Deciphering Manifestation of Sacredness in the Houseform of khadim Community, Ajmer, Rajasthan

Abstract

Sacredness in architecture has always existed through times. Since ancient times manifestation of sacredness has always been in the form of religious buildings but its existence is felt in any typology of architecture. The configuration of a house form, owing to human’s nature of communicating and defining meanings (consciously or unconsciously), makes it a manifestation of symbolism, meanings and value. These meanings evolved from sacred, religious, social or cultural constructs defined the spirit of a place – its genius loci. The essence of sacred manifestations have been evolved and been in-place in the spatial configuration, space, symbols & meanings, elements, thresholds, etc. of a house form. The sacred manifestations in spatial form have an underlying ability to serve as transition or gateway between the human realm and the divine realm and contribute in spiritual development, owing to the meaning and character definitions of the house-form, that’s makes the spirit of the place. A community shares the image and interpretations of life that is the perception of space, social attitudes, ritualistic practices and behavioral practices. Architecture and in particular the house forms are defined by the members as representing their realities and is one of the strongest visible expressions of a community’s culture, values and needs. The manifestation of sacred space is widespread- religious and secular, individualistic and collective, rational and ambient which can be defined through the study of place perceptions and associations. The idea of the paper aims at bringing the sacred manifestations in the house forms of Khadim community of Ajmer, through architecture configuration of space, form, elements and meanings. This would be informed through the understanding of defined criteria identified as constituent in house forms that are sacred. The methodology used in the paper is based on a framework by Architect Thomas Barrie in the book ‘Spiritual path, sacred places- myth, rituals and meanings in architecture’. The framework depicts the meanings of sacred architecture at 3 levels – (1) the forms are representation of aspects of the religion that are expressed either pictorially or symbolically; (2) Meanings as depicted within the composition of spatial form, which can occur in the conscious or unconscious state of mind; (3) religious beliefs that are enacted by rituals and ceremonies often in a close correspondence between rituals and architectural forms; the myth is embodied in the form of architecture, the act of the ritual and their interplay.