EDITORIAL
We are delighted to invite Narendra Dengle, eminent architect academic and teacher, as Guest Editor to curate this special issue on the idea of Paradise, as suggested by him.
The beauty of the theme lies in the fact that it does not have a linear definition. It invites diverse imaginations and interpretations, from different contexts of lived experience. While these visions may differ in form and expression, they are often anchored in shared values of unity, belonging, harmony, care, and collective wellbeing. Paradise may be understood not merely as a proper noun, but also as an adjective—a quality of experience and a state of mind. More importantly, it may also be seen as a collective aspiration, a society where justice, accountability, and ethical conduct prevail. The recent students' protest in the country, demanding accountability in the face of corruption, institutional failure, and systematic malpractice, may therefore be seen as a small yet significant step towards realizing that shared ideal.
The conventional imagery of paradise as a scenic landscape of abundance, order, and visual delight is only one interpretation. It may exist equally in the smallest and most intimate of places—a nest for a bird, a familiar landscape, a humble dwelling or a home, that provides shelter, belonging, and continuity of life. For landscape architecture, this encourages deeper questions: Can design create conditions for paradise, or can it only support experiences that individuals transform into paradisiacal states? How do landscapes become experiential not merely through their physical form? In this understanding, landscapes may become mediators, becoming journeys rather than destinations—experienced through memory, emotions, and relationships rather than merely perceived through their physical form.
This issue attempts to move beyond the conventional understanding of paradise and explore it as a relationship between human consciousness and the environments we inhabit. We look forward to the reflections brought together by Narendra Dengle and the contributors in this special issue.
We do hope you enjoy the issue.
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