13/12/2024
In the small hill town of Arunachala in Tamilnadu, millions of devotees throng the sacred hill every December on a particular evening to witness a lamp lit at the hill's peak. At the very moment the lamp is lit, millions of people who circumambulate the hill pause wherever they are and, in unison, shout out, ‘Arohara…Arohara…Arohara’. A million voices in unison! A sky-piercing cry with ‘tears of bliss.’ I have experienced this bliss on another occasion. A triangle was being drawn on a whiteboard with a blue marker, explaining the fundamentals of Architecture. As the lean, kurta-clad, white-bearded lecturer turned around and gazed at me, I did not know why I was uncontrollably tearing up so much. That moment stayed with me forever, and from then on, I have been a secret admirer of this caricaturistic bearded child. He is a child at heart and a very intense, fierce and passionate doer, like his mentors. In fact, it was my first elective and his last elective, which he offered at CEPT University. I have never seen somebody so dedicated to what they teach that they become the subject itself. I have seen his body bend in all ways that are humanly possible to explain a concept. He becomes the column, the beam, the door, the window, or anything he discusses. Those sharp radiating eyes filled with wisdom, empathy and grace - Prof.Neelkanth Chhaya.
I come from a then suburb of Chennai where the term ‘Architecture’ was not so popular, even in my school. I was the only one in my batch and the second one from my school to pursue a degree in Architecture. And during undergraduation, years rolled by trying to decipher myself and the course. There was a group of seniors who spoke a different language of architecture and their thought process varied from the rest. It was through them, for the first time, that I heard the word ‘Kaka’ and wondered who he was. A few years later, during the internship semester, one of my batch mates was an intern at a firm in Ahmedabad. That is when I learned that Ahmedabad is a place of architectural significance. After graduation, I had the opportunity to visit Ahmedabad, my first introduction to the city and its people. By then, I was aware that there is an eminent architect named Chhaya, who was fondly referred to as ‘Kaka’.
Coincidences do not exist. They are just reasons one is unaware of at that moment. I was not fond of joining post-graduation in CEPT for various reasons I was informed of, but ended up becoming a ‘CEPT’ian in 2014. Those were crucial years of transformation for myself and CEPT. Prof. Chhaya was no longer the Dean, but there were many times his name was heard during the many silent, non-violent, artistic expressions by students about the ‘change’. A few months later, during one of the summer schools, a friend told me about ‘Sunday Reading Sessions’ by Prof.Chhaya and asked if I wanted to join. We arrived ten minutes early at his place and the door was half open, and we could hear a Hindustani song from inside. We stood outside the door and called out “Sir” a couple of times, and a lady (whom we later knew as Rekha ma’am) with a smiling face invited us inside. Sir was preparing bread in the kitchen and nodded with a welcoming smile. I could not believe I was in such close proximity to a Master. He came out of the kitchen and asked me, “What music do you listen to?” and he explained the difference between Carnatic and Hindustani music with the analogy of a banana. Such analogies are a part of his regular conversations. He explains many such complex phenomena, be it architecture, arts, education or anything, with personal examples and makes sure everyone understands.
During my time at CEPT, a student wrote a blog mentioning that a senior professor had helped a student financially for an ‘exchange program’ abroad. The student expressed to the professor that it was a large sum and they wouldn't be able to pay it back anytime soon, and the professor replied, “You don't have to pay back. Pay it forward”. There are many such students that the senior professor has helped anonymously. He is always flocked with students, be it at school, office or home. He always dedicates time to each of his students and to anyone who seeks guidance and support. Chhaya sir and Rekha ma’am have always been there in all ways possible, beyond themselves, helping people realise their potential and bloom at their pace.
In 2019, we curated a dialogue series intended to showcase the hopeful lives of various mentors through their stories, books, documentaries etc. Prof.Chhaya was one of the mentors in ‘Akarmaa Dialogue’. We printed a few pages of Prof.Chhaya’s speech for reading during the session, which was probably our toddler step. In 2020, during the pandemic, we hosted ‘Cuckoo Conversation’, an online conversation session with various mentors, and Prof.Chhaya graciously agreed to share his thoughts. After his conversation, he also invited Prof. B.V. Doshi, Ms.Sushma Iyengar and a few others to be part of the conversation. Wherever he sees a potential networking opportunity for the common good, he would act as the silent bridge, connecting the appropriate needs and demands.
After graduating from CEPT, I joined as an Assistant Professor at a private architectural institution in Chennai. For the first time, I was on the other side of the table and had the opportunity to share with students about Prof.Chhaya. One of the students was interested and walked into Prof.Chhaya’s office with her portfolio. As there was no vacancy in his office, Prof.Chhaya immediately called a few more offices to find out, and she stayed in Ahmedabad. After graduation, she wrote letters to join Prof. Chhaya’s office again as she was persistent about being with a master and is part of the family now, like many others in the office. Several conversations with her and her colleagues about his everyday life gave us a deeper insight into his being. Probably, all these experiences assimilated and triggered us to do something to spread his words of wisdom, by which we have been inspired and benefited.
As a gesture of “paying forward”, which all of us have received from Prof. Chhaya in some way, we offer ‘Imbibing Chhaya’ through –
’In Gratitude’ - Compiled transcribed lectures and conversations of Prof. Chhaya published in two separate volumes – ’On Education’ and ‘On Architecture’.
‘Kaka’ -From the first day of hearing the word ‘Kaka’, this seed has taken fifteen years to sprout as a documentary. ‘Kaka’ is a humble attempt to showcase the life of a master ‘as is’.
This is accompanied by ‘Working with the ordinary’ - an exhibition on Works of Mandala Design Services, representing the architectural thought of three architect friends, Neelkanth Chhaya, Kallol Joshi and Sohan Nilkanth, who have worked together for nearly three decades. Their work spans a period of great social, political, economic and cultural change in India – 1980s to the present. These changes naturally affected the practice of architecture, including the development of cities and of housing.Yet with the 1980’s, there was a requestioning of the basis of architectural work in India as much as in other cultures that had been affected by colonialism. All three architects exhibiting here also had intense experiences of other colonised cultures in Africa. These experiences, along with their interest in other cultural expressions – whether literature or music or painting & sculpture – made their work respond to questions of change and constancy in culture. Thus, they are open to change but remain deeply interested in the continuities in cultural expression.
“And this you brought to us, very vividly, by talking about stories. This conversation would become a story in many students’ lives. And it might change and be reported in many different ways. And I think we both would be very happy if it was transformed into another kind of story”, says Prof.Chhaya in an online conversation with B.V.Doshi. This formed the crux of the mail sent to Prof.Chhaya, seeking permission to transcribe his lectures on September 19, 2023. And magic happened. He agreed, and we started with what we had from where we were and did what we could. We started collecting all the lectures and conversations that were available online. And slowly, we realised what was available online, was only a few drops in the ocean, and we were trying to bottle it. Such is his vast expertise as an architect and an academician closer to half a century.
This has been made possible by the collective efforts of many young people who assumed multiple roles of transcribers, proofreaders, translators, editors, graphic designers, cinematographers, photographers and many more. They were determined to make this happen despite all the odds that they navigated within themselves and their external surroundings. The very process of transcribing the words of a master has definitely sown seeds of transformation in everyone. And for those who have been on the documentary, repeatedly listening to his voice with tonal variations, seeing the video with his expressions and reading each transcript multiple times have imbibed the master in all of them. We are greatly indebted to all the institutions, organisations, and individuals who invited Prof. Chhaya for a lecture or conversation, recorded them and readily permitted us to use the same.
The various dialogues and discourses in the books and documentary string together a garland of wisdom which will serve as a means of starting a conversation on ‘Architectural Education’. We hope that through continuous exchanges between the faculty, students, management and professional governing bodies, there will definitely be a transformation in the way the institutions of architecture function and engage. We consider this a blessing, for this opportunity has been bestowed upon us.
While there might be varied perceptions of him, one analogy that all of us might agree on is a ‘Mother Tree’ – Still, Rooted, Encompassing, Interconnected, Grounded, Sacred, Wise, Intuitive, Protector, Peaceful, Humble – but a witty and a humorous one – and at the same time with a piercing sharp ‘Inner Moral Compass’. But for the tree, it is just a ‘normal tree’, which is ‘being’.
If you have or know of someone or any institution with unpublished recordings of lectures, conversations, or studios offered by Prof.Chhaya on any subject, kindly let us know. We would be humbled to add them to our next editions.
A collective offering in a continuum.
Kaushik Kumar
One of Prof. Chhaya’s Admirers
[email protected]
For Registration
bit.ly/imbibingchhaya
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