Understanding the Singificance of Embodied Images in Analysis of Ghats of Varanasi

Abstract

The different ways in which people are informed and affected by their surroundings is the phe nomenon of perception. They are a collective result of multiple aspects like scale, movement, time, seasons, crowds, association, meaning. These aspects are recognized by the different senses and a spatial experience is formed, which then becomes a memorial identification of the space. These identifications vary depending on purpose of visit, frequency, gender of visitor etc. The subjective identifications create a sense of belonging of the particular user-group. Architecture is usually studied as a discipline that articulates space and geometry, but the men tal image of architecture arises significantly from its image quality that combines the various aspects and dimensions of experience into a singular, internalized and remembered entity.(Pal lasmaa, J. (2011)).The most deeply existentially and experientially rooted architectural expe riences impact our minds through images which are condensations(fusion of 2 or more images into a new image) of distinct architectural essences. The thesis suggests extraction of these em bodied images as a method of documentation for the cultural landscape of Ghats of Varanasi. The study looked at different narratives of varying user groups that form the embodied image through observation, survey and informal conversation and artistic representations over time. The themes extracted from embodied images help in understanding of impact of association and meaning on the experience. The thesis suggests embodied images as a relevant tool for analysis of such landscapes where association, meaning play an important role.Keywords - mental image, hapticity, association, memory, culture, meaning