,

guards.

a classmate, because I wanted to understand the viewpoint of women and children, and they would hopefully open up more

These insights were important to me, as they seemed more

to her. And so it happened. A few of the houses come near to

honest and the women and children were under no pressure

the cannon, so we pretended as if we didn’t know the direction

from Qazi Rizwan Siddiqui to answer questions that match with

towards the cannon and went to the houses asking for it. When

his political agenda.

the women gave us the directions, we exclaimed as to how it was, which led to their hospitality taking over, and offering us some water and shelter. Through that, we started conversations.

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LOCALS OF GULBARGA When we finished our job, we went to Brahmapura, where we

whole new issue in the matter. Where I earlier thought that it

spoke to the locals over there about points related to Charvi’s

was just a burning matter between the residents and the ASI, it

project. However, upon getting the chance, I asked the people

turns out that the locals of Gulbarga play an equal role in this

there about the Fort and what they think of the situation with

issue; especially since they also include journalists like

the residents. They were strongly against them living within the

Mr. T.V. Sivanandan who has written many articles pressing for

Fort, and I got responses saying that they even stopped visiting

the residents of the Fort to be evacuated from property.

the Fort completely because of these encroachers. This was a common insight that I found around Gulbarga while I was talking to the locals.

These insights really mattered to me because it opened up a 37

MASTERCLASS WITH SRIJAN MANDAL Public History and Public Memory The masterclass with Srijan that dealt with public history and memory was very insightful as it gave me a lot to think about in terms of history and why it is what it is today; what were the intentions and agendas that led to its current state.

He highlighted the core difference between a historian and a public historian: a historian being someone who has a professional knowledge of the past, and a public historian being someone who understands how the public engages with the past.

Srijan, after talking to Qazi and understanding what kind of a person he is, tried to tell us to be aware that he is doing this as part of an agenda. And that it is important to not just blindly take in his hospitality and generosity. To understand that there is a possibility that he uses “Qazi� to add legitimacy to his name, and the fact that he believes/wants us to believe that his ancestors were appointed by Aurangzeb highlights a certain kind of agenda.

He covered, in detail, points such as written and oral history, bias and interpretation, oral history interviews, etc. However, what interested me was when he was talking about oral history, he made a good point which was to take seriously what people say about the past and why they believe what they believe. And that it is important to understand and explain a phenomenon rather than reject the claim.

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MASTERCLASS WITH SUDHIR DESAI Making sense of data and developing models This masterclass with Sudhir aimed at helping us all make sense of the complex data that we have collected so far. This includes research, both primary and secondary, fieldwork, masterclasses, and tutorial session with experts.

The first part of the exercise consisted of using the data and dividing them into the following: - Materials - Processes and Systems - Knowledge - Concept and Idea The second part of the exercise required us to divide the information collected into: - Social - Cultural - Political - Economical - Environmental This exercise helped me think of different ways to look at one problem, and how one can go further and further back to take the concept to the most basic stage. It also helped me gather and categorise all my information and put it in one place, which gave me clarity of thought and the ability to take a step back and look at it from afar.

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MASTERCLASS WITH PADMINI RAY MURRAY CRITICAL MAKING This masterclass with Padmini gave me a lot of clarity on how to go about my project if I get stuck somewhere.

It introduced me to the idea of a toolkit and gamification of a process in order to extract information that could not be extracted otherwise. The idea of the exercise was to come up with newer ideas not by thinking first, but by making.

The first exercise involved us getting into groups as a class. The group I was part of got a set of cards with words on it, and we could interpret these words any way we want and then represent that thinking to the class.

The next exercise was to pick out cards again, similar to the first exercise, and then use them in relation to any one person’s project in the group. The word we worked with was “Symmetry and Asymmetry”. It was interesting to get a random work from a deck of cards and use that as the centre of the project. It was a very different way of thinking than I was used to, and that helped open up doors to what different of ways of thinking I could use for my project.

The idea of critical making was something that I had never explored before and it definitely played a solid role in making me think of my output for the exhibition at Gulbarga.

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MAKE-A-THON The idea of the make-a-thon was to use critical thinking and critical making to create something that would help in thinking of ways to look at the final output. While this would not be the final output, it was still going to be exhibited in Gulbarga, which was quite nerve-wrecking.

Taking inspiration from Padmini’s exercise, I chose the word Symmetry/Asymmetry and placed it in the context of power.

My idea was about how there are different heirarchies of power that are taking place in the context of the Gulbarga Fort, and my intention was to bring that concept out.

I first thought of laying out all the pieces of chess and what each piece represents in terms of Gulbarga Fort and power. However, this seemed too trivial and did not really represent what my aim was.

The challenge I faced was that now there were three major parties involved, the residents, ASI, and the locals of Gulbarga.

And for a chess game to work, I would have to find a way of bringing in the third part as well. Thankfully, there already exists a three-player chess game, whose layout I used for my own representation.

The final piece I made was an already-played chess game which depicted the current situation of Gulbarga Fort after all its history and circumstances.

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The white pieces represent the residents of the Fort, and the black pieces represent the ASI + Govt. and locals of Gulbarga.

The pieces are moved after taking into account all the incidents that led to where the situation is at today. For example, in the 1970’s, there was an attempt to evacuate the Fort by Deputy Commissioner Mr. Balasubramanyam. However, because of not providing an alternative rehabilitation plan, all the “encroachers” moved back in. Since that was a defeat of one of the key players of the ASI and Government, the black horse is out of the board.

Similarly, various incidents have moved the chess pieces to where they are today.

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EXHIBITION

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OUTCOME

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THE SITUATION

WHY TOOLKIT

CHALLENGES

The issue of people residing within the Gulbarga Fort has been

A toolkit provides an equal platform for all the participants to

There were many challenges I faced along the way:

a controversy for many decades. While they have been termed

perform the activities, voice out their views, and come together

In order to relook at the situation of the Fort in a fresh manner,

as encroachers and law requires them to be relocated, it is not so

for negotiation.

it was required from all stakeholders to keep aside personal and

simple to do so because of the duration that these people have

burning issues that they have been carrying with them for years.

been living within the Fort and their attachment to the place.

It also provides a safe atmosphere for the stakeholders involved

So the activities were to be designed in a way so as to not spark

While their identity is stripped down to the term “encroachers�,

to try out various solutions and negotiations without having

any kind of aggression or arguments. That led to there being

they are also human beings who have a voice that needs to be

anything to lose in the process.

few, but well designed activities.

heard. There are pros and cons to each side of the argument, but

The other challenge I faced was to simplify the activities in

an equal platform is required to voice

Having multiple stakeholders get together to perform an activity

such a way that anybody is able to perform them. None of the

these arguments and negotiations.

also helps create an empathy link between them, where each

activities require the stakeholders to perform very complex

party understands the move of the other, and why they chose to

activities. It just requires them to reflect on their time in the

respond in a particular manner.

Fort, and be able to articulate it either orally or written through the facilitator (if they cannot write). Even for people who do not

WHAT IS THIS TOOLKIT?

A toolkit also helps bring out insights and observations that

know how to use a map in the traditional sense, I had to use my

This toolkit provides the three major stakeholders of the Fort;

cannot be extracted through traditional processes such as

visual communication skills to create a map with illustrations of

the residents, the ASI, and the locals of Gulbarga, a platform to

interviews, surveys, etc.

images that they are used to seeing on a regular basis.

get together and relook at the situation

Another major challenge was to bring all the stakeholders on an

in a fresh manner. The activities are designed in a way in which

equal level in terms of power and voice. The aim of this toolkit

the stakeholders not only understand each other’s perspectives,

is to give voice to the voiceless, and give ears to those who only

but also relook at their own perspective about the situation.

speak. None of the activities can result in a display of power. All

Through these activities, the stakeholders

activities are neutral and arbitrary in nature.

will be given an equal voice, which can then lead to negotiations

The final challenge was to design the activities in a way which

and debates about how to go about figuring out the situation.

encourages healthy negotiation and helps create an empathy chain between the various stakeholders. Since I am an outsider, the ultimate objective is for them to be able to figure out ways to solve the situation themselves.

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REFERENCES

http://servicedesign.net.au/toolkits/ https://www.ideo.com/post/design-kit

www.traderstalk.org

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/game-theoryhttp://asi.nic.in/asi_monuments.asp

http://urbandesigncollective.org/projects-initiatives/publicsocially-engaged-art/neighborhood-postcard-project/

for-cities-bringing-planners-face-to-face-with-dilemmas/ article19240970.ece

http://asi.nic.in/asi_legislations.asp http://papers.cumincad.org/data/works/att/ecaade2011_144.

http://urbandesigncollective.org/projects-initiatives/urban-

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/may/27/hampi-

mapping-and-research/where-is-your-chennai/

india-heritage-temples-eviction

http://fieldsofview.in/projects/city-game/

http://aurnabarc.blogspot.in/2011/10/restoration-of-gulbargafort.html

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/heritage http://www.epw.in/journal/2015/29/reports-states-webhttps://psmag.com/social-justice/india-china-and-the-

exclusives/hampi-bazaar-demolition-ii.html

importance-of-storytelling-40370 https://www.frogdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/ http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-

CAT_2.0_English.pdf

karnataka/asi-wants-encroachments-inside-gulbarga-fortcleared/article3035566.ece

http://www.akdn.org/where-we-work/south-asia/india/culturaldevelopment/urban-renewal-delhi-socioeconomic-initiatives

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/ governments-urged-to-safeguard-monuments-at-gulbarga-fort/

http://www.livelaw.in/legal-aspects-heritage-india/

article7693558.ece https://dellaboratory.wordpress.com/ http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/ governments-urged-to-safeguard-monuments-at-gulbarga-fort/

https://www.cs.vu.nl/~eliens/ct/local/material/serious-games.pdf

article7693558.ece http://johnsonbanks.co.uk/work/cystic-fibrosis https://www.umass.edu/chs/about/whatisheritage.html

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https://www.behance.net/gallery/29408657/Amsterdam-map

content.pdf

REFLECTIVE STATEMENT I signed up for the project Culture of Resilience because the

to make a photo-book my the end of it with pictures of people

brief mentioned community based design. I have always been

on one side, and their stories on another side. However, I had

interested in human-centered design, and have been reading

never imagined it to turn out the way it has, with a totally

up about IDEO and how they go around solving major

different intent, output, and impact. Working with this context

social problems through design thinking and community

also made me question as to whose side am I on, and what role

participation. In fact, that was one of the reasons I chose Srishti,

do I play as a designer, and how much can I actually intervene

so I could try my hand at that field. However, in these 4 years,

in wicked problems such as this.

there was not much room for me to move away from picking

I am grateful for having taken this project because I not just

courses related to my major, i.e., Visual Communication and

stepped, but leapt out of my comfort zone and dealt with real

Strategic Branding. So when I heard of this project, I knew that

social problems in an organised and systematic way. However,

I wanted to work with communities to bring in social change.

I could not have done with without the help and extreme care

I have always been a very quiet and reserved person, so to take

and support received from my project guide and all the other

this project was a bold step for me. The recce trip to Gulbarga

mentors who took part in this journey. This project taught me

fascinated me. I was surprised that I had not heard of Gulbarga

how to conduct extensive and robust research, inter-personal

before, even though I live in Hyderabad. The different cultures

skills, how to deal with complex data, and how to understand

that were prevalent here, the food, the welcoming people; I

the role you play as a designer.

knew it would work out well.

During this project, I learnt about so many tools of research, ideation, and implementation that I wish I had learnt before the fourth year. Mind maps, context mapping, affinity mapping, and other mapping tools helped me gather and make sense of all the data I had received in great depth. Earlier, brown sheets just meant mind-mapping, which just meant throwing random words onto a big piece of paper. But by the end of the course, I realised that I would not have been able to do half my project had it not been for maps.

My micro-context, the Gulbarga Fort, was an extremely complex and sensitive topic. I started that off with an intention 57

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