June 2022,
A hot summer day,
As I am walking through the Amber palace in Jaipur, I come across a marble pit - the ‘Turkish Bath’ or ‘hammam’. The floor invites me to take off my footwear and soak in the cold from the marble beneath me, to my rather warm body. As I am enjoying the tingly sensation, a herd of tourists come in. I am pushed out of the room and back to my senses. I walk back with a desire to ‘hold’ the majestic piece of architecture and a question.
A question as to who built the bath? Did the Turkish masons migrate to India under the Rajput rule? Or did the Mughal rulers employ Indian masons to learn the craft? Over the centuries, various influences have shaped the built landscape of India but one thing that has prevailed throughout is the appreciation for exquisite craftsmanship. It can be evidently seen in the architecture of the Amber palace which epitomizes Rajput architecture with influences from the Mughal styles. Both were great patrons of art and architecture thus fostering cultural exchange between the Rajputs and Mughals.
Centuries later, tons of tourists from around the globe come to India to witness this connection. It is through our innate desire to admire beautiful things that brings us together. Coming from varied backgrounds and identities, all of us stand united in front of these structures, holding their relevance even to this day. And thus, we are connected through what our eyes see and our hearts feel.
Completed in 2024