Going Down the Travelled Road

“Often a star
was waiting for you to notice it. A wave rolled toward you
out of the distant path, or as you walked
under an open window, a violin
yielded itself to your hearing. All this was mission.”- Rainer Maria Rilke                                                                                                          

Doors and windows hold a special fascination for me. I think, at first glance, like its inhabitants they too lend a city, a town or a home its character. Just imagine stepping into this concrete jungle we call Mumbai and all you can see around you is a sea of towering 4D-rectangles whose sides are etched with endless smaller rectangles, the innumerable rows and columns of windows. A mosaic in geometric shapes, lit or unlit, depending upon the time of the day. Unplanned, uncouth, unstoppable- devoid of any beauty or architectural planning- they seem to be just springing up and growing by the day.

Somehow, I always feel that windows or doors can say a lot about the place, the home or the person who lives there. In Mumbai, the most precious commodity is space and that kind of justifies the uses to which a window is put to in this city- to dry clothes, to store odds and ends, to nurture plants, to dry pickles and papads, and even extend and convert them into puja niches or study spaces. Or, for some lucky ones, to just enjoy the sea-view or the rains!

We have always heard the saying that when one door closes, another opens. But, as Alexander Graham Bell put it, “We often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.”

An open door can stand for invitation, welcome, opportunity, a reason to explore or simply a sign of carelessness. Similarly, a closed door can stand for closure, seclusion, privacy, mystery, departure, safety or can be a sign to stay away.

A window can be our link with the outside world; it lets in the sun and shuts out the storm. It is our corner where we can sit, relax, introspect, dream or just watch the day go by. It is our source of life as it brings in the fresh air, sustains us and our plants, invigorates our minds, gives wings to our imagination, be our means of communication, lends the room its character, gives the room its view.

As Ingmar Berman put it, “I’m very, very lazy. I like to sit in a chair and look out the window and do nothing.”

I like doing the same too but, for today, let me just step out of my favourite corner by the window and do a visual tour of some other doors and windows, some well-known and some lesser known, that I have come across during my travels to other towns.

 Epitome of Simplicity: A door in Hridaykunj, Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi’s home in Sabarmati Ashram from 1918-1930. It was from here that the famous Dandi March began on 12^th March 1930.

In Memoriam: A small window on the landing platform from where steps descend through five storeys to a step-well or vav in Adalaj, near Ahmedabad. This step well was built by Ruda, wife of Vaghela chief Virasimha, in memory of her husband.

Nakashi : Engraving on a niche at the Jama Masjid, Ahmedabad . This yellow sandstone mosque was built in 1424 during the reign of Ahmed Shah I.

The Prisoner’s View: The Bridge of Sighs connected the dungeons with the trial room in the Doge’s Palace, Venice. As the convicts were taken across the enclosed limestone bridge this was their last view of Venice through the two small rectangular windows with stone grilles. Lord Byron made it famous in the lines, “I stood in Venice, on the Bridge of Sighs; a palace and a prison on each hand.”

O my Luve’s like a red, red rose: The Great West Window in St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh,is dedicated to Robert Burns, Scotland’s greatest poet. In keeping with the thematic content of Burns’ poetry, the lower panels are in vivid green to depict the natural world, the middle panels with human figures depict human unity and the top portion depicts a sun with a heart like love blossoming into a rose.

I am the Gate: Porta Sancta or the Holy door, St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican. The brass panels, made by Vico Consorti, replaced the original wooden ones in 1949. This door is opened by the Pope in the beginning of the Holy Year, once in 25 years. It was last opened to the pilgrims in the year 2000. It represents Jesus, the Good Shepherd. It is also known as the Door of the Great Pardon.

The Gates of Paradise: This ten panelled gilded bronze door, sculpted by Lorenzo Ghiberti in mid-15^th century, depicting scenes from the Old Testament is one of the three doors to the octagonal Baptistery of St. John or San Giovanni, located opposite the Duomo in Florence. Now the original pair of doors, post restoration, is displayed in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo and a replica adorns the east entrance to the baptistery.

Welcome to the Abode of God: Sculptures of Ganga and Yamuna on either side along with dwarpalas at the doorjamb of the entrance to the remains of a 6th-7th century AD Shiva temple at Malhar, Chhattisgarh and also a 11th century AD Vishnu temple at Janjgir, Chhattisgarh.

Home Sweet Home: A beautifully decorated and bright entrance to a house on a street in Edinburgh.

Jewel in the Crown: Standing atop a volcanic rock and dominating the city’s skyline is the Edinburgh Castle which has a long history during which it has served as a fortress, a royal residence, a military garrison, a royal treasury and a prison. At its entrance, two of Scotland’s mighty heroes, William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, stand guard. It houses one of the oldest buildings of Britain, Saint Margaret’s Chapel, and the Crown Jewels of Scotland.

The Great Wall of India: Kumbhalgarh, a 15^th century fort built by Rana Kumbha of Mewar, has the second longest perimeter wall of 36 km, after the Great Wall of China, which incidentally is 21,196 km (honestly, no comparison). The architectural credit goes to Mandan. The fort is situated on the Aravalli range at a height of 3600 ft near Udaipur, Rajasthan.It houses many Hindu and Jain temples apart from the royal palaces. It is also the birthplace of Maharana Pratap. The fort has seven fortified gates with names as varied as Aerat Pol, Ram Pol, Hanuman Pol, Halla Pol, Vijay Pol. The main entrance is Ram Pol, and what strikes the visitors is that it is in the shape of the gigantic feet of an elephant.

Hey, how old are you? Inside the Westminster Abbey, in a vestibule leading to the Chapter House, is a small wooden door which has been scientifically dated to about 1050 AD. This is the oldest door in Britain. It was probably a part of the original church of King Edward who died in 1066 AD (canonized by the Pope as St. Edward the Confessor in 1161) and later reduced in size and re-used in the present Abbey.

The Kaleidoscope: Nestled among the lush green forests in the Aravalli range, on the eastern bank of  Lake Pichola, is the Udaipur Palace, a symbol of power and pride for the Mewar dynasty. The palace was started in the mid-16^th century under Udai Singh II when they shifted their capital from Chittorgarh to Udaipur. The beauty of this palace is breath-taking and each mahal has its distinct style and décor. But what caught my attention were the doors and windows in it. They come in so many shapes, colours and sizes that you are left completely dazzled.

The dwarf’s door: An interesting feature is the size of the doors inside the Udaipur palace.You have to bend low to enter. Why would the mighty rulers of Mewar choose to make them so small and narrow? Narrow passages, winding staircases with small entry and exit doors would slow down the enemies allowing those inside the palace to get time to fight back.

My favourite : While walking on the streets of Rome, I loved this window and so clicked it!

Welcome to the Vatican Museum: As you approach the entrance door to the Vatican Museum and you look up, who are they looking at you from above the arch? They are none other than Michelangelo and Raphael sitting beside the coat of arms of Pope Pius XI, who had commissioned the structure on formation of the State of Vatican in 1930s.They epitomize Renaissance sculpture and painting as they sit there with their tools of art.

Is that Diagon Alley?  Victoria Street is a picturesque, winding, cobblestone lane that connects the Grassmarket with Lawnmarket in the Old Town of Edinburgh. Its steep slope and a graceful curve adds to its beauty. The street is lined with the old stone buildings with their brightly coloured facades and glass paneled doors and windows. They house shops selling interesting artefacts from food, wine to magic props and souvenirs. This street is supposed to be the inspiration for J.K.Rowling’s Diagon Alley, the fictional shopping area for the wizards in the Harry Potter series.

The Lost Abbey: As you step out of the Palace of Holyroodhouse to explore the gardens of the royal residence, you cannot miss the ruins of an Abbey (Holy +rood meaning Holy+ Cross) built in the 12^th century and home to the royals for many centuries. Its vaults still house the remains of many a king and queen. The skeletal frame of this once magnificent structure still holds the ground, not ready to let go of its once renowned grandeur. The body may have long gone but the soul still remains as we look up at the empty outlines of the abbey’s magnificent doors and windows.

DS