Influence of Language on the Built Environment: The Forgotten Vernacular of Traditional Indian Architecture

This study explores language and architecture, two domains that take shape from their ambient social structures, and attempts to examine the link between them. It examines the impact of changing patterns of the spoken language of urban India on its building philosophy, to draw conclusions for the future impact of the hegemony of Western languages on local architectural identity. Throwing light on the expanding practice of English-medium instruction and documentation of knowledge in the Indian subcontinent, the study argues that the grammar of Western languages does not imbibe the essence of traditional Eastern concepts, thus losing the philosophy behind them in the process of translation. Moreover, it argues for the proliferation of native languages in India, as a counter-hegemonic tool towards the increasing proclivity of urban India for Western style of architecture. It makes the case for bringing the focus of Indian architecture back towards notions of sustainability that are inherent to the traditional Indian vocabulary.