January 29, 2025

Trapped

We started our week strong with our organization;sensing local. Starting by researching different typologies that exist in the city that could be improved to better suit the people living in those areas such as katte, which are raised platforms around a tree for gathering and socializing, and Kalyani which usually are temple tanks for bathing before prayers and storing water.

We spent the first two days with sensing local just researching multiple locations and hearing feedback on how they could be feasible or effective. But after spending two eight hour days just reading report after report and trying to see if what politicians said actually even went anywhere, it got pretty tedious.

This flipped when we were assigned 30ish locations around the city that exemplified the typologies that we were researching. On the 3rd day we set out to the furthest point and made our way closer to the office we were located at.

We explored different locations, walked around taking pictures and filling out google forms to get a better idea of each place and experience it as the people living there would to better help revamp those locations.

We soon ended up by the metro station next to brigade road. The traffic was never ending, the autos full, and vendors all around. It was truly a sensory experience especially with the narrow sidewalks ensuring we were up and personal with everyone around.

We were looking for our next destination point on the map, a katte. We soon saw a side road off the sidewalk next to a temple leading towards that very direction so we began walking and soon that side road opened up to a beautiful large temple square. It had the katte in the center and a pretty big kalyani close by as well. It was as if we had stepped into a whole new town.

The square was empty, other than a few people exiting the back of the temple and a huge statue next to the kalyani. We stood in the peace and just took in the sight as we were amazed such a place existed right next to a large transit hub and traffic central, but our questions of how such a large and open space was not being used by anyone soon got answered when we decided to leave and found ourselves locked in by a gate at the entrance of the side road.

The square was walled in on all sides and the only way out we could see was the temple until someone leaving on a scooters which led us to another gate hidden behind the kalyani. We were able to escape and continue our journey, but it gave us the appreciation to look around and read the signs as when we were walking by the same gate again, we saw that it closed at certain times.

All this to say, taking the time to understand places more than just what’s on paper can help you see much more of that place, whether it’s the beauty or terror of being trapped in.

By,
Hargurleen