A garden for the martyrs

At Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan in New Delhi the Ministry of External Affairs asked for a garden to honour the martyrs. A memorial garden carries a different weight from any other commission. It must hold grief and gratitude together. It must remain a place of quiet in the middle of a busy institution.

We chose the language of a Zen garden because it speaks softly. Raked ground, stone and restrained planting leave space for reflection rather than filling it. In a garden like this every element is placed with intent and nothing is there only to decorate.

The garden was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Since November 2014 Vividh has looked after the landscape at Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan. Caring for a place over so many years is its own form of respect. A memorial garden is only as dignified as the attention it continues to receive.

Of all the work we have done this is among the most personal. It reminds us that a landscape can do more than please the eye. It can give a nation a place to remember and a moment of stillness to those who pass through.