About us

We are a research centre within the Welsh School of Architecture devoted to the study of South Asia and its diaspora.

We integrate academic research with creative practice through research projects, publications, and design work. Founded in 1995 by Adam Hardy, PRASADA has been based at the Welsh School of Architecture since 2004.

Our research

We have carried out a sustained series of research projects. Large research grants for research on the history and theory of Indian temple architecture were awarded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Leverhulme Trust. Two recent projects funded by the AHRC, Newton Fund and the Indian Council for Historical Resarch (ICHR) address the theme of heritage in the context of rapid urbanisation in India. Other funders include the British Academy, the Society for South Asian Studies, and INTACH-UK Trust.

Our collaborators include the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and, in India, the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Bhopal, and DRONAH.

We have supported more than twenty postgraduate research students to complete their degrees in the history of South Asian art and architecture. This network of researchers has allowed us to maintain strong international links in this field.

We also hosted the 23rd biennial conference of the European Association of South Asian Archaeology and Art (EASAA) at Cardiff University in 2016.

Consultancy

Our consultancy work has focused principally on the design and conservation of Hindu temples, including temples in the UK and, currently, the design of a new, traditionally constructed temple near Bangalore in the ornate, twelfth-century Hoysala style. World Monuments Fund in partnership with the Government of Madhya Pradesh commissioned us to develop a conservation strategy for the temple site of Ashapuri. Other work has ranged from street furniture design to exhibition display.