india study trip 2005/2006
As in 2004, IDI members took a self funded trip to Bosnia,
with Arthur Duff MIDI in the Presiden't seat this year, he is organising
a trip to his 'second home' India. We welcome your interest in joining
us on this interesting trip by return of this email to gauge a 'group'
figure.
Please respond as soon as you can to Rina Whyte
idi@indigo.ie
India Study Tour winter 2005
Over the last 10 years or so Ireland has undergone a dramatic transformation
resulting in tremendous opportunities as well as challenges for businesses
and the country in general. Think of this same transformation times a
population of over a billion and you have the wonder that is India to-day!
The IDI has put together a study tour for the winter 2005/06 which will
introduce members to key areas of interest in the country. The dates are
27 December to 4 January 2006. The proposed tour will last for 8 days
and will cover 4 centres of importance in Western and Northern India.
We are all exposed to the diverse impressions of India. Such is the vastness
of the place it can be all things to everyone, depending on ones agenda.
This trip offers a snap shot of the country with an emphasis on creating
links with fellow professionals and design institutions as well as getting
a sense of the landscape and the people. The tour will be lead by Arthur
Duff who qualified as an architect from the CEPT school of Architecture
in Ahmedabad and who maintains a strong contact with the country.
It will be an intense 8 days and it is suggested that the participants
might take the opportunity to extend the visit to another part of the
country at a more leisurely pace. The arrangements for the tour are being
handled by Mrs Roshan Patharia of Indian Dreams tours, an Irish company
specializing in small scale tours. Based on a party of 14 the package
of accommodation and transport on the ground for the 8 days comes to EUR900.
In addition will the cost of the flight to and from India and what ever
additional travel plans participants would like to make. The Dublin -
London ˆ Mumbai, New Delhi ˆ London ˆ Dublin return flight
costs will be in the region of EUR850, depending on numbers.
If you are interested in finding out more about the details of this tour
please contact Rina or Arthur as soon as possible. We will need to confirm
numbers in order that the travel agent can make the necessary arrangements
at the most competitive prices as well as incorporating any input regarding
special interests members of the group might have.
The route is as follows:
Mumbai, Maharashtra State: the commercial heart of India as well as being the centre for international activity.
As the major western port Mumbai trades with the world.
All the peoples of India have converged upon the city to make it their
own as well every nationality who want to do business with India. Built
up by the British on a series of reclaimed island physically Mumbai offers
a tremendous challenge to the architects and engineers of the city. Our
own transport and infrastructural issues can be put into perspective here.
We will meet with design professionals and experience how the city works.
Ahmedabad, Gujarat State: the design Centre of India, home the National
Institute of Design, The CEPT School of Architecture
This traditionally important center of textile production was industrialized
by local merchants in the late 19th century to become the Manchester of
India. Huge wealth was created and enlightened industrialists invested
in education and in design. Both Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn were commissioned
to build there. Among the many important national institutions are the
National Institute of Design and the CEPT School of Architecture. Not
withstanding recent tragedies and natural disasters the city remains an
inspiring place. We will visit the institutions and NGOs working in the
development field.
Tilonia, Rajasthan State: village based design initiative
creating market opportunities for traditional crafts.
In order to put the urban experience into perspective we will be visiting
the village of Tilonia in Rajasthan. In spite of the vast migrations to
the cities India is still a village based economy. Tilonia has been developing
over the last 25 years as a rural design center through the inspiration
of Bankeem Roy and his team. The work they are doing is helping maintain
appropriate connections between traditional crafts and the market place.
The big rugged landscape of Rajasthan will a refreshing change from the
cities.
New Delhi: the Capital, center of administration.
The city laid out by Luteyns is the 7th to have been built at the very
strategic location in Northern India. The present demands on space are
such that if we do not get there quickly it will be hard to find any the
remains of the other 7! Although each state in India has its own administration
Power is still based in New Delhi. Much of the new manufacturing industries
are based around New Delhi and huge numbers of new products coming on
the market each day. The design potential is just amazing. We will be
meeting professional organizations and designers.