Golconde

History

In 1935 the Mother asked Antonin Raymond, an American architect based in Tokyo, to design a dormitory for the growing Ashram. George Nakashima, who worked for Raymond, supervised the site with the Czech architect François Sammer; after Nakashima left in 1939, the Indian engineer Udar Pinto saw the work through. It was completed in 1942.

Raymond designed it for the hot, humid climate, using reinforced cast-in-place concrete for the first time in India, and it is often called the first modernist building in the country. It is named after Golconda, in gratitude to Sir Akbar Hydari, Prime Minister of Hyderabad State, who funded its construction.

What to see

• The concrete building and its climate-conscious design, seen from the street

Why visit

A landmark of modern architecture in the middle of the French Quarter.

Before you go

Golconde is a private residence of the Ashram.