A MODERN RENAISSANCE MAN - THE LATE VIKRAM LALL by Joan Foo Mahony in Hong Kong
Smitten By Faith Issue Nr. 00020 18th December 2021
A ‘Renaissance Man’ is defined as a person with many talents and areas of knowledge. My friend, the late Vikram Lall was definitely such a man! Vikram unexpectedly passed away in Brussels on 27th December 2020. Today, almost at the first anniversary of Vikram’s death, this article hopes to pay my personal tribute to a good friend, a much admired professional and a rare human being whose loss has been deeply felt not only in India but all around the world. In ‘Smitten By Faith’, I wish to remember and honour Vikram Lall - architect, musician, Buddhist scholar, patron of the arts, family man and humanitarian. A man who was indeed smitten by faith; smitten by life and by all that is good.
Vikram Lall with H.H. The Dalai Lama at the opening of the Buddha Smirti Park in Patna ( which Vikram designed ) in May 2010 – their mutual indelible bond was precious and special
Left : Vikram speaking about his book, ‘The Golden Lands’ at the erstwhile Asia Society in Hong Kong
Middle ; A pensive Vikram sitting for a rare photo shoot for his book, ‘The Golden Lands’. He loved taking photographs but probably not having his own taken.
Right : Vikram with the famous Buddhist scholar, historian and writer, Professor Robert Thurman
When I first met Vikram in 2008, he was already an internationally renowned architect practicing in New Delhi. His many architectural designs have received critical acclaim and honours including one given by the President of India. Some of his well-known works include participating in the integration of some of the temples in the vast design of the famous Akshardham Temple Complex in Delhi and the total concept and design of the modern and unique stupa-shaped Buddha Smriti Park in his hometown Patna which is now a popular destination for Buddhists. When it was completed in 2010, it was inaugurated by the Dalai Lama himself. I might add that Vikram held the Dalai Lama in the highest personal regard and would jump through hoops for him. I have no doubt that this affection was doubly returned by His Holiness. About the Buddha Smirti Park, it is indeed fitting that Vikram who so loved his Bihar family heritage has left behind this indelible architectural legacy in his hometown, Patna.
Left : The peaceful stupa-shaped Buddha Smirti Park in Patna
Right : The view at night of the Buddha Smirti Park – with the lights of the city of Patna ( Vikram’s hometown ) in the background
In choosing to be an architect, Vikram had followed his father’s and his family’s tradition of architects in the firm Lall & Associates in Delhi. However, what I found so compelling about Vikram was not his skills as an architect ( which were considerable ) but how he was able to balance his busy practice to also teach and educate others about conservation, architectural history and design theory. This mattered very much to Vikram the academic who had studied at the famous universities in Chandrigarh and Cambridge and wanted to share his knowledge. This he did, tirelessly – not only in India but all over the world.
Vikram was passionate about anything he did and this extended particularly to his life-long devotion to Hindustani classical music and Indian culture. Vikram was a cultivated and sophisticated man of the world but in his core, he was an Indian who was very proud of his Indian heritage. So, Vikram, a sensitive and very talented musician had one great advantage over other mere musicians; he was able to explain, extrapolate and energize his listeners about the magic of Hindustani Classical music. Vikram was a regular speaker at BBC documentaries on art, culture and music. It was no surprise that he starred in a TV series on Indian classical music on a television channel called Doordarshan called Baithak which was a smash hit. In fact, Indian music appreciation and his passion to conserve Indian heritage was why Vikram founded the ‘Society of Art Appreciation and Research (SAAR)’. Before the Pandemic, I used to travel regularly to India to visit my Indian Godson, family and friends in Delhi. After I knew Vikram, one of the highlights whenever I visited Delhi was also to attend one of Vikram’s informal SAAR performances. Some years ago, when some friends of mine from Hong Kong ( the Jaderin Group ) and China ( the China Global Philanthropy Institute ‘CGPI’ ) visited Delhi, Vikram and some of Indian classical music’s big names – all his friends - performed for us one night in the lush gardens of Satish Modi’s beautiful home . Best of all, the concert was preceded by a scintillating lecture by Vikram. It was a magical evening and a memory we in Hong Kong and China will appreciate and remember well.
Vikram and his musicians and the enraptured audience from Hong Kong and China at the home of Satish Modi
It is Vikram Lall, the Buddhist scholar who came into my life in 2008. He was visiting Kuala Lumpur and a mutual friend ( Vivek Sekhar) brought Vikram over to dinner. I was totally charmed by Vikram as he spoke about his 20-year life time’s research and work on Buddhism and Buddhist architecture. A devout Hindu, there was no conflict at all for Vikram to be interested in Buddhist architecture which he approached not just from the aesthetics but from its core. He said, “Much of the architectural heritage of the Buddhist world has lost its sense of meaning”. Vikram’s passion was palpable; his vast knowledge of Buddhism totally apparent. At that time, I was just a new publisher and author – nowhere near the rarified firmament of this prize-winning Indian architect. So, when Vikram asked me to edit and publish his book and help with his book project, I was astounded. Ever impulsive, I said ‘yes’ not realising that this was not to be a short project !
Vikram presenting the Dalai Lama with a copy of The Golden Lands
Above : Vikram’s architectural drawings -n Extract from ‘The Golden Lands’ – Tat Luang and Vat Phra Mahathat, Laos
Vikram’s uninhibited and insightful view of Buddhist architecture spans thousands of years and miles of territory and is stunning and magnificent in his ambitious reach. Actually, I did not need any convincing – such was Vikram’s persuasive charm. I too shared his views that it was time for Buddhist architecture to come out of the shadows on its own and not as a poor cousin to Buddhist art and religion. So, in 2008, I agreed to edit and publish Vikram’s entire series of 6 books on ARCHITECTURE OF THE BUDDHIST WORLD which would be the first ever art historical survey focusing comprehensively on the Architecture of the Buddhist World. Vikram’s dream was to make this subject available to all; for every reader to have not just a rudimentary knowledge of Buddhist architecture, but also to see the beauty, spirituality and rationale behind it and to come away with a deeper, more positive and enduring understanding of the subject.
Vikram wanted to share with the reader his very personal and holistic approach to Buddhist architecture. His intention was not to take the reader deep into a region’s cultural past, politics, anthropology, archaeology, or religious art history. Instead, Vikram wanted to show that all of these taken together as a whole are important as they inform on how and why Buddhist architecture has evolved; how and why it takes certain shapes and forms ; how and why it changes and continues; and how and why Buddhist Architecture inspires and has stood the test of time. Vikram Lall was embarking on something quite novel and challenging. In 2014, we finally managed to complete Volume One – ‘The Golden Lands’ which was launched to great acclaim and success in London, New York, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Brussels and Delhi. Sadly, Vikram’s death in late 2020 has left his magnum opus ( another 5 volumes ) uncompleted. ( see www.jfpublishing.com )
I choose to look at this positively – that Vikram has left the seeds of this for us to delve deeper and explore. Vikram’s widow, the diplomat Anne Marchal and their daughter, Tara continue to be the constant guardians of Vikram’s proud legacy. I shall end and share with you, some rare photographs ( from their family album ) of Vikram Lall the family man who always found time for Anne and their beloved daughter, Tara.
Vikram, Anne and Tara at the gigantic statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro in December 2018 – with the loving and protective arms of Jesus Christ encircling them in His embrace. Anne says, “ …little did we know then that 2 years later from the date of this picture, he would be wheeled to the emergency room of the hospital never to recover.”
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Editor’s Note :
Dear Reader, thank you for reading this weekly edition of SMITTEN BY FAITH.
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