Nanni and Namaskaram

The journey home was long and exhausting but was smooth. I was also fortunate enough to have a short visit with my friend, Laura, during my layover in Los Angeles. Now I’m resting up at my grandparents’ house in Tempe before heading back to Tucson. It’s great to be back home. I had an amazing time in India and want to thank the people at COSTFORD for hosting us with great hospitality. I also want to thank our professor, Dr. Jerry Anthony, for inviting us the opportunity to participate in this class and for sharing his knowledge and time with us. I was very inspired by all the people I met during my journey and hope to make it back to Kerala some day! 

The Last Leg

After a 10-hour trip back to Trivandrum, we spent the night recuperating. The next morning we worked on both individual and group assignments. In the afternoon we visited the engineering and architecture college in Trivandrum where my professor, Jerry Anthony, earned his undergraduate degree in architecture. We were able to interact with undergraduate architecture and graduate planning students. They presented a plan for downtown revitalization that they had worked on all semester.

The next day, we heard from a retired town planner and the director of a local NGO that focuses on environmental planning. The second presentation was more beneficial as our presenter provided a synopsis of the environmental issues facing Kerala and his ideas on “the way out” of the current state of crisis. Major environmental problems in Kerala include poor system of waste management, pollution of water bodies, and a craze for building which lead to problems of sand mining, deforestation, and devouring of hills. His proposed solutions include an emphasis on democracy and participatory processes, developing democratic institutions, ensuring transparency, building alternate models to development and lifestyles, and increasing sensitivity of environmental and social ills to the people.  While he expressed little hope for the future and the tone of his presentation was somber, his actions showed that he is energized about bringing about positive social and environmental change.

Our last night in Kerala was spent finalizing a group presentation for our hosts, the staff of COSTFORD, packing, and finally one last shopping spree to spend the rest of our ruppees and purchase any last minute souvenirs. We visited Chalai Bazaar once more and ended the night with some dessert, of course! 

The Good Life: Elephant Hill Palace, Thekkadi, and the Backwaters

After a full day of traveling we made it to our destination: Thekaddi. Thekaddi is a town in northeastern Kerala near the Western Ghats. We were in awe as we exited the van. Thekaddi was beautiful with a lush green forest dominating the landscape and the feeling of cool, crisp air on our skin. We stayed at a resort called Elephant Hill Palace for one night and fell in love with the place! In the morning we headed to a Wildlife Sanctuary where we took a boat ride tour of the sanctuary. I spotted wild boar, monkeys, and a variety of birds. The elephants and tigers must have been hiding out in the forest…bummer! We did see some elephants a little bit later, however. Most of the group took an elephant ride. I opted not to. Forcing wild animals into captivity just isn’t my cup of tea. The elephants did look well taken care of, however and I fed one some papaya. To top off an already amazing day, we took a tour of the Backwaters. The Backwaters are where the Arabian Sea meets land, forming channels of water and streams that meander through a tropical landscape and small villages. We took a two-hour boat ride through the Backwaters and were able to watch the sunset. It was breathtaking. 

Religion, the State, and yes… more shopping

Today I woke up to the sound of bullet shots. But don’t worry they were not violent gunshots. Each time someone makes an offering to the Gods at t Hindu temple, a blank bullet is fired. Religion in India is taken very seriously and here in Kerala there are places to worship for nearly every major religion. Hindu temples, Islamic mosques, Jewish synagogues, and Christian churches or cathedrals. Most days we can hear the chanting, praying, and bullet shots from Hindus, Muslims, and Christians starting at 4am!

The president of one panjayat, or a local body of government, gave today’s presentation. Since 1996, there has been a movement to decentralize government and the planning process within India. As a result of several constitutional amendments, local governments in India experience much more power than they had in the past. This movement is manifested in “The People’s Plan.” Local governments receive between 30 and 40% of state funding for various planning projects. Our speaker described his panchayat’s emphasis on sustainable development and provided us with a unique definition. Four components make up the practice of sustainable development, he informed us. These four components include: 1) ecological awareness, 2) equity or distribution of wealth, 3) increase in production/economic growth, and 4) social peace. I often hear of the three “E’s” of sustainable development: environment, equity, and economy, but never before have I heard social peace as part of it’s definition. I found this element particularly encouraging, especially after hearing of the atrocity that occurred back at home in Tucson where one of our congresswomen, along with several others, was shot. No political agenda is worth the loss of human life. I appreciate how this panchayat makes it a priority to emphasize this belief. To hear local government officials describe sustainable development as the framework for their planning processes, decision-making, and policy setting, was inspiring and hopeful. It is an exciting time to be a planner in India.

We then took two site visits to see panchayat-funded initiatives in action. First we visited an organic banana farm. The sacred bananas are grown to supply food for sacred elephants at a local Hindu temple. Afterwards we visited a goat and cow farm. The animals were absolutely adorable!

Upon arrival at our hotel we spotted an elephant standing in an open field located directly across from us. The elephant was being held there for use in a Hindu festival. The temple was located in the area as well and each day more and more elephants were brought to the field.

That evening, a group of us ventured to the Oberon Mall. I felt right at home with a Baskin Robins, Adidas, and Puma store. We enjoyed dinner in the food court (many of us excited to diversify our meals after two weeks of eating Indian food!). I particularly enjoyed an ice cold Pepsi! 

Ports, Spices, and History

After a long day out and about in Fort Kochi I am back in my room at the Bharat Hotel. Filled with history, Kochi is a peninsula and major port on the Arabian Sea north of Trivandrum in Kerala. The Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British all colonized the area, making for a culturally diverse place. Today we visited a synagogue in Jew Town, toured the Basilica, Palace, saw a church by Vasco de Gama, and accomplished some major shopping.

Kochi is known for being a center of trade, and in particular the trade of spices. We visited a spice market where I bought tea, spices, ayurvedic soap, and ginger candy.
After sight seeing and shopping we enjoyed lunch seaside. Some tried the fresh fish cooked with a ginger sauce and wrapped in a banana leaf. I opted for vegetable chop suey. We each had a Kingfisher beer, the local brew of choice, which was very relaxing after a long day in the heat. The seaside location was very nice and as an added bonus we got to see dolphins!

After taking a ferry back to the mainland we made it back to the hotel for some much needed rest. 

A taste of paradise

Today we toured a gorgeous residence designed by Laurie Baker. The house belonged to a teacher and a planner who hired Baker to custom design the home, which was absolutely beautiful. Baker, known for working onsite and without blueprints, spent an extraordinary amount of time designing this home. Our host told us stories of how Baker spent time getting to know her, her preferences, and personality before beginning to design. Most of us in the group agreed that we would love to live in a house like this! After our visit we packed into our van and traveled to a major port city in Kerala called Kochi. The most exciting moment of the trip is when we passed a man riding an elephant along the side of the road!

When we talk about community development, we talk about women and children

Day 9 of the trip focused on social planning and the role of gender in community development. We heard from staff of a government-funded program called Kudumbashree, which means “Prosperity to the Family,” followed by a feminist marxist critique of “the Kerala Model.”

Kudumbashree is a state run, locally administrated program funded by the People’s Plan Campaign.  The People’s Plan was enacted after consitutional amendments in 1993, which required a more decentralized planning process, granting local governments more administrative power as well as a higher percentage of state budgets. These amendments also enacted a mandate to alleviate poverty and provide social services. This mandate is partially aimed at addressing the historic marginalization of women and other minority groups in the planning process. Local governments now mandate participation of women through a quota requiring a 50% female representative body. Furthermore, these new changes in policy ensure that women participate in task forces and working groups and have thereby helped to bring women into the new decentralized planning process. The Women’s Component Plan has become an essential element to the anti-poverty plan. Changes to the planning process in India due to the 1993 and 1994 constitutional amendments was a constant theme throughout all of our lectures on the trip.

The mission of Kudumbashree is “to eradicate absolute poverty in ten years through concerted community action under the leadership of local governments, by facilitating organization of poor for combining self help…” The agency coordinates various socio-economic development programs ranging from micro-credit financing to food security and nutrition needs.

The program that I found most interesting was their “women status self-learning program.” Staff found that while women were bringing in extra income and learning valuable skills as a result of the micro credit program, the program did not address other gender-related problems. Domestic violence, barriers in the workforce, and the problem of dowries are still prevalent. According to the presenter, Sarada Muraleedharan, it was not enough that women get space within the public process, they need a voice as well.  Kudumbashree provides relevant literature and facilitates discussion on topics primarily pertaining to women and work such as equal wage remunerations, women and safety in the work place, and health concerns at work.

Muralledharan noted that since most literature on gender comes from outside of India so one thing the agency has done is to make the material relevant to Indian women by creating stories or newspapers. The program has been so successful that it caught the attention of national government and there is currently talk to expand the model to other states.

In the afternoon, Nalini Nayak from the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) presented a critique of the Kerala Model. She dissected women’s status in Kerala and took a closer look at the claims to women’s progress in the state. For example, while women have made strides in education, there is a higher child mortality rate among girls than boys and gendered segregation in the professions is also evident. Such inequalities or disparities are usually less obvious and therefore more difficult to address. The same phenomenon happens in the U.S.

Both presentations provided me with a better understanding of programs and perspectives related to gender in Kerala. It is encouraging to see this dialogue take place among government officials and everyday people. One thing is clear, we are certain to see great things from Indian women now and in the future. 

Town Planning in India

During the eighth day of the trip we heard from a planner named Mr. Kasthuri Rangan. His presentation provided us with an overview of planning in India, Kerala, and Trivandrum. Mr. Rangan shared many insights and useful perspectives on planning.  I learned that planning in India is a growing field and will provide many exciting opportunities. People seem energized about planning here and a sense of responsibility and eagerness to bring about social, economic, and environmental progress is evident.

Some basics about planning in India: the Central Planning Commission sets the national agenda, which is then reflected in state plans.  States then develop a five-year plan that combines both national and state priorities. Local governments are responsible for spatial planning and receive one third of the state’s financial resources. Local governments also develop their own plans. Master plans for cities or townships reflect both state and national priorities in addition to local needs.

What Mr. Rangan stresses is the fact that plans should be dynamic because is impossible to literally translate plans on the ground. Instead, plans should include a framework for land use and social planning in the form of policies, expectations, needs, and goals. Every city has to evolve its own land use strategies and proposes a “systems approach to planning.” According to Mr. Rangan, it is the planner’s task to bring various sectors together and systematically integrate knowledge applicable to planning. I believe that many of the points Mr. Rangan discussed in regards to planning in India also are applicable to planning in the U.S. 

"We need to be the change we wish to see in the world" - Gandhi

During day 6 of our trip, we visited Laurie Baker's residence known as the "Hamlet."  Most of the COSTFORD staff members based in Trivandrum work out of the residence. Baker's wife, Elizabeth Baker, still lives there. Laurie and Elizabeth Baker certainly fulfilled Gandhi's philosophy that "we need to be the change we wish to see in the world."

Milini at "the Hamlet"

Wall flower

View from a terrace at "the Hamlet"

Dog house at "the Hamlet"

After lunch we took a tour of a residence designed by COSTFORD and heard a presentation by the resident, Merle Kindred. Kindred is a Canadian born, American raised scholar who recently moved to Kerala. Her research includes examining communication challenges in regards to energy change. During her dissertation research, Kindred took a trip to India and realized that the people she met here would be the ones who suffer the most from global climate change yet they are not the ones responsible for it. This was one of her motivations for coming to India. She is now an independent consultant and presenter who is helping to get the word out about COSTFORD and Baker.

Merle Kindred's residence designed by COSTFORD

We also visited a rural area and met with local officials of the Aryanad Panchayat (local form of government). They showed us several local initiatives including women's agricultural cooperative, a school (with many eager children waiting to meet us), and a locally run library. 

agricultural site for a local women's cooperative

books at the local public library

On day 7 we visited the Mithraniketan campus. Mithraniketan, which means "Home of Friends," is a grade school and high school. The campus also houses a People's College. The speaker spoke about the importance of sustainable, low-cost, environmentally sensitive architecture. While he sees a positive effect on educating young people about this message, he also has serious doubts. Young architects come to the campus, take up this type of work for a little while, then switch to designing conventional buildings that bring in more profit. During a particularly moving part of his talk, he said "I am helpless. No one will listen to me." While he hopes for a breakthrough in eco-sensitive cost-effective architecture and technologies, he is discouraged. People are starting to live in larger houses even though families are getting smaller. He also spoke about challenges that the school is facing including funding and retention of teachers and social workers who often leave Mithraniketan for higher paying jobs.

Fresh bread at the 'pure veg' bakery

Monkey statue at Mithraniketan

Today I had my first ayurvedic massage and boy was it an experience. The massage was very therapeutic and felt amazing. I definitely felt out of my comfort zone at first as we had to practically strip down in front of a complete stranger! There was a whole lot of coconut oil involved and I came out of the massage looking very shiny! It was very relaxing and any worries or stress that I had just melted away.

on our way to get our massage

logo - oil being poured on a person's head

After the massage, we went to dinner followed by dessert at a local bakery. As most of you probably already know, I have a big sweet tooth so very much enjoyed the bakery excursion. We took a rickshaw back to the hotel for the final thrill of the day. Overall, today was a nice, relaxing day. After all we have been doing this past week it was time to slow down the pace a little. I'm looking forward to the music festival we will be attending tomorrow. Oh, and it will be hosted by the Travancore Royal Family. Hopefully I will get to see the prince!

Baked goods: sweet, fresh, and delicious

Arise, Awake, and Stop Not til the Goal is Reached!

For our first weekend in India we travelled to Kerala's neighboring state, Tamilnadu. We first visited Padmanabhapuram Palace, which belongs to the state of Kerala but is geographically located within Tamilnadu. We then traveled to the city of Kanyakumari where we visited the monument of Vivekananda kendra, a well known and influential religious philosopher.

The contrasts between the two states was stark. Right away I noticed more poverty in Tamilnadu; more children were begging for money, more children were unclothed, people were squatting in places with no shelter, and people did not look as healthy as they did in Kerala. While walking through an area where squatters settled, one child came up and took my water bottle. He begged until I let go. It was a very sad sight. My feelings about the excursion are mixed. It was difficult to emotionally navigate the experience because in one moment I am marveling at a 500 year old palace and the next moment I am witnessing extreme poverty. 

Photos of Padmanabhapuram Palace:

Padmanabhapuram Palace

A view from within Padmanabhapuram Palace

Me in my new outfit at Padmanabhapuram Palace

Another view from a terrace within Padmanabhapuram Palace

Columns at Padmanabhapuram Palace

My professor, Dr. Jerry Anthony, sharing his wealth of knowledge. He spent 3 months during his undergraduate studies in architecture documenting the palace.

more Padmanabhapuram

The ladies bath at Padmanabhapuram Palace

Milini and me cooling down with some refreshing coconut water

Photos of Kanyakumari and Vivekandanda Monument:

Kanyakumari, the most southern tip of the Indian subcontinent

A view of Vivekananda Monument from land, before boarding the ferry

Another view of Vivekananda Monument

Vivekananda Monument

There is so much I wish I had time to write about but the photos will have to do for now. Our travel back to Trinandrum was long and rough. We were exhausted by the time we got back. I'm rested now and ready for another day. Thanks for reading my post!

Day 3: Laurie Baker Center, SEWA, and IISE

Day three of our journey was spent at the Laurie Baker Center for Habitat Studies (LBC). The facilities were gorgeous. This site was the last thing Baker designed before he passed away and its purpose is to document the work of COSTFORD and educate others about the organization's philosophy, goals, and methods. Our presentations covered Baker's philosophy and architectural style and low-cost and eco-sensitive materials and technologies.

Laurie Baker Center

More LBC

Mango Ying Yang

Water Well at the LBC

Homegirls at the LBC

Human Mango

We ate a traditional Kerala lunch, which is served on a banana leaf and is eaten with the hands. It had various flavors of spices, pickle, coconut, banana, and rice. The food was delicious, especially desert!

Me getting ready to chow down!

Traditional Kerala meal

Next, we visited the Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) just up the road from the LBC. SEWA is made up of 2,000 women who make hand-made paper from recycled materials. The women are able to contribute to the household income, feel more confident about themselves and their role within the family, and learn many valuable skills. What I keep hearing is that many men will spend their money on alcohol, come home drunk, and create hostile home environments. Women working with SEWA are able to gain more control over their lives and better support their children. After watching a short demonstration of paper-making, we had lots of fun shopping!

Women making paper at the SEWA

Hand made paper dried and pressed

The last place we visited was the International Institute for Social Entrepreneurs (IISE). Not only was the mission and story of the organization inspiring and touching, the IISE campus was breathtaking and progressive. The goal of the organization is to take the facilities off the grid and eventually become self-sustaining with no need for outside electricity.

A view of the outdoor classroom at the IISE

A building at the IISE

Coconut Trees!

An interior view of the IISE facilities