Though Austin is only the fourth largest city in Texas (Houston, Dallas and San Antonio are bigger), it is the capital of the state! Since it is the capital, it gets to have the Capitol building that houses the state legislature. The Texas State Capitol in Austin is one of the most beautiful buildings in Austin. All the modern spanking new buildings around it only help to enhance, not diminish it's beauty. Though Texas state has a history of around 150 years, this building was built in 1888. Made of red granite rock available right here in Texas, this is the second largest among the capitol buildings in the US, second only to the national capitol in Washington, D.C. However, it is taller than the national capitol!
We have Vidhana Soudha in Bangalore which can be compared to the Capitol in beauty and elegance. However, what sets Capitol far ahead is the ease of access to general public. Almost all rooms of the fully air-conditioned building are accessible to visitors, free of cost. The Government has also arranged for free guided mini-tours inside the building. Capitol sits in a vast campus covered with green lawns. A small museum near the Capitol lets visitors learn a lot about the history of Texas. This weekend I went to the Capitol late in the evening at around 10PM and found that the simple flood-light arrangement enhances the beauty of the building even further. I just sat for a long time admiring not just the building, but the system here that allows such an easy access to the state legislature building to the general public. Could that ever happen at Vidhana Soudha?
(Click on the pictures to see bigger pictures)
I remember a similar incident in Ottawa. On my first day there, we started taking a stroll on one of the roads next to the Hotel and found a beautiful building. We went around it for a while, admiring its beauty. Only a while later, we realized that it was the Parliament of Canada!!
ReplyDeleteIn case of Vidhana Soudha, even if they allowed access to the place, how on earth do you beat the traffic and get to the place mate :-)
Myself and Seema got a chance to tour Vidhan Soudha last year through an acquaintance. I must say its a masterpiece of design and architecture. The entire assembly hall is made of rosewood and "grandeous opulence" might not be out be place to be used here. They have a huge library with all subjects on earth and every periodical published in India is stocked here. The canteen serves dosas, idlis and other snacks at subsidized prices of a few rupees each. The place is really huge and we had aching legs by the time we finished the tour.
ReplyDeleteThe security outside makes it absolutely impossible for the general public to get in. But then our janta always have loopholes to exploit and once inside you find that lots of people have been able to get in by taking names or by sneaking in along with the VIPs. So much for security and access :-))