ABSTRACT
Born a Sikh in Punjab, religion is a critical part of Gurmeet Rai’s (née Sangha) identity. Belonging to Gurdaspur, she was the second of five sisters in a rather conservative family with parents who had a feudal background. Hence, she perceived herself as a ‘small town girl’ in her teenage years. As a meek, ten-year-old girl studying in an all girls’ convent school, Rai was greatly influenced by the gutsy spirit of her female cousin who was an architect. It was this admiration that led her to join the Chandigarh College of Architecture (CCA) in 1983, when the ratio was 15 girls to 20 boys. It was the craft of building that further attracted her to architecture. Joining CCA thus became a turning point in her life.
