Reconstruction of Vanishing Indigenous Cultural Threads of Naamghar in Assam

Abstract

Rapid modernization taking place in the twenty-first century especially in developing countries like India having multiple religious faiths has seen major changes in social, economic, and environmental aspects. With these rapid changes, a major concern and challenge is to retain identity of sociocultural institutions found in India. Design details of architecture and assets used in these institutions with religious/social significance are hence, an important feature, which reveals the indigenous identity of these institutions. This paper focuses on understanding and documentation of the identity of ‘Naamghar,’ a social–cultural institution associated with Vaishnavism found in Assam so that the essence of it as identity of Vaishnavism can be institutionalized to facilitate translating it for Naamghar to be established in future. It focuses on three major aspects of indigenous identity of Naamghar: Visual design details of the exterior and interior of a Naamghar, Relation of design details with Vaishnava faith, and spatial and temporal evolution of Naamghar. This paper unfolds the evidence-based research and results toward structured design approach through form study with typicality analysis in Naamghar of urbanizing Assam and its fragmented areas in different parts. This paper discusses and shows systematic way and how a unique identity has been transformed over the period of time in main gate and doors of Naamghars.