Architectural Visibility in a Multi-Religious City

Catherine B. Asher

Espousing how religious diversity materializes in architecture, Catherine B. Asher, art historian at the University of Minnesota, discussed "The Making of a North Indian City: Jaipur, Religion, and the Principles of Tolerance," on May 11 in the Architecture Lecture Hall.

Asher is a specialist in Islamic and Indian art from 1200 to the present and has worked extensively on the Mughal dynasty's architecture. Her current research includes the comparative study of Hindu, Jain, and Muslim patronage, particularly in the cities of Delhi and Jaipur. For ten years she has been chair of the Committee on Art and Archaeology of the American Institute of Indian Studies.

Interested in the architectural visibility of minorities in urban settings, Asher showed her audience images of mosques and temples in the predominantly Hindu city of Jaipur. Founded in 1727, Jaipur comprised grid-line streets based on canonical Hindu texts, yet Asher wanted to question the assumption that it was "a Hindu city for Hindu subjects."

Ruled by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, who was born in 1688 and acceded the throne in 1700, Jaipur's extension beyond its mid-18th century walls changed the nature of Hindu temples. As the city grew, its spires or towering superstructures became less and less visible from the main streets and the temples could no longer be distinguished from the facades of shops or houses.

Asher claimed that although Singh saw himself as king, he did not discriminate between non-Hindu minorities. The city was intended for multiple communities to co-exist peacefully; 'each to his own faith,' in the name of harmony, rather than hierarchy. Singh wished to establish a city that did not give primacy to members of one faith, which would not have been possible if temples were visually dominant."

The Jain temples were enclosed by high walls and not placed directly on street thoroughfares, but rather by back roads or cul-de-sac residential areas. Asher revealed that there were at least two mosques by 1739, evident as domed structures on the city's map. Twenty-five percent of Jaipur's inhabitants are Muslim, but although mosques are noticeable in Delhi's landscape, they are unobtrusive in Jaipur and are usually located in business areas so that the Friday noon collective prayer is accessible.

Although the Muslims have a legitimate place in the city, dating to its establishment, the aim was to create a universal, secular city. However, by 1957 sectarian affiliation emerged, and patterns of construction outside the old city walls again stressed towering columns as a reflection of India's Golden Age.