- June 17, 2022
Learn updates about Pramada's research in Pune, India!
We caught up with Pramada (M.S. Architecture '23), who we last spoke to as she was preparing to continue her research in India this summer! Pramada is interested in comparing and contrasting the representation of water in various media in 19th to 21st century Western India through the specific case of Pune city in India. She's working to address the question, how can the representation of water in various media (including but not limited to political campaigns, development plans, popular film, water museums, visual art) create and restore sustainable nature-culture relationships? Through this, she aims to explore the nature of contemporary built infrastructure associated with water, while building on existing traditional water systems.
Read our interview below with Pramada to learn about her daily life in India!
What is your morning commute like?
I take an auto-rickshaw which is a three-wheeled ride to sites that are short distances away.
What is your work like day-to-day thus far?
So far, I’ve spent my mornings reading “Landscape and Power” by W. Mitchell, and then “Hydraulic city” by Nikhil Anand. Once the sun is less harsh, I visit nearby sites in the city and have conversations with locals. In the evenings, I meet community partners or work on the script of my documentary film, which is funded by the PKG IDEAS innovation program.
What are you most excited about now that you're back in India?
I am excited about visiting the ghats of Wai, next week, with a tour by historian Saili Palande-Datar and a young geologist Divyanshu Pawar.
What is your favorite place to go so far?
The baramotyanchi vihir which roughly translates to a stepwell with twelve load-carrying ends, built in the 1710s, was so far my favorite place to visit.
Have you tried any new foods you enjoyed or seen anything new?
I am hooked on lemongrass and ginger chai, it is now my all-time favorite.
