Draft:India Nationality Room

Subject

The design concept for the Indian Nationality Room was based on the ancient University at Nalanda, which was a Buddhist monastery and center of learning that existed from the 4th century to the 13th century. The University at Nalanda was expansive in size, having occupied around 32 acres, and it had been able to accommodate around three thousand students. The decision to base the design of the room on this site was made by the committee of donors and Nationality Room staff. The lead architect for the Indian Nationality Room and its design was Deepak Wadhwani, who had initially considered crafting a stone room with columns to reflect Buddhist culture. Other contributors to the room’s construction included TEDCO Construction Corporation and various contractors, including Italian masons. The choice to use a Buddhist design from East India was met with later criticism, with critics arguing that the design was not representative of the Hindu majority of India.

The room itself has six columns of glass-fiber-reinforced concrete that imitate the granite used at Nalanda. The red bricks of the walls similarly imitate those laid at the ancient site and had to be custom mixed and placed to get the right color of red. Another key element found within the room is a series of three watercolor paintings depicting education at the University of Nalanda. Additional elements found within the room include a bronze Seal of Nalanda and a stupa, which is a type of Buddhist monument used to hold relics. Fundraising Chair Anu Reddy collected the artifacts on display in the Indian Nationality Room on a trip to India. The Indian Committee faced some challenges in sourcing artifacts to display in the room, as some items had been too costly, on loan, or simply unavailable.