Learning module: Natural Finishes
20250927 Pattarai- Site as classroom @ Bapughat, Hyderabad
“We never realized that it’s not that difficult to work with lime. If we knew this before, we would never have used those chemical-filled paints,” said one of the participants. From stories of the conservation of the stepwell, we slowly started understanding how versatile the material lime was. All the participants were fascinated to see the stepwell, of how stone and lime masonry was a container of water. The workshop began with participants exploring the stepwell at their own pace.
The process of using lime as a final coat was discussed. The participants witnessed the mixing of slaked lime with other adhesive materials in their respective proportions. “It’s very interesting to see how natural material like kadukkai can add such pigment to the lime,” said one of the participants.
Various uses of lime as plaster and paint along with the properties of their admixtures were discussed, then experienced hands-on. Exploration with a new material had a lot of curiosity amongst everyone. The participants got their first-hand experience with applying the lime on the stepwell walls. It was interesting to learn how the power-based lime coat spread on cracked surfaces and across smoother surfaces. The changing color of applied lime kindled the curiosity further, and many ideas to experiment were exchanged. We expressed our learnings…
Attributing to heavy rains, the river Musi flowed up to the edges of the stepwell, creating a wonderful opportunity to relish the sound of water echoing within the stepwell in juxtaposition to the free-flowing water on the outside. The workshop concluded by gathering along the arches and humming subtly along with the rhythm of water.
This was my first experience working with Akarmaa and it was truly enriching. Learning about stepwells—their evolution and how they have been maintained through the years—was fascinating.
I would love to join more workshops that give hands-on exposure to such materials and heritage structures.
We had a one-day workshop at Bapu Ghat Baoli Stepwell. It was a wonderful experience where we learned various techniques that blend with the historical context, without feeling overly contemporary. I’m happy to see that Akarmaa is handling this with dedication and passion.
It was truly a wonderful experience. Thanks to amulya and team !
Akarma Studio’s Limewash Workshop was such an eye-opener! The team explained the technique beautifully, made it super hands-on, and connected it to restoration and sustainability in a way that felt so relevant. Highly recommend for anyone who loves architecture, craft, or timeless materials.