Renowned architect and Padma Bhushan awarded BV Doshi passes away
Ahmedabad(PTI): Well-known architect and Padma Bhushan recipient Balkrishna Doshi, who worked with legends like Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn, died at 95 at his home here on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among those who paid rich tributes to Doshi.
"We are deeply saddened to inform you about the passing away of Balkrishna Doshi (August 26, 1927-January 24, 2023), loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather," his family said in a statement.
Condolences poured in from various quarters over the demise of Doshi, widely regarded as the foremost architect of modern India.
"Dr BV Doshi Ji was a brilliant architect and a remarkable institution builder. The coming generations will get glimpses of his greatness by admiring his rich work across India. His passing away is saddening. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti," tweeted PM Modi.
Born in 1927 in Pune, Doshi worked with architecture legends like Le Corbusier. He also worked with Louis Kahn as an associate to build the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and many other acclaimed projects.
CM Patel called Doshi the Pole Star in the world of architecture.
"Condolences on the passing away of Pritzker Prize winner 'Padma Bhushan' Balakrishna Doshiji, a world-renowned architect who is like the pole star in the world of architecture. May God rest his soul and give strength to his family, countless fans and disciples to bear this shock," he said in a tweet in Gujarati.
His family members said no one loved life more than Doshi. " Anand karo', celebrate life, as he would always say. He had so many people that he loved dearly and who loved him back," they said.
Some of Doshi's projects include the Institute of Indology, CEPT University and Kanoria Centre for Arts in Ahmedabad, the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore, and Aranya Low Cost Housing, a township for low- to middle-income families, in Indore which won the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1995.
Doshi founded his own practice, Vastushilpa, in Ahmedabad in 1956. Several members of his family are architects.
In 2018, he received the Pritzker Architecture Prize, considered one of the most prestigious prizes in the field of architecture, becoming the first Indian architect to receive the honour.
He was conferred upon the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian honour in India, in 2020.
In 2022, Doshi received the Royal Gold Medal' from the Royal Institute of British Architects, which described his work as combining "pioneering modernism with vernacular, informed by a deep appreciation of the traditions of India's architecture, climate, local culture and craft".
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Woman, 2 sons found dead in Delhi home; suicide suspected
New Delhi (PTI): Three members of a family were found dead inside their home in southeast Delhi's Kalkaji on Friday, with police suspecting it to be a case of suicide, officials said.
Police said the incident came to light around 2.47 pm when a police team reached the premises to execute a court order related to possession of the property. When repeated knocks went unanswered, the staff used a duplicate key to open the door.
Inside, officers found Anuradha Kapoor (52) and her sons, Ashish Kapoor (32) and Chaitanya Kapoor (27), hanging from the ceiling, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said in a statement. All three were declared dead.
A handwritten note was recovered from the room, suggesting the family had been struggling with depression.
"The handwritten note indicates emotional distress faced by the family due to which the family may have taken the extreme step," the officer said.
The bodies have been shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) mortuary for post-mortem and other legal formalities under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), police said.
Residents of the neighbourhood said they were shocked to learn about the deaths, adding that the family kept largely to themselves.
Pankaj Kashyap, a resident of Girinagar, said he learnt about the deaths while leaving for work. "I live and work here and was leaving for work when I saw many people standing outside and talking. That is how I got to know that three people had committed suicide. I also saw several police vehicles outside, but I do not know much beyond that," he said.
Baldev, another neighbour, said the family had been living in the newly constructed house for around two years. "We only knew that a mother and her two children lived there. They had moved into the newly built house around two years ago. We did not interact much with them. Today we heard that all three have committed suicide, and whatever we know is based on what people here are saying," he said.
Another neighbour, Ramesh Kumar, claimed the family had earlier attempted suicide.
"About fifteen to twenty days ago, the two sons in the family had attempted suicide and police and ambulances had come. That was when I first got to know who they were. I do not recognise them by face, but we saw the ambulances and police take the two sons that day. Today again we saw ambulances and police arriving, so everyone came out to see what had happened. I do not know how long they had been living here, but this is all we know," he said.
Police said they are examining the family's financial condition, social circumstances, and other factors that may have contributed to the incident. Further investigation is underway.
