Draft:India Nationality Room: Difference between revisions

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The design concept for the Indian Nationality Room was based on the ancient University at Nalanda, which was a Buddhist monastery and center of learning that existed from the 4th century to the 13th century.<ref>“Indian Room,” University of Pittsburgh Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs, accessed November 12, 2024, https://www.nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/rooms/indian-room.</ref> The University at Nalanda was expansive in size, having occupied around 32 acres, and it had been able to accommodate around three thousand students. The decision to base the design of the room on this site was made by the committee of donors and Nationality Room staff. The lead architect for the Indian Nationality Room and its design was Deepak Wadhwani, who had initially considered crafting a stone room with columns to reflect Buddhist culture.<ref>Maxine Bruhns, 1991-1994, Box 1, Folder 7, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, University of Pittsburgh Library Systems, Pittsburgh, PA.</ref> Other contributors to the room’s construction included TEDCO Construction Corporation and various contractors, including Italian masons. The choice to use a Buddhist design from East India was met with later criticism, with critics arguing that the design was not representative of the Hindu majority of India.<ref>Madhuri Bapat, July 2005, Box 3, Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, University of Pittsburgh Library Systems, Pittsburgh, PA</ref>