At the Indian Immersion Centre, 200-year-old Chettinadu tiles and Kancheevaram saris are used to maximum effect

THANKS to Ranjini Manian’s Global Adjustments, expatriates in the city know where to turn if they need help with accommodation, staffing, events and cultural explorations. Keeping this in mind,the newly launched Indian Immersion Centre at the GA office in R A Puram, has been designed specifically for these families and is a lovely introduction to India.

The centre includes a cultural museum, a typical Indian courtyard, a terrace, a conference room and an auditorium. Statues of Nataraj and Ganesha hold court at the entrance, while little notes on the wall explain the significance of each of them. Colours like orange and green are dominant as one climbs the steps leading to the office and terrace. ‘‘The colours of corporate India are changing, we wanted the colour scheme to have the colours of the Indian flag,’’ explains Ranjini, founder and CEO of Global Adjustments.

The floors are wooden, and the upholstery is a rich orange throughout the building. The walls have little artefacts and paintings, all a part of Indian culture and explained through plaques. This forms the cultural museum. There are some beautiful Tanjore and Rajasthani paintings. A wooden Ganesha totem pole is flanked by wooden shelves, covered with little brass artefacts (items that are used on a daily basis in Indian homes). Some of the doors have brass peacock and parrot designs.

The courtyard is designed as the entrance to an Indian home — with a traditional tulsi plant at the centre. Wooden pillars hold up a tiled roof, and Indo-French benches have been placed for guests. There is a small kitchen, where expats can be introduced to the different spices of India and can, perhaps, learn to make their own idli and filter coffee.

The terrace, with Chettinadu tiles on the walls, is where children can play Indian games. ‘‘The tiles are 200 years old,’’ beams Ranjini. ‘‘The theme of the IIC is that it is a doorway or a window to India,’’ she adds In the auditorium, you’ll find beautifully carved jharokhas (windows) from around India and from Nepal. Some of them are set against a sari, like a tanchoi.The door, of Rajasthani camel bone, has an elaborate floral design and a big ‘Saraswati’ lock on it.

‘‘Akhila Ravikumar is the architect and interior designer of this building,’’ reveals Ranjini, when I exclaim over the place. ‘‘I had a lot of ideas and she put it all in place. Some of the artefacts are from my house and the rest has been collected, keeping the theme in mind. It took two years to build and design this place,’’ she adds.

— Ipshita Chaudhuri
indulge@epmltd.com