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Draft:India Nationality Room

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Subject

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.[1] 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.[2] 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.[3]

The room itself has six columns of glass-fiber-reinforced concrete that imitate the granite used at Nalanda. The red bricks of the walls similarly imitate those laid at the ancient site and had to be custom mixed and placed to get the right color of red. Another key element found within the room is a series of three watercolor paintings depicting education at the University of Nalanda. Additional elements found within the room include a bronze Seal of Nalanda and a stupa, which is a type of Buddhist monument used to hold relics. Fundraising Chair Anu Reddy collected the artifacts on display in the Indian Nationality Room on a trip to India. The Indian Committee faced some challenges in sourcing artifacts to display in the room, as some items had been too costly, on loan, or simply unavailable.[4]

Timeline

The Indian Committee formally started creating the Indian Nationality Room in July of 1993 with the “Declaration of Gift Ceremony,” where a check of $5,000 was given to the University of Pittsburgh by the Indian Committee, as well as a “signed statement of intent.”[5] The Indian Committee then chose their room (on the third floor) of The Cathedral of Learning and began the formal process of designing and constructing a nationality room. However, the founding members of the committee, among whom are chair Chandrika Rajagopal, fundraising chair Anu Reddy, and architect Deepak Wadhwani, had been holding events to try and shore up support for the building of a nationality room since 1992.[6] For instance, on June 6th, 1992, a public meeting was held in the Cathedral of Learning to raise support for an Indian Nationality Room.[7] At the meeting, there was a tour of the Nationality Rooms, prominent members of the Indian diaspora in the greater Pittsburgh area showcased as speakers supporting the project, and a presentation by the Indian Committee on the vision for the Indian Nationality Room.[8] The driving force was to be “unity within diversity."[9]

At the 1993 Declaration of Gift Ceremony, many prominent people of the Indian community were present, including a Counsellor from the Indian Embassy to the United States, Malay Mishra.[10] Mishra gave a speech at the ceremony supporting the idea of an Indian Nationality Room, saying that “India is not perceived correctly or totally in this country [USA].” Therefore, exposure to Indian culture through an Indian Nationality Room could be a valuable teaching tool.[11] This viewpoint is in line with that of the Indian government, which expressed consistent support for the project but was unwilling to give financial support to the committee.[12] This viewpoint by the Indian government was expressed as early as 1991, when then-Indian ambassador to the United States, Abid Hussain, wrote that “the Embassy [is] unfortunately not in a position to make any financial contribution . . . I sincerely hope your efforts will succeed.”[13] Despite the Indian government’s inability to give monetary funds, it was willing to provide a list of Indian organizations in the United States that would be amenable to help fund the Indian Nationality Room, writing that the committee should “contact the Consul General of India in New York” to acquire the list.[14]

The original dedication date set by the Indian Committee was August 15th, 1997.[15] This would have coincided with the 50th anniversary of India’s independence from the United Kingdom. This was not a universally applauded dedication date, as Honorary Head of the Internation Committee Dr. Karan Singh asked for the dedication date to be moved earlier, into 1996, due to fears that his presence would be required in India on August 15th, 1997, due to it the 50th anniversary of Indian independence.[16] However, the date of August 15th, 1997, could not be met as a dedication date. The Indian Committee’s funding goal was $400,000, and they did not start building until this goal was met. This funding goal was achieved with the donation to the committee by Uday Karra of Energy Technologies Corporation on October 13th, 1997. It was only after this funding goal was met that actual construction began to take place in early 1998. Once the fundraising goal of 400,000 was met, the new goal was to of the Indian Nationality Room Committee was to ”build and dedicate the room in under 1 year."[17] Contractor selection and construction started in 1998 and ended in 2000, with the Indian Nationality Room being officially dedicated and handed off to the University of Pittsburgh to maintain on January 9th, 2000. In keeping with the Indian government’s support of the project, the Indian Ambassador to the United States was present at the dedication ceremony and was “very happy to be in Pittsburgh on . . . the occasion of the dedication of the Indian Nationality Room.”[18] In total, the Indian Nationality Room took roughly 7 ½ years to fundraise for and complete construction on, which is the fastest of any of the Nationality Rooms at the University of Pittsburgh.

Creator

To formally start creating a nationality room, the Indian Committee gave a $5,000 gift to Pitt as part of the “Declaration of Gift Ceremony.”[19] The funding goal set by the Indian Nationality Room Committee was $400,000.[20] This goal was met on October 13th, 1997, with a donation by Uday Karra of Energy Technologies Corporation. Meeting this fundraising goal allowed the committee to hire contractors, beginning the process of actual construction of the Indian Nationality Room.[21] The actual cost of the room, according to lead architect Deepak Wadhwani, was expected to be roughly $350,000, not including any extenuating circumstances.[22] To that end, Wadhwani, also a founding committee member, was willing to donate $15,000 of his own money to the cause. In addition to donating their own money, members of the Indian Committee instituted various schemes to raise money. By donating money, people could gain membership on the committee. Additionally, all donations were tax deductible. Various events were also held, including the ”We Love India Ball,” which raised $160,000 for the Indian Nationality Room.[23]

Coverage

The Indian Nationality Room Committee remains active. As of August 2024, the committee includes Chair Ranjani Shankar, Co-Chair G. G. Hegde, Secretary Sujatha Shankar, and Treasurer Surya Shroff. The Committee is also composed of Nidhi Gangwar, Vandana Kekre, Radha Mahesh, Sumedha Nagpal, Sandhya Rao, Rashmi Ravindra, Priyesh Shah, Prajesh Sinha, and Ramgopal Srinivasan. The Committee’s activities provide numerous opportunities for University of Pittsburgh students and community members to engage with Indian culture. Each year in August, the Indian Nationality Room Committee hosts an India Day event to commemorate India’s independence from British colonial rule. In addition to celebrating India’s independence, the annual event provides attendees with information on the country’s different regions and cultures. The Indian Nationality Room also provides University of Pittsburgh graduate and undergraduate students with scholarship opportunities to study abroad. Sponsored students are provided funding to spend five weeks in India, where they independently study topics of choice.[24]

In the University of Pittsburgh’s daily operations, the Indian Nationality Room functions as a classroom for students. Non-university affiliated individuals can access the Indian Nationality Room, in addition to all other Nationality Rooms, through tours provided by the university. Quo Vadis is an on-campus club that organizes student-led tours for visitors. Student tours led by members of Quo Vadis provide visiting groups with both factual details and personal understandings of the Nationality Rooms and their contents.[25] Both the Committee and the Indian Nationality Room, therefore continue to make information on India and its culture regularly accessible to individuals both within and outside of the University of Pittsburgh community.

Date

July 1993 - January 2000

Publisher

University of Pittsburgh, India Nationality Room Committee Collection, University Archives, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System

Contributors

Natalie Rose, Elle Betsker, Elizabeth Smith, Branden Giraud, Taylor Hardin

References

  Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs, "Indian Room Committee," nationalityrooms.pitt.edu, University of Pittsburgh, accessed November 13, 2024, https://www.nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/committees/indian-room-committee.
 Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, UA.40.11.2, University Archives, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
 Letter by Indian Nationality Room Committee, n.d., Box 1, Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, University of Pittsburgh Library Systems, Pittsburgh, PA.
 Letter by Chandrika Rajagopal, Dr., "Programme," n.d., Box 1, Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection 1991-2001, University of Pittsburgh Library System, Pittsburgh, PA.
 Letter by Rajagopal, "Programme."
 Malay Mishra to Chandrika Rajagopal, Dr., September 9, 1993, Box 1, Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, University of Pittsburgh Library Systems, Pittsburgh, PA.
 Malay Mishra to Chandrika Rajagopal, Dr., September 9, 1993, Box 1, Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, University of Pittsburgh Library Systems, Pittsburgh, PA.
 Siddharta Shankar Ray to Chandrika Rajagopal, Dr, September 1993, Box 1, Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, University of Pittsburgh Library Systems, Pittsburgh, PA.
 Hussain to Rajagopal, October 7, 1991, Box 1 Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, UA.40.11.2, University Archives, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
  Mathur to Rajagopal, December 16th 1991, Box 1 Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, UA.40.11.2, University Archives, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
 Karan Singh, Dr. to Chandrika Rajagopal, Dr., April 13, 1993, Box 1, Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, University of Pittsburgh Library Systems, Pittsburgh, PA
 Singh to Rajagopal.
 Kapoor to Karra, October 13 1997, Box 1 Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, UA.40.11.2, University Archives, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
  Chandra to Rajagopal, January 13, 2000, Box 1 Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, UA.40.11.2, University Archives, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
  1. ^ “Indian Room,” University of Pittsburgh Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs, accessed November 12, 2024, https://www.nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/rooms/indian-room.
  2. ^ Maxine Bruhns, 1991-1994, Box 1, Folder 7, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, University of Pittsburgh Library Systems, Pittsburgh, PA.
  3. ^ Madhuri Bapat, July 2005, Box 3, Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, University of Pittsburgh Library Systems, Pittsburgh, PA
  4. ^ Anu Reddy to Indian Nationality Room Committee, Box 1, Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, University of Pittsburgh Library Systems, Pittsburgh, PA.
  5. ^ Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs, "Indian Room Committee," nationalityrooms.pitt.edu, University of Pittsburgh, accessed November 13, 2024, https://www.nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/committees/indian-room-committee.
  6. ^ Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, UA.40.11.2, University Archives, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System.
  7. ^ Letter by Indian Nationality Room Committee, n.d., Box 1, Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, University of Pittsburgh Library Systems, Pittsburgh, PA.
  8. ^ Letter by Chandrika Rajagopal, Dr., "Programme," n.d., Box 1, Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection 1991-2001, University of Pittsburgh Library System, Pittsburgh, PA.
  9. ^ Letter by Rajagopal, "Programme."
  10. ^ [6] Malay Mishra to Chandrika Rajagopal, Dr., September 9, 1993, Box 1, Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, University of Pittsburgh Library Systems, Pittsburgh, PA.
  11. ^ [7] Malay Mishra to Chandrika Rajagopal, Dr., September 9, 1993, Box 1, Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, University of Pittsburgh Library Systems, Pittsburgh, PA.
  12. ^ Siddharta Shankar Ray to Chandrika Rajagopal, Dr, September 1993, Box 1, Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, University of Pittsburgh Library Systems, Pittsburgh, PA.
  13. ^ Hussain to Rajagopal, October 7, 1991, Box 1 Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, UA.40.11.2, University Archives, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System.
  14. ^ Mathur to Rajagopal, December 16, 1991, Box 1 Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, UA.40.11.2, University Archives, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System.
  15. ^ Karan Singh, Dr. to Chandrika Rajagopal, Dr., April 13, 1993, Box 1, Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, University of Pittsburgh Library Systems, Pittsburgh, PA.
  16. ^ Singh to Rajagopal.
  17. ^ Kapoor to Karra, October 13, 1997, Box 1 Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, UA.40.11.2, University Archives, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System.
  18. ^ Chandra to Rajagopal, January 13, 2000, Box 1 Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, UA.40.11.2, University Archives, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System.
  19. ^ Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs, "Indian Room," nationalityrooms.pitt.edu.
  20. ^ Hemanth Kapoor to Uday D. Karra, October 13, 1997, Box 1, Folder 1, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, University of Pittsburgh Library Systems, Pittsburgh, PA.
  21. ^ Kapoor to Karra.
  22. ^ Deepak Wadhwani to Kate McCollough, 1995, Box 1, Folder 8, Indian Nationality Room Committee Collection, 1991-2001, University of Pittsburgh Library Systems, Pittsburgh, PA.
  23. ^ Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs, "Indian Room," nationalityrooms.pitt.edu.
  24. ^ University of Pittsburgh Indian Nationality Room Committee, India Day 2024: Celebrating the Languages of India (2024), 3, https://www.nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/sites/default/ files/24IndiaDay_Brochure.pdf.
  25. ^ “Quo Vadis: What is Quo Vadis?” University of Pittsburgh Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs, accessed November 12, 2024, https://www.nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/quo-vadis.
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