23 Jul 2020
Report on Lecture Heritage Stories-3 day online training programme to discover Karnataka’s architectural heritage
On 23-25 July 2020
School of Architecture, REVA University organized a 3 day online training programme focused on Karnataka’s architectural heritage titled “Heritage stories” from July 23 to 25, 2020. The programme was curated as a series of 6 lectures on varied aspects of the architectural heritage of Karnataka. The programme was delivered through MS teams and was attended by over 45 participants including registered participants (31 nos.) from over 20 institutions across India and abroad.
Karnataka has a rich heritage, which stretches across its natural resources, monuments, landscape and culture. The programme was an attempt to give a glimpse into various facets of Karnataka’s heritage through the simple yet appealing tool of storytelling. Engaging stories relating to legends and tales of Karnataka’s history kept the audience enthralled through the 3 day programme.
 Day 1 commenced with a brief welcome speech by Dr. Vimala Swamy, Director School of Architecture. Dr. Vimala Swamy welcomed all participants and gave a brief introduction to the rich heritage of Karnataka. This was followed by Session 1 titled: A HISTORICAL NARRATIVE THROUGH ARCHITECTURE: Story of Karnataka & Bengaluru by Prof. Shubhi S. The lecture presentation introduced the audience to the story behind Karnataka and Bangalore including some colourful legends from antiquity to the present. Session 2 was delivered by Prof. Anupadma R. and was titled- EVIDENCES OF BANGALORE LOCAL HISTORY: Forts of Rural Bangalore. Prof. Anupadma R. presented the audience with a very informative compilation on the forts in and around Bangalore. Day 1 was finally wrapped up after an invigorating question and answer session which saw enthusiastic participation from the audience. Prof. Neeraja Jayan was the moderator for the day.
 Day 2 began with Session 3 titled- MUSIC AS A PATH TO DIVINITY: Bhakti Movement And Its Influence On Spatial Planning In Temple Architecture Of South India by Prof. Vidya Srikanth. The session turned out to be a musical journey through Karnataka’s heritage with soulful renditions of hymns written by Bhakti saints of the region by Prof. Vidya Srikanth. The mesmerizing session was followed by a talk on DIVINITY AND DIVERSITY: An Insight Into The Temples Of Karnataka Region by Prof. Neeraja Jayan and Prof. Vidya Srikanth. The talk and presentation focussed on lesser known Hindu temple architecture of the Karnataka region including the temples of Gadag and the Kanara region. Interestingly, the lecture presentation was a culmination of extremely articulate documentation of temple architecture in the above mentioned regions by students of School of architecture over the past few semesters as an output of study tours. The audience were amazed to see the range of architectural styles in Karnataka and wholeheartedly appreciated the efforts of the students and faculty in taking pedagogy for history related courses to a whole new level. Day 2 sessions were effectively moderated by Prof. Anupadma R.
 Day 3 began with session 5 titled: POMP AND PLAY: Revisiting Historic Gardens by Prof. Neeraja Jayan. The colourful lecture presentation took the audience through a journey of historic gardens in India and finally on to an animated description of Bangalore’s beloved Lalbagh gardens and its heritage. The final session titled HERITAGE AROUND US: Experiencing everyday heritage in the city of Bengaluru was delivered by Prof. Shubhi S. The session wove together snippets of everyday heritage in Bangalore including the tanks and bunds, the kattes, mandapams etc. The final part of the lecture presentation took the audience through a colourful virtual heritage walk through colonial Bangalore and was peppered with interesting tales of the city. Day 3 finally concluded with a vote of thanks rendered by Prof. Vidya Srikanth, who was also the moderator for the day.
We have received wonderful feedback from the participants, who enjoyed the narrative format of the lectures. The participants expressed that the programme exposed them to a whole new face of Karnataka and Bangalore’ heritage. As a school of Architecture located in Bangalore, Karnataka, it is a matter of pride for School of Architecture to take on the role of a flag bearer in rediscovering and disseminating knowledge about the heritage of the region.
The 3-day online programme was conceptualized by Prof. Shubhi S with invaluable contributions by the team including Prof. Vidya Srikanth, Prof. Neeraja Jayan and Prof. Anupadma R. The team was ably assisted by faculty members Prof. Kiruthika S., Prof. Anup Kumar Prasad, Prof. Prerana Hazarika, Prof. Akshatha Narayan and Md. Imtiyazullah Khan with contributions towards branding, communications, registrations and technical support. The programme benefitted immensely with the able guidance and direction of Director Vimala Swamy, Director, School of Architecture, REVA University.
