gnostix1
Lennart Helje
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It is quite common to use terms like “historic architecture” and “monument” interchangeably to describe old buildings or historic sites. There is, however, an important conceptual difference between these two terms. Historic architecture is a broad category and can be used to describe a number of old buildings, ruins and protected monuments. On the other hand, the basic function of a monument is to commemorate an idea, event or person. In this sense, a “monument” could have two interrelated aspects: (a) the object/structure that is intentionally erected to symbolise a person or an event; and (b) the associated idea/story that has to be remembered/commemorated. In India, a monument is also a legal entity. The artistic and historical values of a particular historic building determine its status as an officially declared historical monument that commemorates significant historical events related to the nation’s past. Thus, any historical building could be converted into an official national monument, or alternately, any officially declared national monument could simply cease to be “a national monument” at any point in time.
This substantial difference between “historic architecture” and “monument” is very crucial in understanding the process by which a particular building or group of buildings is converted into a protected historical monument or monumental complex in India. This process deals with a number of issues: a particular building is differentiated from other buildings; its physical characteristics are identified as symbols; its architectural properties are measured; certain historic and artistic values of the building are determined; its history is traced; and finally, it is preserved as a heritage of a nation, community, or people. In a broader sense, we may call this the process of monumentalisation. The transformation of the Taj Mahal into a “monument of national importance”, and subsequently into a “world heritage site”, is the outcome of this process.
Hilal Ahmed. “Secularising the ‘Secular’: Monumentalisation of the Taj Mahal in Postcolonial India.” Economic and Political Weekly 50th ser. XlviII (2013): 71-78.
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The highly sensitive [introverted] tend to be philosophical or spiritual in their orientation, rather than materialistic or hedonistic. They dislike small talk. They often describe themselves as creative or intuitive. They dream vividly, and can often recall their dreams the next day. They love music, nature, art, physical beauty. They feel exceptionally strong emotions—sometimes acute bouts of joy, but also sorrow, melancholy, and fear. Highly sensitive people also process information about their environments—both physical and emotional—unusually deeply. They tend to notice subtleties that others miss—another person’s shift in mood, say, or a lightbulb burning a touch too brightly.
Susan Cain,
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking
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Hmm I’d love to read more of this article/book
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