Traditional Buildings of India

Throughout India, buildings are constructed by traditional methods and without architects. The range of vernacular building types - mud-plastered, reed-thatched, timber-framed - is as varied as India's geography itself, from the Himalayas in the North and the barren deserts of the West, to the sweltering bamboo groves and rice fields of the South. Ilay Cooper, who has traveled extensively in India since 1965, surveys the vernacular buildings of each region with an expert knowledge of materials and techniques, as well as of history and tradition. Barry Dawson's photographs bring us into intimate contact with the rural towns and villages of India where ninety per cent of the population live and work. Through this colorful, intimate and humane study of traditional architecture, the many personalities of India are revealed.