A Tryst - Victorian Age Estates of India

My engagements with the landscape settings of Victorian Estates has so far been nothing less than a Tryst, a word etched in history by Jawaharlal Nehru for an occassion far more significant. I guess it is "equivalent euphoria" that permits grafting of words between totally unrelated acts.

Victorian estates in India have recently seen a stir towards Conservation and Restoration.In terms of variety they include cantonments, botanical gardens, zoos, sanatoria, riding grounds, parks and cemeteries, excluding public spaces like promenades. In number they definitely outrank the Mughal and Rajput gardens- the sole examples of a geometricized approach to nature and open space in the Indian Garden, till the advent of the British. Victorian English contributions to landscapes and an approach to outdoor design comes a significant Third in position. In a society whose ancients revelled in the organic and experiential aspects of nature, the three have left an indelible impression on the perception of the outdoor as a garden.

For all that happened in that era concerning Garden Art and outdoor design, the Victorian age does present some challenges in landscape restoration. The point of contention in such projects can be broadly listed as follows:

1- Site Organization as Heritage versus Site Re-structuring:
Most estates are now properties owned by Government institutions or by corporates (selective instances). When better sense prevails, the design team is headed by a Conservation Architect or an architect emphatic on near authentic restoration within a contemporary milieu.

Estates usually had attendant quarters, stables and an outdoor kitchen connected by covered walkways. These spaces, based on their location, can actually be better generators of site planning than the main building itself.

At the risk of an oversimplification and generalization, I would venture out and state that many Victorian Age buildings work wonderfully well for present age functions if the architecture is approached in reverse. Former main entrances become rear entrances and rear entrances get spruced up to be the main ones. At times, this allows a beautiful prospect towards a valley or scenic view. While this approach takes away the original design intent, it opens up a new way to admire the site and its intrinsic heritage.

So then, should landscape design stick to the old entrance, old site organization etc or should it embrace the potency of such discoveries? Why is it then even more sacrilegious to suggest something like this for a Rajput/ Mughal/ Maratha building, even if this idea worked in them?

2-Outdoor design:
The trouble starts when the outdoors have to be designed with either Victorian or late Victorian elements. History and Sociology studies on Victorian Age show that in comparison, today's society is not very different in terms of consumption patterns and attitude towards nature. This does not work for Landscape Architecture since it generates programmes to toe an environmental line. So transplanting trees (for example) is seen as perfectly Victorian excuse, when Landscape Design is in a position to use that very constraint as an opportunity in most cases.

3- Outdoor furniture:
Fussy levels of detailing in vintage pieces make their replication/ duplication a seriously expensive process. So compromises have to be made in terms of finishes, quality and sometimes even the aesthetic. The most subjective component are usually gates and outdoor lighting. budgets will not allow intelligent replication of the originals. ego's do not allow many other things. who designs the gates to the estate if there aren't any? the conservation architect or the landscape architect? the best solutions with me thus far have emerged when the landscape architect gives the position, size, grades and silhouette of the gate, and the conservation architect does the detailing.

4- Planting Design:
An era known for its horticultural advances, the Victorian age is viewed as a gimmick bereft of creative ensembles of outdoor spatial qualities using plants. This is not quite true. While the Victorian age can be blamed for introducing exotic vegetation and concepts like foliage bedding, the mindset of today's design teams is also to be blamed. No one wants Victorian styled planting, forget authentication, but everyone loves a Green Wall. For the environmentalist, the lawn is taboo, while for others it is panacea. I feel Horticulturists are a great resource for straddling this dichotomy, provided they understand the value of both the stances taken in context of "then and now". They can actually be better designers of seasonal and annual planting, whose broad organization would be laid out in the Landscape Architect's Planting plan.

Another "environmental angle" to the planting design bit is the dichotomy of Native Vs Exotic species. The environmental advantages and threats of this stance is well known. but the question still remains..." If a Victorian garden is being restored, preferring native and naturalized species, is it still quirky enough to be considered Victorian ?"

5- Lack of Documentation.

It would be a miracle if drawings and documentation of the gardens in their original state were ever found for a project. Buildings have the advantage of photo-documentation, and one can work backwards towards genesis of the current form (state) of the building. It is not so easy in the case of gardens, atleast in India, because of the perishable nature of the design and the ease of transposing a personal whim on to the site. Rarely do photographs exist that show the amount of planting design changes within a 100 year period. If they do, they are usually long distance shots or vignettes.

5- Political interference:
A certain degree of broadmindedness and a huge dollop of luck has to accompany Victorian Garden restoration projects. Otherwise they become a stage for vulgar displays (i.e. political displays) of clout, power, herd mentality and pig-headedness even in the company of erudite and accomplished personalities. In Mumbai and most parts of Maharashtra, there is a strong urge to put Chattrapati Shivaji 's presence in a Victorian garden. Making detailed presentations on the time lapse between the Victorian Age and that of Shivaji does not help. They do not want to restore Chattrapati Shivaji's marvelous forts. The Peshwas according to some, are not that good enough to be celebrated, even if there is a case for acknowledgement. And all this comes from people who otherwise yap on the waning of Marathi culture.

In South India, we have chief ministers fighting for this kind of attention.

In cities like Mumbai, there are gag orders by Municipal authorities on design devices which try and explain the links between the garden/estate and the urban sprawl around it which now obscures historic connections and memories. But these very people proudly show off sepia tinted photographs of English Mumbai/ Madras/ Calcutta/Pune etc in their cabins and laptop wallpapers.

Despite all these hurdles, Victorian Age Estates do hold a multiplicity of positive values as a Landscape Legacy of India . For this to happen, Discovery and Education has to precede Restoration.