The Other Side of Laurie Baker, is memoirs written by Elizabeth Baker, wife of Laurie Baker, British-born Indian architect renowned for his initiatives in cost reduction and low-cost housing.
Publisher: DC Books, Kottayam Paper Back Pages: 160 Price: INR 90

..Excerpts…

BRITISH LANDSCAPES~
Laurie’s interest in architecture and buildings started at a very early age. He accompanied his father who spent most of his Saturdays and holidays, visiting old cathedrals, churches and old manor houses in England.

This is the story I have heard, told by Laurie, about his joining the School of Architecture in 1933. He was an average student in the matriculation class. He did not have much idea as to what he wanted to be, but there were vague suggestions, from friends and relatives that he should try architecture. The Birmingham School of Architecture was still in its infancy; it worked along with the School of Arts. After Laurie’s matriculation, his father took him to the School of Architecture for an interview with the Principal. The Principal went through his records – just average marks in all subjects, and even less than average in mathematics. The Principal turned to Laurie and asked – “Can you draw, boy?” His father answered, “Yes. He is fairly good at drawing”: The Principal then asked him if he could draw the teapot that was on the table. Laurie, of course, did it in his usual style – just a few strokes and there was the teapot! The Principal was impressed. He asked Laurie if he made models. “Yes” was the reply.” I have done models of a few buildings and some cathedrals we visited’: “Go and fetch them”; the Principal ordered. So he went home, fetched them and apparently the Principal was impressed, and that was how Laurie got admission to the School of Architecture in Birmingham. He became an Associate Member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1938, but had the privilege of working as an architect in England for only a very short time. World War II broke out in 1939.

THE HIMALAYAS~
From the church, after saying goodbye to Ammachi (mother) and others who came from Kerala to attend the wedding, we started our journey into the unknown. After the two years of doubts and criticism and ‘friendly’ advice from the dear ones, we were at last free – and nobody could separate us now. We boarded the third class compartment of the Grand Trunk Express for Delhi. Our destination was Chandag in the Western Himalayas – via Delhi.

Why Chandag of all places? At Chandag there was one of the Mission to Lepers Colonies where there was an English doctor Miss Kate Young. Laurie had been there previously when he was Assistant Secretary to the Mission to Lepers. It was high up in the Himalayan foothills – about seven thousand feet above sea level and it had wonderful views of the Great Himalayan Peaks. So we decided to ‘honeymoon’ there at Chandag, so that Dr. Young could go to the plains for a well-earned holiday. Laurie, of course was quite delighted with the idea. He loved the Himalayas and Chandag and the beautiful breathtaking views of the snow-clad mountains. This is why we aimed at this unknown place Chandag after our marriage.

We could see for miles around – nearly six hundred miles from east to west. From some points, we could see a whole range of the snow-clad mountains of the Himalayas – Laurie knew the names of all these peaks, and he pointed them out to me. To me they were all just names – Nanda Devi, Nandakot, Panchchuli, Trisul etc., etc. In my limited knowledge of the Himalayas, they were all ‘Himalayas’. Whole mountainsides were covered with pine and deodar trees. There were the occasional oak and rhododendron trees. In fact, the whole place was very different from anything I had ever seen.

SOUTH INDIA~
One day it so happened that Laurie was visiting my home in Kerala. He decided to go with my brother to his cardamom estate at Vandiperiyar, near Thekkady, the famous wild game reserve in Kerala. When they had got half way up the hill, they found that the bus operators had decided to go on strike. There were no buses going either way. My brother decided to walk or hitchhike to his coffee estate. But Laurie thought about another nearby place in the hills, where a Belgian monk had started a Christian ashram, like a Hindu matt. Another French monk, Swami Abhishiktananda who had also taken to the Hindu monastic approach, used to be a frequent visitor at our home in Chandag. He was a delightful person and he used to talk very highly about this other monk, who remained Christian, but followed the Hindu, or rather, Indian way of monasticism. On enquiry, Laurie found that this ashram was only about twenty miles from, where they were stranded. He decided to walk the twenty miles to visit the ashram. My brother went on his way to his estate.

Laurie reached the ashram finally at the end of the day. He was welcomed by the Acharya, Father Francis, and his other companion, a monk from England, Father Dom Bede Griffith. Father Bede Griffi was also a very learned and enlightened man. Laurie spent a couple of days with them. He discovered that it was a very neglected part of Kerala. There were no motorable roads from the plains. It was occupied mainly by the socially neglected tribals, and by the poor, displaced families from the plains. The ashram had acquired several acres of grassland. They had also imported jersey bulls for cross breeding, to increase the local cattle’s milk yield. There were a considerable number of small villages scattered around, but they had very little income. They were very poor. The Government of Kerala was constructing a road to connect them with the more productive and prosperous villages in the plains. When Laurie told the monks about our work in the Himalayas and our desire to come south, they implored him to come to the district, and start our work there. Nowhere nearby were there any hospitals or any form of proper medical care for these people.

The ashram was called the Kurisumala Ashram. A nearby mountain top was called Kurusimala, ‘the mount of cross: because the apostle St.Thomas is supposed to have visited and lived there in the first century A.D. Father Francis Acharya and his companion, Father Bede Griffith requested Laurie to bring his family and start some medical work, as it was so much needed. They were willing to extend all possible help.

Laurie duly came back to Chandag. We discussed the matter, but Laurie had already made up his mind about the place. He was quite sold on the idea of shifting from the Himalayas and starting life again in Kerala.