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My work explores how contemporary design practices are reshaping sacred spaces in urban contexts, with a focus on the transformation of Hindu temple architecture. By tracing the evolution of temples from their traditional roots in vastu shastra and shilpa shastra to modernist reinterpretations, I examine how these architectural shifts reflect broader cultural and spatial changes in rapidly urbanizing environments.

Through visual analysis, case studies, and survey data, my research analyzes how modernist temples diverge from classical design principles and how these changes influence public perceptions of sacredness and divinity. The findings suggest that while contemporary designs embrace innovation and functionality, they may weaken the spiritual resonance traditionally embedded in temple architecture.

This work aligns closely with the goals of the Project by contributing to discussions on how cities and urban spaces mediate cultural, spiritual, and architectural continuities and ruptures. It highlights the tensions between modern urban development and heritage preservation, while also engaging with questions of identity, memory, and the evolving nature of public religious spaces in a global urban landscape.

Works in Progress:
I am currently developing a research project titled "Linguistic Landscapes and Cultural Shifts: Tracing the Evolution of Indian Languages Across Regions and Time." This study explores the historical development of Indian languages by examining structural and phonetic similarities across linguistic families and regions. Through a comparative and diachronic analysis, the research seeks to understand how cultural migrations, urbanization, and socio-political changes have influenced linguistic convergence and divergence within the Indian subcontinent.

By focusing on how language evolved in tandem with urban and regional cultural transformations, this work contributes to broader discourses in global urban history, especially around the movement of people, ideas, and identities across space and time. It also aims to highlight how language functions as both a carrier and a consequence of urban cultural dynamics, particularly in multi-lingual and multi-ethnic urban settings in India.

1. International Conference on Research Into Design (ICoRD)
2. International Conference of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Design & Research (India HCI)