Crematorium Architecture And Design.docx

Crematorium Architecture and Design -The Space of Silence Introduction Birth and death are natural stage in the life of every human being. But the emotional aspects of these two events are significantly different. The birth of a new human is associated with excitement and optimism; thoughts about death are usually scary and unpleasant. Death is a universal phenomenon. It’s existence is one of the defining characteristics of what it means to live, yet dialog on the matter is often avoided. However, today a large part of the world seek to examine the implications of cremation and its built form on the idea of the sacred and phenomenal. Death is an inevitable truth that no one can change but we can mourn and celebrate the individual; each symbolising the significance of love and of loss, and reiterates the fact that death is a natural, unavoidable consequence of the continuity of life. People die every day, and architecture cannot change this fact. But architecture can influence the perceptions and emotions connected with the death of a being. Nowadays, Architecture has achieved such a height that any space could be revived for betterment of the people and the society. Crematories play a crucial part of one’s death as according to Hindu religion (Bhagvad Gita) , Life’s purpose is fulfilled in 16 different phases called shodhash samskara, The final stage is Moksha (Antim Sanskara) in which the individual reaches a state of karmic perfection, and is released from the cycle of life. One thing that tickled my mind all this while is why should architecture always serve the living ones, why do we not focus on catering to the dead souls, because how else will we restore the balance in nature. This study is meant to be an approach of design issues with the intent to build infrastructure to accommodate hindu rituals both culturally and contextually along with space for ceremonies and funerals.