Zubeida Siad

In this research, we were interested in how architectural representations of the Hawa Mahal can disclose or reveal the multiplicities of identity that the building makes possible. In particular we consider architectural drawings of the Hawa Mahal published online and in print resources. We conducted several experiments on the architectural drawings to test their ability to disclose multiplicities of identity. In particular we will relied on visual research methods supporting comparisons between drawings, or “meta-representation,” to examine the observable and measurable differences between the drawings (Troiani and Ewing 2020; Demetrescu 2018). Differences, in this context, are not understood as errors, or as deviations from an agreed-upon average, but as essential in their own right as contributing toward an informed understanding of the political and religious identities made possible by the architecture of the Hawa Mahal.