DA studios updates mahaprasthanam hindu crematorium & cemetery in india

DA studios updates mahaprasthanam hindu crematorium & cemetery in india
all images courtesy of DA studios 

design architecture studios, under commission from the phoenix foundation, modernized a neglected cemetery and crematorium in india. the 3.7 site was approached with the intent to build infrastructure to accommodate hindu rituals both culturally and contextually. in the philosophy of gita, life’s purpose is fulfilled in a 16 phase process called shodasha samskara. the final stage is moksha, in which the individual reaches a state of karmic perfection, and is released from the cycle of life.

entire site 

antyeșṭi, the final stage of life, is the funeral which is subdivided into five sequential parts: preparation, cremation, mourning, purification, and commemoration. ‘mahaprasthanam’, follows this order in a series of structures that both mourn and celebrate the individual. each symbolizes the significance of love and of loss, and reiterates the fact that death is a natural, unavoidable consequence of the continuity of life.

extracts from the bhagat gita (hindu scripture) are cast onto walls throughout the entirety of the site. two structure types can be found within, pavilions and pyres; the first of which are enclosed to comfort and console loved ones, the latter which open skywards to liberate the lost in a final farewell. ‘mahaprasthanam’ was completed over a single month of construction. 

each space brings individuals through the hindu funeral process 

‘mahaprasthanam’ crematorium 

entrance pavilion

aerial views 

night view of the traditional pyre 

view of pyre from the waiting hall

a stone screens and plants create private space within 

aerial 

site plan, elevation, section 

funeral pyre and waiting hall 

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions  feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: nick brink | designboom