CELEBRATING THE SUN
- Kirti Karmarkar Anand
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
UTTARAYAN marks the beginning of the Sun’s journey to the Northern Hemisphere. This shift in the sun’s path is celebrated all over the country as Bihu-Boghi-Lohri-Pongal & Sankranti
At Arbor Road Estate, we celebrate the Sun every day whether its playing peek-a-boo behind grey clouds, shining gloriously in blue skies or lighting up rainbows over our gardens.
Sundial: A Living Expression of Time at Arbor Road Estate
The Sundial is a favourite with visitors. This thoughtfully crafted element where science, design and human participation converge, has been executed to precision as a landscape feature. Set within a large open space where no trees can cast their shadow, the sundial invites visitors to pause, observe, and momentarily align themselves with the movement of the sun — transforming time into an experience that is both personal and universal.
An anomaly in this digital age especially with kids who are amazed that their own shadow can tell time accurately!
Understanding the Analemmatic Sundial
An Analemmatic Sundial is a horizontal sundial distinguished by its elliptical arrangement of hour markers and a moveable central Gnomon. Unlike traditional sundials, where the gnomon is fixed, this form responds to the changing position of the sun throughout the year.
The defining feature is the date line running along the north–south axis. Each day, the gnomon is positioned according to the date, allowing the shadow it casts to fall accurately across the hour markers. In the landscape installation at Arbor Road Estate, the guests themselves become the gnomon, standing on the date line and reading time through their own shadow.
The working principle of the analemmatic sundial is grounded in celestial geometry. The elliptical layout corresponds precisely to the site’s latitude, while the moveable gnomon compensates for the sun’s seasonal shift.
As the Earth rotates, the sun’s apparent motion causes the shadow to move across the ellipse, indicating solar time. The design quietly reveals the relationship between Earth’s tilt, orbit, and the passage of time, expressed through clean geometry and natural light.
At Arbor Road Estate, this scientific accuracy is seamlessly integrated into the landscape, ensuring that the sundial remains intuitive, legible and elegant.
Human Interface
An experience that underscores the ethos of slow life that is promoted at Arbor Road Estate.
The analemmatic sundial invites participation. By stepping into the centre of the composition, visitors become part of the installation, experiencing time through their own presence rather than through a device. Without instruction or display, the sundial introduces ideas of astronomy, seasons, and solar movement, encouraging curiosity and reflection rather than explanation.
Time, Reimagined
In an age of constant acceleration, the Analemmatic Sundial offers a different way of engaging with time - slow, intentional, and grounded in nature. It is a landscape gesture, a scientific instrument, and a human experience, reminding us that time is most meaningful when we step into it.
To book your visit under the sun, contact:
Arbor Road Estate
+91 9059222612
