event program & book of abstracts

ICOMOS INDIA’S ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIUM 2021 Cultural Landscapes: Transformations and Emerging Ideas

19th – 20th November 2021 I Hybrid event

EVENT PROGRAM & BOOK OF ABSTRACTS

Lakhamandal cultural landscape, Uttrakhand I Picture by Nirzary Pujara

In collaboration with Faculty of Architecture and Planning, AKTU Lucknow


TABLE OF CONTENTS

SYMPOSIUM BRIEF

EVENT PROGRAM

ABSTRACTS for PRESENTATIONS: 19 November 2021 (Friday)

SESSION 1: Architectural language and methodology of landscapes (SUB THEME 1) .

01 Assessment of Multi-Dimensional Value for Architectural Heritage using Multi-Objective Optimization on the basis of Ratio Analysis Method Partha Sarathi Mishra, Soumi Muhuri

02 Understanding the Cultural Transformation of Paravur: A Case of Chendamangalam Weaving Community Dhanya Mariam Shaji, Jivantika Satyarthi

03 Re-Interpreting the Cultural Landscape of Kozhikode: Spice as An Agent to Decode the Material and Cultural Expressions of The City- An Academic Approach Meenakshi Dubey, Thushara Koraprath

04 Ephemeral Landscapes of a Living City: A Critical Analysis of Spatial Transformation in Chandani Chowk Kamini Singh, Anant Pratap Singh

SESSION 2: Space and cultural landscapes (SUB THEME 1) .

05 Ingrained Urban Social Spaces: Courtyards of Haveli temples in walled city of Jaipur Kalpana pandit, Tarush Chandra, Rina Surana

06 Actor-Network Theory’s (ANT) potential as a practice theory to understand and align archaeological and non-archaeological components of complex cultural sites Yashaswini Jayadevaiah

07 Urban myths and intangible narratives: An approach to study, understand the evolving and living cultural Heritage and its perception in Lucknow Neha G Verma

08 A New Narrative for Urban Public Spaces: Translating the Relation of a City to Its Cultural Landscape Sunena V. Maju, Prof. Shebin Jawahar

SESSION 3: Communities and transformations of their landscapes (SUB THEME 1) .

09 Exploring Indian rural agricultural landscapes as shared heritage of the local communities, the systems that govern its intrinsic values & relation with management of its transformation: Case of Rajnagar, Bundelkhand Nishant Upadhyay

10 The Imitation game of Urban Community Spaces Siddhartha Mukherjee

11 Cultural Heritage Resources in a Rapidly Industrializing Region: Opportunities and Challenges Dr. Bhawana Vasudeva

12 Heritage in Neighbourhood: Role of community, History & Culture in shaping Historic Urban Environment Monica Chaudhary


SESSION 4: Water, urban ecology and transformations (SUB THEME 1) .

13 Revitalizing the Integrity of Sacred Cultural Landscape of Old Bhubaneswar through green infrastructure development Mayukh Ch. Sadhukhan, Sonal Tiwari

14 Evolving maritime heritage in urban cultural landscape A case of revival in Mumbai Koliwadas Aakanksha Tated, Samiksha Purohit

15 Cultural landscape of North Kolkata: Spatial Morphology and Transformations in Urban Ecology Ayushi Dhar, Ankit Kumar Senapati, Swaraj Bose

16 Historic Water Systems of Jammu Neha Chandel

ABSTRACTS for PRESENTATIONS: 20 November 2021 (Saturday)

SESSION 5: Sustainability (SDGs) and managing cultural landscapes: Sustainability as a measure and methodology for managing transformations (SUB THEME 5) .

17 Baolis at the Qutb Shahi Heritage Park – Sustainability, Conservation and Urban Transformations Neha Tambe, Prashant Banerjee

18 Sustainable development of industrial(rail) landscapes: Navigating Matheran Light Railway in Western India Priyanka Panjwani

19 ‘The Backward Forwardness’: Taking historic humanized landscapes back (to Sustainability) in order to develop ahead- Managing Heritage, Managing Change: A case of the historic city of Bundi, Rajasthan Nirzary Pujara

20 Building Resilience to Cascading Risks: An Approach to Sustainability in Historic Urban Landscapes Chandrani Bandopadhyay, Ashish Verma

SESSION 6: Historic vernacular landscapes: Vernacular landscapes as references for indigenous sustainable practices (SUB THEME 3) .

21 Integrated Cultural and Architectural Landscape of Murud Janjira Asavari vare

22 Indigenous Cultural Landscapes: A case study of Bastar Nishtha Joshi

23 Homestead Farms of Kerala: A Dying Epitome of Sustainability Deepa William

24 Scio-Environmental Sustainability of Traditional Courtyard houses of Lucknow and Varanasi Lalit Akash Verma, Dr Farheen Bano


SESSION 7: Sacred landscapes: Spiritual landscapes as a source of divine inspiration and community wellbeing (SUB THEME 4) .

25 Regenerating and Reclaiming the Contested Spaces in Sacred Landscapes Ridhu Dhan Gahalot, Charlie Gupta

26 The Sacred ecology of Govardhan Hill, Mathura Abhishek Bhardwaj

27 Reclaiming Ramjanambhoomi as a Narrative Landscape in Ayodhya Amita Sinha

28 Questions of Authenticity: The case of sacred Jain landscape of the walled city of Ahmedabad Yash Gupta, Jigna Desai

SESSION 8: Historic urban landscapes: HUL as an approach to heritage-led development (SUB THEME 2) .

29 Historic Urban Landscape approach- a new paradigm for conservation of cultural landscapes in Indian cities Ashfina T., Pushplata, Chani PS

30 Historic Urban Landscape in Practice: Jaipur City Nitya Khendry

31 Regeneration of the historic market precincts of Bengaluru Roshini Muralidhara

32 A Study of Policy & Legislation for Infrastructure Upgradation in Historic Urban Landscapes Tanya Chaturvedi Vegad


SYMPOSIUM BRIEF

A cultural landscape can be understood as a spatial fabric spread over a geographic region, reflecting human adaptation and use of natural resources, and is often expressed in the way land is organized and divided, patterns of settlement, land use, systems of circulation, and the types of structures that are built.

The process of experiencing this cultural landscape is affected not only by what is seen and sensed, but also by what is experienced emotionally or imagined through social knowledge or collective memory, making it larger than a sensory perception. Therefore, cultures that are entwined by these landscapes are often dynamic in nature.

Cultural landscapes evolve over time, the rate and direction of which depends on multiple contingencies of human-environment relationships. Such landscapes transformed by human actions would involve drivers of human-induced processes and activities. These drivers thus form a complex system of dependencies and interactions that operate at several temporal and spatial levels.

The ICOMOS India National Scientific Symposium will delve into the idea of ‘cultural landscapes’, their evolution, present day manifestations, reinforcing the idea of dynamism of cultural landscape, and its future pathways through case studies from India and around the world. A special focus of the symposium will be an exploration of this theme in the Indian context, highlighting archaeological, anthropological, ecological, spiritual, mythological and cultural dimensions.

In terms of contemporary relevance, the philosophy, practice and management of cultural landscapes will be assessed in terms of performance in relation to the impact of climate change, sustainability and development.

Sub-themes:

1. Settlements/Places/Urban/Rural/Regional - Cultural Landscapes - Transformations, concepts, ideas, and approaches.

2. Historic urban landscapes (HUL as an approach to heritage-led development).

3. Historic vernacular landscapes (Vernacular landscapes as references for indigenous sustainable practices).

4. Sacred landscapes. (Spiritual landscapes as a source of divine inspiration and community wellbeing).

5. Sustainability (SDGs) and managing cultural landscapes. (Sustainability as a measure and methodology for managing transformations).

6. Climate action for building resilience in cultural landscapes.

Scientific committee: Dr. Anuradha Chaturvedi, Dr. Arun Menon, Dr. GSV Suryanarayana Murthy, Dr.

Navin Piplani, Mr. Nishant Upadhyay, Dr. Nupur Prothi Khanna, Dr. Rima Hooja, Dr. Ritu Gulati (FOAP,

AKTU), Dr. Vandana Sehgal (FOAP, AKTU)

In collaboration with

FoAP, AKTU, Lucknow

Author(s) Time Title of Presentation

Partha Sarathi Mishra &

Soumi Muhuri11:45AM-11:53AM

Assessment of Multi-Dimensional Value for Architectural

Heritage using Multi-Objective Optimization on the basis of

Ratio Analysis Method

Dhanya Mariam Shaji &

Jivantika Satyarthi11:54AM-12:02PM

Understanding the Cultural Transformation of Paravur: A Case

of Chendamangalam Weaving Community

Meenakshi Dubey &

Thushara Koraprath12:03PM-12:11PM

Re-Interpreting the Cultural Landscape of Kozhikode: Spice as

An Agent to Decode the Material and Cultural Expressions of

The City- An Academic Approach

Kamini Singh & Anant

Pratap Singh12:12PM-12:20PM

Ephemeral Landscapes of a Living City: A Critical Analysis of

Spatial Transformation in Chandani Chowk

12:22PM-12:45PM Discussion


Kalpana pandit, Tarush

Chandra & Rina Surana02:00PM-02:08PM

Ingrained Urban Social Spaces: Courtyards of Haveli temples in

walled city of Jaipur

Yashaswini Jayadevaiah 02:09PM-02:17PM

Actor-Network Theory’s (ANT) potential as a practice theory to

understand and align archaeological and non-archaeological

components of complex cultural sites

12:45 – 01:30PM – Lunch Break

01:30 – 02:00PM – Keynote – Dr. Jyoti Hosagrahar, Deputy Director, World Heritage Centre, UNESCO

02:00 – 03:00PM – Session 2 (4 papers + Q/A)

Space and cultural landscapes Session Chair - Dr. Geetanjali Rao Rapporteur - Ms. Priyanka Singh

Session Chair - Dr. Jyoti Rohilla Rana Rapporteur - Ms. Niyati Jigyasu

DAY 01: Friday, 19th November 2021

09:00AM – Webinar room opens (for registration, checks, etc.)

09:45 – 09:55AM – Opening and welcome by Mr. Nishant Upadhyay, ICOMOS India Central Zone representative

and Coordinator, ICOMOS India Scientific Symposium 2021

09:55 – 10:15AM – Note by Dr. Navin Piplani, ICOMOS India President

10:15 – 10:25AM – Note by Dr. Vandana Sehgal, Dean, FoAP, AKTU

10:25 – 10:35AM – Address by Chief Guest Prof. Vineet Kansal, Honorable Vice Chancellor, FOAP, AKTU

10:35 – 11:00AM – Tea break

11:00 – 11:45AM – Padma Bhushan Prof. Ar. B.V. Doshi in conversation with Dr. Navin Piplani, ICOMOS India

President

11:45AM – 12:45PM – Session 1 (4 papers + Q/A)

Architectural language and methodology of landscapes

(*All mentioned timings are in IST; Draft program liable to minor changes)

ICOMOS India Scientific Symposium 2021

Cultural Landscapes: Transformations and emerging ideas19th – 20th November 2021

EVENT PROGRAM*

1

Neha G Verma 02:18PM-02:27PM

Urban myths and intangible narratives: An approach to study,

understand the evolving and living cultural Heritage and its

perception in Lucknow

Sunena V. Maju & Prof.

Shebin Jawahar02:28PM-02:36PM

A New Narrative for Urban Public Spaces: Translating the

Relation of a City to Its Cultural Landscape



Nishant Upadhyay 03:20PM-03:28PM

Exploring Indian rural agricultural landscapes as shared

heritage of the local communities, the systems that govern its

intrinsic values & relation with management of its

Siddhartha Mukherjee 03:29PM-03:37PM The Imitation game of Urban Community Spaces

Dr. Bhawana Vasudeva 03:38PM-03:46PMCultural Heritage Resources in a Rapidly Industrializing Region:

Opportunities and Challenges

Monica Chaudhary 03:47PM-03:55PMHeritage in Neighbourhood: Role of community, History &

Culture in shaping Historic Urban Environment



Mayukh Ch. Sadhukhan &

Sonal Tiwari04:50PM-04:58PM

Revitalizing the Integrity of Sacred Cultural Landscape of Old

Bhubaneswar through green infrastructure development

Aakanksha Tated &

Samiksha Purohit04:59PM-05:07PM

Evolving maritime heritage in urban cultural landscape A case

of revival in Mumbai Koliwadas

Ayushi Dhar, Ankit Kumar

Senapati & Swaraj Bose05:08PM-05:16PM

Cultural landscape of North Kolkata: Spatial Morphology and

Transformations in Urban Ecology

Neha Chandel 05:17PM-05:25PM Historic Water Systems of Jammu


03:00 – 03:20PM – Tea Break


Communities and transformations of their landscapesSession Chair - Dr. Sanghmitra Basu Rapporteur - Ms. Ananya Bhattacharya

04:20 – 04:50PM – Reflections on symposium prequel events by Mr. Rishabh Sharma, Central Zone

Representative and Ms. Saranya Dharshini, National Representative: Emerging Professional's Working Group

(EPWG), ICOMOS India


Water, urban ecology and transformations Session Chair - Dr. Harveen Bhandari Rapporteur - Mr. Shriyak Singh

06:00PM – End of day 1

07:00 – 10:00PM – Public Screening of Ar. B.V. Doshi in conversation with ICOMOS India President; Cultural

evening and Gala dinner at FoAP, AKTU campus. (right to admission reserved for invitees)

2


Neha Tambe & Prashant

Banerjee10:15AM-10:23AM

Baolis at the Qutb Shahi Heritage Park – Sustainability,

Conservation and Urban Transformations

Priyanka Panjwani 10:24AM-10:32AMSustainable development of industrial(rail) landscapes:

Navigating Matheran Light Railway in Western India

Nirzary Pujara 10:33AM-10:41AM

‘The Backward Forwardness’: Taking historic humanized

landscapes back (to Sustainability) in order to develop ahead-

Managing Heritage, Managing Change: A case of the historic

city of Bundi, Rajasthan

Chandrani Bandopadhyay

& Ashish Verma10:42AM-10:50AM

Building Resilience to Cascading Risks: An Approach to

Sustainability in Historic Urban Landscapes

10:52AM-11:15AM Discussion


Asavari vare 11:30AM-11:38AMIntegrated Cultural and Architectural Landscape of Murud

Janjira

Nishtha Joshi 11:39AM-11:47AM Indigenous Cultural Landscapes: A case study of Bastar

Deepa William 11:48AM-11:56AM Homestead Farms of Kerala: A Dying Epitome of Sustainability

Lalit Akash Verma & Dr

Farheen Bano11:57AM-12:05PM

Scio-Environmental Sustainability of Traditional Courtyard

houses of Lucknow and Varanasi



Ridhu Dhan Gahalot &

Charlie Gupta01:15PM-01:23PM

Regenerating and Reclaiming the Contested Spaces in Sacred

Landscapes

Abhishek Bhardwaj 01:24PM-01:32PM The Sacred ecology of Govardhan Hill, Mathura

Amita Sinha 01:33PM-01:41PMReclaiming Ramjanambhoomi as a Narrative Landscape in

Ayodhya

11:30AM – 12:30PM – Session 6 (4 papers + Q/A)

Historic vernacular landscapes:

Vernacular landscapes as references for indigenous sustainable practicesSession Chair - Dr. Ritu Gulati Rapporteur - Ms. Poorva patil

12:30 – 01:15PM – Lunch Break


Sacred landscapes:

Spiritual landscapes as a source of divine inspiration and community wellbeingSession Chair - Mr. Ashish Trambadia Rapporteur - Ms. Rakhi Mariam

11:15 – 11:30AM – Tea Break

09:30AM – Webinar room opens

DAY 02: Saturday, 20th November 2021

06:30 – 8:30AM – Heritage walk in Lucknow

10:15 – 11:15AM – Session 5 (4 papers + Q/A)

Sustainability (SDGs) and managing cultural landscapes:

Sustainability as a measure and methodology for managing transformationsSession Chair - Dr. Jana Chaudhuri Rapporteur - Ms. Madhu Vottery

3

Yash Gupta & Jigna Desai 01:42PM-01:50PMQuestions of Authenticity: The case of sacred Jain landscape of

the walled city of Ahmedabad



Ashfina T., Pushplata &

Chani PS02:15PM-02:23PM

Historic Urban Landscape approach- a new paradigm for

conservation of cultural landscapes in Indian cities

Nitya Khendry 02:24PM-02:32PM Historic Urban Landscape in Practice: Jaipur City

Roshini Muralidhara 02:33PM-02:41PM Regeneration of the historic market precincts of Bengaluru

Tanya Chaturvedi Vegad 02:42PM-02:50PMA Study of Policy & Legislation for Infrastructure Upgradation

in Historic Urban Landscapes


06:15PM – End of day 2 / Symposium

06:30 – 08:00PM - ICOMOS India Executive Committee Meeting

04:45 – 05:00PM – Summarization of symposium by Dr. Arun Menon, NSC Counsellor ICOMOS India

05:00 – 05:45PM – Dialogue between ISC CL and India NSC CL – Dr. Elizabeth Brabec, Secretary General ISC CL

and Prof. Dr Rana PB Singh, Coordinator: NSC CL, ICOMOS India

Moderated by Prof.GSV Suryanarayana Murthy , South Zone Representative & Co-Coordinator: NSC CL

05:45PM – Concluding remarks by Dr. Rima Hooja, Vice President, ICOMOS India

05:50PM – Congratulatory remarks by Prof. Vandana Sehgal, Dean and Principal, FoAP, AKTU

05:55PM – Vote of thanks by Ms. Shalini Dasgupta, Secretary ICOMOS India

03:45 – 04:45PM – Panel lead by Session Chairs - Chair: Prof. AGK Menon; Rapporteur: Ms. Poonam Trambadia


Historic urban landscapes:

HUL as an approach to heritage-led developmentSession Chair - Dr. Rohit Jigyasu Rapporteur - Ms. Juwairia Qamruddin

03:15 – 03:45PM Tea Break

4


SESSION 1 Architectural language and methodology of landscapes

SUB THEME 1: Settlement/ Places/ Urban/ Rural/ Regional - Cultural Landscapes - Transformations, concepts, ideas & approaches

01 Assessment of Multi-Dimensional Value for Architectural Heritage using Multi-Objective Optimization on the basis of Ratio Analysis Method

Partha Sarathi Mishra (Research Scholar; [email protected]), Soumi Muhuri (Assistant Professor) (National Institute of Technology, Rourkela)

Key words: Architectural Heritage (AH); Odishan Temple Architecture (OTA); Multi-Objective Optimization on the basis of Ratio Analysis (MOORA); Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Analysis (MCDM)

The evaluation of architectural heritage (AH) is essential for the long-term management and conservation process. The value assessment and choice for AH with a purpose are principally dependent on the judgement of the experts. Focusing on heritage evaluation through multiple parameters (both objective and subjective), multiple stakeholders, and multiple alternatives, this study relies on multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM). Two methodological steps determine the MCDM methods: first, obtaining the weights of the parameters; second, deriving the values of the parameters considering the weights and the index formation for easy assessment by the ranking and grouping process. Here, to diminish the bias that may be associated with the qualitative judgement of the experts and limit the procedural time, this study attempts to utilize the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and multi-objective optimization on the basis of ratio analysis (MOORA) methods to obtain the weights and their aggregation for the value assessment of AH, respectively. AHP provides the relative weights in a pair-wise comparison matrix given by the opinions of the experts. At the same time, MOORA is an MCDM method where the mathematical computation is less and less time consuming to provide the index values of the AH. These methods propose a multi-objective optimization with discrete choices. For the case sample, 39 temples from Odisha were considered. Using the AHP and MOORA methods for the value assessment of Odishan Temple Architecture (OTA), this study provides an objective method for OTA. The methodology can also be implemented in a similar context of AH in India and abroad.




02 Understanding the Cultural Transformation of Paravur: A Case of Chendamangalam Weaving Community

Dhanya Mariam Shaji (Architect; [email protected]), Jivantika Satyarthi (Architect; [email protected])

Key words: Cultural Landscape, Cultural Communities, Intangible Cultural Heritage, Weaving Community

India is a treasured repository of innumerable cultural heritage from various time periods. Paravur region of the state of Kerala can boast of its amassed heritage from a time well before 3000 BC. It is known to be one of the ancient towns of South India, enriched with architectural marvels, traditional crafts, artforms and cultural communities – all together defining a rich cultural landscape.

In India, the handloom industry evolved as an intangible cultural heritage with an origin from 5000 years ago and it is the second largest economic activity in the country. However, with the establishment of modern industries, the traditional industry of handloom started facing a decline, especially in the number of weavers and the production of handloom cloth. Among the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the Paravur region, Chendamangalam handloom weaving community holds a revered place from the seventeenth century. Likewise, the national scenario, the Chendamangalam weaving, a reputable occupation in the 1900s, is also facing a decline in the Paravur region. The weaving community has been drastically diminishing for the past two decades, numerically and geographically.

The study focuses on the decline of handloom weaving, as a livelihood opportunity, by identifying the challenges of the weavers and in turn, the handloom industry. The study analyses the impact of urbanization on the community along with the institutional gaps in the current functional community structure. In conclusion, the paper proposes a revised community structure which can improve the livelihood of the weavers and the handloom industry, while safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage of handloom weaving.




03 Re-Interpreting the Cultural Landscape of Kozhikode: Spice as An Agent to Decode the Material and Cultural Expressions of the City- An Academic Approach

Meenakshi Dubey (Architect, specialised in Cultural Heritage Conservation; [email protected]), Thushara Koraprath (Architect and Urban designer; [email protected])

Key words: transoceanic trade, cultural landscape, cosmopolitan expression, spice networks, responsive approach

Is the past a burden or a trap? Or an anchor and a springboard?

Penelope green ,2010

As Raymond Williams argued “landscapes are material productions within which were coded particular ideologies”. To interpret these material expressions and the ideologies of the demographics who lived in a region, it’s imperative to decode the distinct associations, both physical and cultural, to their historical geographies. Thus, from translating the diagrams of power and influence to comprehending the relationship between land life people and place, are key markers to responsible and responsive approaches to future urban developments.

The urban landscape of the infamous cultural region of Kozhikode, positioned on India’s Malabar Coast, upholds a testimony of its transoceanic history and its interlaced ‘spice roots’ (networks), which outlined the historic growth trajectory of the city and subsequent cultural processes. The city fabric demonstrates the heterogeneous evidence of its maritime global trade relations by way of Inter-diasporic exchanges, Dichotomy of essentialized geographies/ Neighbourhoods, evolution of Market streets, the socio- cultural institutions with multifaith networks produced over centuries of commerce and cross-cultural interactions. The presence of tangible and intangible heritage traces rare expressions of these transfusion resulting in the medieval splendour of the port city and resounds to the essence of this cosmopolitan urban space with its multiple inter regional and trans local communities, folklore, indigenous building processes, rituals, symbolic references, culinary culture and hospitality (customary) which exist in symbiosis.

This paper examines the transformations of the cultural landscape of the city core (setting of trade and commerce) of Kozhikode through “making and experiencing” the city of spices. The reflections are gathered from an ongoing academic research, assessing a unique/explorative research tool with an overarching theme of “ärchitecture and city”. This multiscale pedagogical approach investigates on how to decipher the expressions of hybridity and cosmopolitanism of the historic landscapes? How can the inferences be drawn to evolve architectural gestures that help maintain the continuity of the city’s transformation? What could be a developing tool and design drivers for the sites/contexts of heterogeneity/ hybridity? Thus, offers a chance to contest and re-familiarize students with the city using twinned interventions at distinct precincts (colonised & decolonised) of this historical confluence.


‘Spice’ as an agent of transformation inquired through the seminal readings on India & The Indian Ocean (Ashin Das Gupta, M N Pearson, 1987), through the discussions on trade and faith on the medieval Malabar coast1, and along the regional portrayals in the impressionist survey of the history of the city and related events2. Here,the Urbanity of Spice and built is traversed through the proposed six thematics: In TransOceanic History and Evolution of the Urban Form, In Territory formation (Coloniality and Political aspects), In Economical aspects/ Interrelationships/ Concurrence, Influence of spice as a A Commodity (Market orientation), A Socio- Cultural Marker, A Testimony (Community and Culinary culture).

1 Sebastian R Prange, The monsoon Islam: Trade and Faith on the Medieval Malabar Coast, Cambridge University Press, 2018 2 M G S Narayanan, Calicut: The City of Truth Revisited, University of Calicut, 2006




04 Ephemeral Landscapes of a Living City: A Critical Analysis of Spatial Transformation in Chandani Chowk

Kamini Singh (Asst. Prof., Apeejay School of Architecture and Planning & PhD Scholar at SPA Delhi; [email protected]), Anant Pratap Singh (Asst. Prof., Dept. of Architecture, SOE, Gautam Buddha

Uni., PhD Scholar at IIT Roorkee; [email protected])

Key words: Spatial Transformation, Living city, Imageability, Ephemerality, Historic landscape

The contestations between permanence and ephemerality in Cultural Landscape have been debated widely in the domain of Architectural Conservation and Urban Development Profession. There are several urban forces acting upon the traditional and primarily homogeneous settlements. These forces tend to change and transform the settlements on one hand while the regulations pertaining to Historic urban Landscapes ensure protection of the ‘Original Character’. The underlying debated and constant disturbances in the physical and cultural dimension ensure that there is a resulting equilibrium leading to survival of the ‘living’ nature of these cities. This is on one hand through protecting the heritage value while ensuring the use value with changing needs. This equilibrium is maintained due to the constant adaptation, transformation and creation of spaces. In case of historic landscapes there is a debate over what should remain and what needs to be upgraded over time to ensure that the life of the ‘living city’ is retained. This paradox has given rise to an urban flux for a need for spatial order that ensure a transitory phase in such landscapes.

This research aims to question the relevance of permanence in living historic landscapes, as a resultant of urban processes and forces. The research method used are spatial analysis through building age mapping, activity mapping, street elevations, and sectional study. The study looks specifically at chowks and squares on the main street of Chandani chowk. The paper compares spatial transformation along the main street of Chandani Chowk over a period of 10 years. From the detailed analysis, it was derived that the flux in cultural landscapes occurs as a result of contestations between cultural, economic, social & political factors while questioning the idea of permanence in urban spaces.


SESSION 2 Space and cultural landscapes

SUB THEME 2: Historic urban landscapes as an approach to heritage-led development

05 Ingrained Urban Social Spaces: Courtyards of Haveli temples in walled city of Jaipur

Kalpana Pandit ([email protected]), Tarush Chandra ([email protected]), Rina Surana ([email protected]) (Department of Architecture and Planning, MNIT Jaipur)

Key words: Urban social space, Haveli temples, Courtyard, Transformation, Community, Voids

Layout of the walled city of Jaipur is unique in its disposition of solids and voids. City has 800 odd temples woven in the fabric of the settlement, without once making a statement of their religious identity. These temples are built around a courtyard unlike their “Nagara and Dravida “counterparts which tend to dominate city skyline with their soaring Vimanas. These temples with a central social space, have been inlayed in the continuous built mass of the commercial and residential areas of the city. Courtyards of these temples are different in scale and proportions from residential buildings and act as major social spaces during various public events. These courtyards function as a buffer between the sacred precinct and mundane urban activities and at the same time maintain the continuity of the cultural landscape by connecting small to moderate inlayed open spaces with the major movement corridors and /or open spaces. Modernization of transportation and communication systems has brought about radical changes in activity pattern and concept of social interaction and community structure. Traditional Indian cities had community social spaces ingrained in residential areas. These residential neighborhoods had homogeneous population characteristics in terms of religion and profession, hence religious building precincts suited the most for social interactions. As the urban society and the idea of community underwent transformation, these precincts lost their glory. Haveli temples, however retained their utility to some extent as they had open and semi open spaces, that are well ingrained in the urban fabric at the same time they had an intrinsic resilience. This paper aims at anexploration in the changing concept of community space, structural transformations of old areas and the adaptability of religious public courtyards (Haveli temples) to modern day social needs.




06 Actor-Network Theory’s (ANT) potential as a practice theory to understand and align archaeological and non-archaeological components of complex cultural sites

Yashaswini Jayadevaiah (Dept. of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Kanpur; [email protected])

Key words: Site Inscriptions, Śṛiṅgaverapura, Actor-Network Theory, Practice Theory, Complex Cultural Site

The new learning for the field of archaeology and cultural heritage is pluralism and multivocality. These are at the very core of both disciplinary approaches. Though this has been accepted and acknowledged in cultural heritage studies it is still a hot pot of melting lava among archaeologists and its practitioners. Paper through the discussion of a complex cultural site agrees on the necessity for the professionals in the archaeological and cultural heritage studies to observe and consider the so-called non-scientific perspectives circulating in the site to depict the interests and communities at play. To achieve this desired approach, it proposes Actor-Network Theory (ANT) as a practice theory through discussion of its concepts, the application, suitability to understand and align archaeological and non-archaeological components at complex cultural sites.

By overarching the traditional conception of ‘Inscription’ (epigraphical) this paper adopts the ANT’s concept of ‘inscription’ for all those elements which are been materialized into a sign, an archive, a document, a piece of paper, a trace by the actor-networks associated with the site in both archaeological and non-archaeological context. These inscriptions represent the codified claims of the actor-networks and serve as a tell-tale for the produced knowledge (archaeological or otherwise), identity and resilience. These scripts are time and again codified, displayed, celebrated in the form of inscriptions. Paper takes the case of ‘Śṛiṅgaverapura’ to discuss and exhibit the potential of ANT as a practice theory that can be successfully adopted to study a complex cultural site and its archaeological and non-archaeological components and stakeholders without discriminating their scientific appropriateness. Which in turn helps in better strategy formation and management of such complex cultural sites.

Located on the bank of the River Ganga, India the site’s human occupancy dates back to 1750 BC. The site is noted for the ancient hydrological structure - interconnected water harvesting and storage system (burnt brick) dating back to 100 BC just next to the river. The site being the ground of ancient technology is also a prominent cultural space with intertwined mythology and contemporary cultural practices. Its mythological role has been received considerable impetus in recent years owing to the ‘political will’ to drive a mythological narrative as mainstream.




07 Urban myths and intangible narratives: An approach to study, understand the evolving and living cultural Heritage and its perception in Lucknow

Neha G Verma (Research scholar, Dept. of HSS, IIT Kanpur; [email protected])

Key words: Cultural Heritage, Intangible Heritage, Cultural Narratives, urban Tales and Architecture

Lucknow is one of the major centers which stands testimony to the late-medieval period cultural assimilation that continued through its surviving tangible and intangible heritage. This cultural assimilation is a well-concocted composition of Hindu, Mughal, and Nawabi cultures resulting in not just the tangible cultural heritage but a host of intangible components which are surviving and evolving to this day. The city of Lucknow boasts "Decorum, Literature & Architecture" as its unique identity for decades.

However, this cultural incorporation evolved as an amalgamation of a marriage between tangible and intangible components. Generally, we try to understand and read the cultural incorporations through the art and architecture of the tangible heritage symbols. At the same time, in consideration of the conservational ethics and norms, these tangible monumental symbols are preserved and conserved to their original best, making them seem to be frozen in time. Then what provides us with an understanding of evolving and continuously changing perception about the cultural heritage of an urban-scape? Though the answer is intangible components surrounding these monumental structures and spaces, we don't know where they lay in the vast urban-scape. Considering the question, this paper takes Lucknow as a case example to try and explore this question. It considers Urban myths and narratives as a viable option and approach to take a sneak peek into the evolving and living cultural Heritage perceptions in and about an urban-scape.

Considering this identity, the researcher tries to follow and understand the urban myths and narratives surrounding these three cultural identity markers to answer how they got associated and why they are posed as cities' socio-cultural identity markers, further contributing to the regional identity. The study adopts the Online Research Methods (ORMs). The study considers cultural myths in online platforms as primary data concerning various heritage sites and cultural practices. The collected qualitative data will be documented and analyse to understand the evolving and living cultural Heritage perceptions concerning the city of Lucknow.




08 A New Narrative for Urban Public Spaces: Translating the Relation of a City to its Cultural Landscape

Sunena V. Maju ([email protected]), Prof. Shebin Jawahar ([email protected]) (KMEA College of Architecture, Ernakulam, Kerala)

Key words: Public Space, Evolution, Urbanisation, Planning Approach, Theorisation, Critiques

Public spaces are often termed as the cradle of culture and social interaction. While the urban trends experiment and reinvent the common notion of public space in India, this research aims to understand the middle ground between the transformative leap. The idea of public space in India perceived from history targets the creation of a place of belonging for the city with a sense of familiarity and ownership. However, the contemporary trend of defining public space proposes to aim at establishing a visual identity for history and a potential platform for stakeholders. Though the contrasting dualities are worthy of debate, the probability to conclude in favor of one seems impossible. Therefore, this research work deals with understanding a public space from a rhetorical perspective. The foundation of research is based on theories and concepts related to public spaces put forward by Architect Aldo Rossi, Urban planner Kevin Lynch and Philosopher Jurgen Habermas. The conceptual framework thus derived is critically analyzed in the cultural landscape of the city of Ahmedabad. The camouflaging fabric of Manek Chowk is rethought in the background of the city’s historic evolution and contrasted to the recent development of the Sabarmati Riverfront as a public sphere. The conclusions from the analysis are further used to critique the transformation of public spaces from historic landscapes into a contemporary hub of urbanization. The research outcome theoretically derives parameters that would connect the public spaces to the city in the modern context considering the sense of belonging and the need for a global outlook. The scope of the research extends to the urgent need for architects, planners and designers to understand the importance of cultural familiarity in urban spaces of the Indian context to design for a sustainable and participatory landscape.


SESSION 3 Communities and transformations of their landscapes


09 Exploring Indian rural agricultural landscapes as shared heritage of the local communities, the systems that govern its intrinsic values & its relation with the management of its

transformation: Case of Rajnagar, Bundelkhand

Nishant Upadhyay (Architect, specialised in Cultural Heritage Conservation, founder DHARATAL; [email protected])

Key words: rural landscape, Indian agrarian landscapes, landscape stewardship, heritage values

There is a certain quality to the rural landscapes which makes them poetic. Perhaps it’s the continuity, perhaps it’s the heterogeneity or perhaps it’s the nostalgia.

The Indian rural landscapes with its prime activity of agriculture and dotted with ancient trees and places of rituals, incubates various socio-cultural beliefs and manifests them into experiences. Those experiences derive their basis from the nature and succeeds in inspiring awe, reverence and inner peace in the experiencer.

This sensitive dichotomy of nature and culture is the result of innumerable variables and actors acting in unison to materialize the totality. One might not directly belong to the rural landscape but can never fail to relate to it because of gastronomy, folklores, heritage or simply origin of civilization. These actors react and interact with it directly and indirectly via all their senses, making it a complex web of relationships. These interactions over time lead to changes as the landscape changes and evolves. At times these changes are referred to as development. One might fear loss of intrinsic values during the process but the landscape is inherently quite resilient. There are systems in place which keeps a check and control over these losses of values. These resilience systems constitute of the local community, their traditions and folklores, community knowledge and their understanding of the geography. The landscape remains dynamic however all of this happens within the entropy of the ecosystem leading to the retention of the values and poetic the qualities of a rural landscape.

The research explores the gap in the understanding about the Indian rural landscapes as shared heritage for the community. The paper establishes the values of the Indian rural landscapes for the stakeholders. It explores the relationship between the stakeholders and the landscape which help manage the transformation and retention of the intrinsic values of Indian rural landscapes, via a case study of the settlement of Rajnagar, India. The town of Rajnagar in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh is one of the many small historical towns whose character blurs the boundaries of rural and urban. Having several royal produce gardens from 18th century, the case study allows exploring the stewardship of the rural landscape by the local community.




10 The Imitation game of Urban Community Spaces

Siddhartha Mukherjee (Architect, Industrial Designer, Asst. Prof. School of Design, UPES Dehradun; [email protected])

Key words: Urban, Community Space, Imitation, Context, User Centric Design

The habit of imitation can be well attributed as a keystone moment of human development and evolution. The Presence of a certain bundle of nerve cells mirror neurons can be credited to the basal primate behaviour of imitation and the deep-rooted notion of ‘learning by doing’ in humans. Urban community spaces in certain cities often have been a result of an attempt of borrowed aesthetics or forced utilitarian value from a discrete setting without giving much thought upon Culture, Context, Climate and most importantly the perceived vs the latent and unarticulated user needs. While on one hand community spaces co-develop in a synergistic manner as an extension to the continuity of life beyond the walls of our dwellings whilst in many other cities, they bite the dust. The paper tries to understand the nuances of public and community spaces, the utilitarian aspects as well as the attributes that make them continuous and relevant across users of diverse backgrounds. By establishing comparative studies and ethnographic Design Research methods the research establishes an understanding to present examples and propositions around the realm of ‘imitate and deploy’ urban spaces.




11 Cultural Heritage Resources in a Rapidly Industrializing Region: Opportunities and Challenges

Dr. Bhawana Vasudeva (HOD and Asso. Prof., Dept. of Architecture, Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda; [email protected])

Key words: Conflict, Cultural heritage, Industrialization, Regional development, Stakeholders, Urban governance

India's history and culture are dynamic, spanning back to the beginning of the Indus valley civilization which was an urban civilization. This has given the richest historic layers, varied cultures, and unique heritage to India. Various historical layers have also impacted the city planning and built environment of various settlements. However, presently, the cities and towns in India face the challenge of balancing the identity of historic landscapes and rapid development pressure. Cultural and natural heritages in India increasingly succumb to obliteration or deteriorating under immense pressure not only due to natural causes but also as the result of rapid urbanization and subsequent anthropogenic negotiations. The Indian historic landscapes are fast losing their identity.

For this reason, to overcome such a situation, various heritage conservation strategies were devised both at national and international levels to integrate cultural and natural heritage within the larger goals of sustainable development. Many legislations and various agencies are formed to protect and conserve heritage structures however the haphazard growth is observed in the vicinity. In India, urban development and urban conservation processes are governed by separate legislation and are being treated as isolated objects instead of an innate part of the present urban fabric. This paper is based on a study conducted in the surrounding region of Vadodara city to understand the challenges of planning and governance of development processes and the conservation of heritage cultural resources. It mainly includes Champaner Pavagadh Archaeological Park (CPAP), Kalika Mata Temple at Pavagadh, Sevasi Stepwell heritage structures, and surrounding towns and villages.

The data were collected from archival records, a field survey, and in-depth interviews with various stakeholders. The findings revealed the major gaps and conflict areas that arise among various stakeholders in the form of spatial fragmentation of built heritage distribution and non-alignment of urban planning and management processes of development and conservation. It can be concluded that a more proactive integration into current urban and regional development processes and contemporary use of cultural resources can protect and improve the historic landscape scenario. It can help in resolving conflicts, fostering the healing process, and creating a fine balance between the Rights, Values, and Interests of all stakeholders.




12 Heritage in Neighbourhood: Role of community, History and Culture in shaping the Historic Urban Environment

Monica Chaudhary (Landscape Architect; [email protected])

Key words: Heritage, Historic Urban Landscape, Cultural Identity

Delhi in contemporary times (along with its political and historical identity) is known for its unique quality of integrating its new with its old. The food, the built fabric, the architecture are some examples that give hints of this amalgamation. The integration is not only seen in the most celebrated places like Shahjahanabad and Lutyens’ Delhi but can be also seen in one of the most neglected spaces of Delhi, the ‘urban village’. An Urban village as a phenomenon in Delhi is generally (but not always) originated and focused around a monument which acts as a marker or identity for an area, in terms of character and sometimes the name of the area itself (Safdarjung, Hauz Khas, Masjid Moth). The monument, the green regulatory buffer around it and the old settlements, built with close-knit informality, form an urban village. Along with the rustic street character, the landscape, and the living history, these urban villages bear a rich culture that is endangered these days but does exist around these monuments in form of rituals, festivities and gatherings making these neighbourhoods culturally rich and unique.

The fragmented pieces of heritage in the close-knit community around it offers a great opportunity to inculcate historic value in the area but unfortunately, it has become rather common to see their identity diminishing with time (encroachment, vandalism, etc.) and the new identity (interventions) overshadowing the past. To guide and regulate these new interventions, the intent of the paper is to explore and study the layers of history, geography, geology, culture and community in-depth to understand this specific typology of monuments. The study helps to identify, analyse and present the heritage and cultural value of the place.

This value or synthesis further helps to shape and define parameters for urban villages to re- imagine their landscape according to their context.

The paper also critically analyses and challenges the 100 m protected area policy, and puts forward a few new considerations for the policymakers to rethink the historic setting in a neighbourhood and hence, a new methodology developed for the past and present to co-exist, where the dignity of the monument and the importance of the culture doesn’t overshadow the other, but rather complement it, celebrate it.


SESSION 4 Water, urban ecology and transformations


13 Revitalizing the Integrity of Sacred Cultural Landscape of Old Bhubaneswar through green infrastructure development

Mayukh Ch. Sadhukhan (M.Arch, Asst. Prof., Dept. of Architecture, Om Dayal School of Architecture, Howrah; [email protected]), Sonal Tiwari (M.Arch, Asst. Prof., Dept. of Landscape Architecture, SPA

Bhopal; [email protected] )

Key words: Cultural landscape, heritage city, revitalization, ecological urbanization, green infrastructure framework, sustainable development, management plan, Bhubaneswar

Sacred cultural landscapes of India are affected by many development pressures in current times which are unique to its geography and climate. In the process of urbanization and modernization the ecological open spaces of the city such as natural drainage, sacred places, and sacred ponds have been affected and further lead to degradation of urban environment of the sacred core. Ecological urbanization in sacred sites can lead to sustainable expansion of urban areas. Researchers have opined the need to study the nature of changes in historical cultural landscapes. There are debates in landscape ecology over the choice of nomothetic and ideographic approaches. Nomothetic approach is based on a tendency to generalize and Idiographic approach is based on a tendency to specify assuming that the landscape has had a unique life history. The Old town Bhubaneswar in Odisha is one of such sacred cultural landscape of India with a historical background that dated back to over 2000 years. Also known as the 'city of temples' with more than 500 of India's finest temples, it was named after Tribhuvaneswar, the 'Lord of Three Worlds' or lord Shiva, around which the religious and cultural life of this old city revolves. The research addresses primarily three research questions namely (1) what is ecological significance of the sacred landscape archetypes in selected study area; (2) what are the changes occurred in this sacred landscape due to rapid urbanization, and (3) which landscape level interventions can lead to ecological restoration of sacred sites in the study area.

To address the first research question, a case study approach is utilized in context of selected study area. Landscape approach is utilized to map the sacred landscape and its ecological significance. The second research question is addressed by studying the historical changes over last few decades. For the third research question literature review along with spatial analysis is further carried out to identify place making and landscape restoration strategies for green infrastructure development in sacred sites. The study therefore formulates and presents a holistic approach to integrate green infrastructure framework in the sacred historic core of the city in a selected study area. Similar studies in other geographical context can lead to development of theory in this domain.




14 Evolving maritime heritage in urban cultural landscape: Case of revival in Mumbai Koliwadas

Aakanksha Tated ([email protected]), Samiksha Purohit ([email protected]) (Centre for Heritage Management, Ahmedabad University)

Key words: Maritime heritage, culture, fishing community, cultural landscape, Kolis

Cultural landscapes are identified as natural landscapes that have been modified by human anthropological interventions for their own usage and suitability. They are meant to showcase long-term relationships of interdependency of humankind and nature. The following paper presents one such case of the Koliwada landscape in the urban space of Mumbai, India. The region is occupied by the Koli fishing community in Mumbai who are often referred to as the original inhabitants of this ‘city of dreams’. The paper, based on secondary research, attempts to trace how the Kolis have impacted the landscape of the city and how the adjacent Arabian sea has become their source of livelihood and influenced the community’s indigenous culture and identity. Koliwadas, or the colony of residence of the Koli community have developed as a response to the topography of the city while the community has also in turn shaped the landscape and cultural setting of the city. This symbiotic relationship between the community, their culture and the seascape, and their changing dynamics remain the central theme of this paper. Also done is a detailed analysis of using the approach of cultural landscape in this maritime setting here. The setting however, is not without issues. The rapid urbanisation, development and transformation of the city, has posed a threat to their natural environment and the source of livelihood of the Kolis. In an attempt to deconstruct these magnanimous issues within this context and find possible solutions, this paper shall argue on the application and feasibility of the cultural landscape approach in safeguarding the heritage and culture for this urban community.




15 Cultural landscape of North Kolkata: Spatial Morphology & Transformations in Urban Ecology

Ayushi Dhar ([email protected]), Ankit Kumar Senapati ([email protected]), Swaraj Bose ([email protected])

Key words: Cultural landscape, North Kolkata, Urbanization, Urban ecology, Pedestrian Movement

Various literature on North Kolkata highlights its iconic character which consists of both spatial and cultural dimensions. The spatial pattern of settlement in North Kolkata, which is gradually evolving, has influenced the interaction between users and built form for a long time. The pressure of rapid urbanization and the introduction of new technology has been increasingly shaping these symbiotic relations. These neighbourhoods have a unique combination of houses, shops, and activity spaces that are connected to streets. These mixed-use compact neighbourhoods lead to safer streets for pedestrians as they inherently celebrate the idea of ‘eyes on the street’. The people here have synthesized a sustainable way of life, making the most of climate-responsive architecture and a socially active lifestyle. The urban fabric of the North Kolkata region is largely homogeneous with similar built-form, streets, and people. This paper aims to investigate the relationship between various street typologies and pedestrian movement in the present-day context. For this study, a sample area is selected in ward number 10, Shyambazar that has a mix of major street typologies with a variable modal split. Space syntax analysis, 3D cross-sectional analysis using low-resolution enclosure mapping, screen line survey, and pedestrian questionnaire survey are used in the study. Firstly, existing street types are mapped on basis of right of way, presence of footpath, vehicular access, and other relevant parameters. 3D cross-sectional data is used to determine the level of enclosure for the street, which is then superimposed on these street types to classify the typology of streets. Parameters will include the height of buildings, major use of ground floor in a block, presence of architectural features that encourage pedestrian movement. Screen line survey is used to measure pedestrian volume at different times of the day for these street typologies. Pedestrian questionnaire survey is carried out in the sample area to determine modes of transport for various activities, community involvement, and perceptions about sustainable streets. This paper determines the pedestrian friendliness of these street typologies and lists a set of elements that are essential to the functioning of this cultural landscape and are sustainable in the present-day context.




16 Historic Water Systems of Jammu

Neha Chandel (Masters of Architectural Conservation & Regeneration, CEPT University; [email protected])

Key words: Urban Tissue, Hill Settlement, Irrigation Channels/Canals, Transformation, Water Systems, Ranbir Canal

The historic urban tissue of the Jammu City hills is representative of its irrigation channels and water systems of the settlements spanning from Dev Dynasty up to Dogra Dynasty. The cultural landscape of Jammu bears strong linkages to its water systems. Various pilgrimage routes were initially born out of the occurrences of natural springs and ponds – the original pilgrimage route to Vaishno Devi in Katra was around the springs; similarly, Uttarbehni, Purmandal, Swankha - these pilgrimage routes are situated by the rivulets and catchment of Tawi river. Today, the city relies on tube wells and bore wells in the plains and along the River Tawi.

According to folk fiction, the city was founded as a result of an incident where King Jamboolochan having gone out on a hunt witnessed a goat and a tiger drinking from the same pond. His wazirs explained to him that the land was so virtuous that there could be no enmity. This inspired him to establish his capital Jamboopuri here.

Another folk tale that links to the name of the city is about Jambwant who waited for the next Avtar of Rama until the Mahabharat on the bank of Tawi in a cave. This place exists today as Peer Kho or Jambwant ki Gufa.

From being a capital for Maldev's Mandi in 14th century to Gulab Singh's Mubarak Mandi in 19th century, the city has undergone massive transformation until the time of partition and independence when the refugees started moving in in huge numbers, thereby, increasing the urban sprawl within the fort wall and leading to its demolition. As a result of which major water systems in areas within the old city such as Kaleeth Mohalla, Raghunath Mandir, Panchbakhtar Mandir, Gurudwara, Rani Bindrali Mandir, Assembly Hall, Rani Park and Nallahs as well as Ranbir Canal in the outer limits of the city have undergone changes.

Not much is known about the history of Jammu and the existing texts are spread over translations of historic chronicles so much so that one can’t stop referring to the political narrative to find some rationale. The evolution and transformations spanning across the historical timeline and within the old settlements indicates a clear relationship with its water systems due to its ever-changing political condition. Thus, it is important to research on the various layers that once made up the spine of a civilization and a few such layers that still remain and have a vast potential to be revived. The implication of this research would be on the areas around the waterscape matrix of Jammu that represents its historic urban environment and thus, need to be revived, celebrated and sensitively planned for the proposed master plan.


SESSION 5 Sustainability (SDGs) and managing cultural landscapes

SUB THEME 5: Sustainability as a measure and methodology for managing transformations

17 Baolis at the Qutb Shahi Heritage Park: Sustainability, Conservation and Urban Transformations

Neha Tambe (Conservation Architect & Urban Planner; [email protected]), Prashant Banerjee (Conservation Architect; [email protected])

Key words: Conservation, Historic Urban Landscapes, Social Identity, Socio-economic Benefits, Heritage Tourism, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sustainability, Sustainable Development Goals, Rainwater Harvesting, Integrated Planning, Urban Revitalization

The primary postulation of this paper is to examine the correlation between the conservation of seven historic baolis at the Qutb Shahi Heritage Park and the sustainability benefits and meeting the Sustainable Development Goals that can be achieved through conservation. These baolis are a part of the greater ensemble of monuments within the Qutb Shahi Heritage Park, which is currently listed on the tentative list of World Heritage Sites.

The paper shall give a brief historical background of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, laying emphasis on the architecture coupled with cultural and ecological significance of the baolis within the larger Qutb Shahi Heritage Park set of monuments. The paper shall also highlight the socio-cultural, political, and sustainability benefits that these baolis carry in the 21st century. Analysing successful conservation case studies of existing baolis in India, this paper shall make the case for these baolis and their benefits.

Finally, this paper shall also give calculations associated with sustainability, that include economic benefits, rainwater harvesting, employment benefits, usage of sustainable natural materials along with traditional building techniques and finally heritage led development that shall further boost the economy, eventually becoming a catalyst to achieving an urban transformation in an otherwise densely populated urban space within the city of Hyderabad. The successful conservation of these baolis would demonstrate the validity of traditional systems in addressing drought-like conditions across India and would serve as a case study for similar projects at historic stepwells across the country. Conservation of these baolis shall benefit the local ecology and coupled with supporting biodiversity at Qutb Shahi Heritage Park, perennial irrigation of large expanse of gardens surrounding the mausoleums and providing livelihood opportunities to many people. This is in coherence with the Sustainable development goal - Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.




18 Sustainable development of industrial (rail) landscapes: Navigating the Matheran Light Railway in Western India

Priyanka Panjwani (Conservation Architect; [email protected])

Key words: Industrial landscape, mountain railway, sustainable development, world heritage

The 1907 built Matheran Light Railway (MLC) is a 20 km long route of a mountain rail line that runs on sharp curves and a steep winding gradient. Through several bridges and a tunnel, the MLR moves from Neral to Matheran, settlements on the Sahyadri range of mountains in Western India. Neral, a rural village, is also the maintenance station of the MLR and consists of workshops, locomotive shed, carriage and wagon depot. Matheran, a station on a hill plateau, provides spectacular views of the valley below. Initially a health sanatorium and a British colonial summer resort, Matheran was notified as an ‘eco-sensitive’ zone in 2003. There are three modest stations between Neral and Matheran which are Waterpipe, Jumapatti and Aman Lodge. The Matheran Light Railways is on the tentative list as an extension to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of ‘Mountain Railways in India’ because it contributes to the Outstanding Universal Values of the inscribed property, and has a notable impact on the social and economic development of the surrounding region. The MLR is not only a popular tourist site, but it also serves as an important means for the transportation of essential services, as no motorized road vehicles are permitted entry beyond Aman Lodge station. Patches of the MLR track between Neral and Aman Lodge get damaged due to heavy monsoon rainfall every year and cause technical failures such as derailments, because of which the MLR does not operate frequently during the monsoon months.

This paper through a case research approach, intends to explore the several aspects that add significance to the mountain railway site, (including- tangible infrastructure assets, intangible social assets and environmental resources) and assess the existing practices that affect land use and development on the cultural landscape. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are indicators that help in the strategic alignment of current development challenges and future visions of a place with suitable solutions that are favourable to the planet. In order to manage the mountain rail landscape in a sustainable way, it is vital to identify the vulnerabilities of the site due to several factors (including urbanisation, climate emergency, etc.), examine the responsiveness of the landscape and its transformations, and offer policy insights, which this paper aims to accomplish through the comprehensive agenda of the global SDGs and their targets.




19 ‘The Backward Forwardness’: Taking historic humanized landscapes back (to Sustainability) to develop ahead- Managing Heritage, Managing Change: A case of the historic city of Bundi

Nirzary Pujara (Conservation Architect, Alumni AC SPA New Delhi; [email protected])

Key words: Cultural / Historic Urban Landscapes, Sustainability / SDGs, Sustainability parameters / indicators, Cultural Heritage Management, Bundi-Rajasthan

‘Backward Forwardness’ for in order to develop further whilst preserving our collective cultural heritage, we must go back and extract the essence of our humanised landscapes that has helped it survive over centuries, absorbing growing needs and demands; the essence that is ‘Sustainability’. Sustainability was an inherent quality of historic settlements and man-nature interactions, which over time has been imbalanced by weight of unplanned growth and heritage abuse, both on natural and built systems. In order to progress with a balanced development, under the umbrella of SDGs, we need to just take our cities back, in principle, without reinventing the wheel of sustainability.

A modest town in Rajasthan’s Hadoti region, Bundi’s morphology is highly determined by the contextual dominant topography, which still continues to control its direction of growth. Situated in a narrow gauge surrounded by three sandstone-rich hillocks, the region has a rich ecological diversity with abundance of water resources. First inhabited in the lower Palaeolithic period, dispersed settlement of Meena tribes emerged in ancient times, before the coming of the Hada Chauhans in 1342AD when a fortified city developed. Successively, forming a part of Maratha and British Empires, the city has resultant layers of cultural developments, exhibiting an evolved human lifestyle and settlement pattern. The ‘City of Stepwells’, Bundi’s self-sustaining and symbiotic settlement is centered along the main bazar, dispersed in subsequent Padas and Katlas, rendering to diverse communities and occupations. Post-Independence, the swarming settlement spread well beyond its physical-built boundaries and continues to haphazardly urbanise. Somewhat isolated today, the pressures of urbanisation, unplanned growth, disappearing nature-human linkages, lack of heritage awareness/interpretation and resultant unemployment are rapidly changing Bundi’s cultural fabric.

This paper throws light on the fact that managing heritage is the most sensible and effective manner to manage transformations. The aim is to reinforce two points: (a) historic cultural landscapes were inherently sustainable and (b) preservation of these characteristic sustainability values can help achieve the SDGs for our historic urban forms and manage transformations in a manner that aren’t alien, ensuring a composed development along with continuation of heritage dynamics.

Supported by secondary research and primary site findings, the study began with identification of Bundi’s distinctive cultural resources, study of interdependent urban systems from macro to micro scales, existing frameworks and identification of issue areas. Further analysis led to identification of inherent sustainability indicators and realisation that many modern development and management related issues in the historic core were directly related to degradation of heritage resources and their values. Thus, this paper showcases Bundi’s sustainability parameters and links them to urban issues for effective solution finding.




20 Building Resilience to Cascading Risks: An Approach to Sustainability in Historic Urban Landscapes

Chandrani Bandyopadhyay ([email protected]), Ashish Verma ([email protected]) (School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi)

Key words: Culture, Identity, Sustainability, Cascading Risks, Resilience

Historic Urban Landscapes are repositories of the cultural identity of a city. The combination of cultural, natural and infrastructural attributes manifests the “historic layering” of the city. Historic landscapes encompass, in addition to the architectural heritage, social and cultural practices, economic processes and elements of cultural identity and social cohesiveness. The cultural identity and local character are one of the determinants of Quality of Life and contribute to the city’s competitive edge as well as to the well-being of habitats.

The contemporary processes of global urbanization have led to rapid transformation of the historic landscapes of the cities. Increasing urbanization has manifested in increasing exposure to a plethora of hazards that interface with complex vulnerabilities. This multifaceted scenario of risks and vulnerabilities is escalating with emerging dynamics of climate change, population growth and increasing exposure of communities to risk. Rapid urbanization and accelerated pace of growth of cities have led to either neglect and/or continuous transformations of the cityscape that led to degradation of cultural landscapes.

The inherent dynamism of cities drives urban transformations, allowing a historic city to change its original fabric. Physical expansion and transformations lead to social and cultural change. The risk scenario changes in tandem, with increased exposure and complex vulnerabilities of assets and people. Increasing complexities lead to cascading risks, where one event precipitates another and impacts the existing urban fabric, leading to Historic Urban Landscapes losing their attributes and authenticity.

The paper argues that the growing scenario of cascading and emerging risks underscores the need for a holistic approach to management of historic urban landscapes. Along with conservation of historic spaces and attributes, resilience building measures need to be incorporated in planning and development of historic landscapes to integrate urban heritage conservation with risk-sensitive development. The paper attempts to critically examine the issues of historic landscapes in the context of cascading risks. Based on literature review-based analysis, the hazard and vulnerability assessment will provide a composite risk analysis. The transformation of HUL due to cascading risks will be studied to identify an approach for resilient cultural spaces. The impact of disaster risks on the urban fabric of the historic landscapes will be examined. The authors further argue that it is imperative to work towards a resilient framework for implementable actions order to ensure sustainability of Historic Urban Landscapes in the context of city dynamism and constantly changing environment.


SESSION 6 Historic vernacular landscapes

SUB THEME 3: Vernacular landscapes as references for indigenous sustainable practices

21 Integrated Cultural and Architectural Landscape of Murud Janjira

Asavari Vare (Architect; [email protected])

Key words: Built Heritage, Natural Heritage, Indigenous Communities, Natural & Cultural Biodiversity, Ecological Balance, Urbanization, Intervenes, Sustainable Practices, Contextual Architecture, Advancement, Sustainable Lifestyle

Murud Janjira is a small coastal village situated in the Raigad district of Maharashtra. The village has a great history and it is blessed with a unique natural landscape. The built heritage of village consists of the Murud Janjira fort, Padmadurga fort surrounded by seawater from all sides. Some other prominent structures contributing to heritage from Siddhi’s dynasty include Ahmedganj palace, Gol Gumbaz, Khokari tombs. The natural heritage of Murud includes the Garambi river where later dams were constructed by Britishers during the 18th century Western Mountain range merging into the sea, the mangroves along the creek, the forest area, sea caves, estuaries, headlands, wave-cut platforms, the freshwater rivers which eventually merges into the Arabian sea. Along with this, there is a presence of indigenous communities that have been practicing various sustainable occupations. Therefore, the village has a unique cultural landscape that shares a complex relationship with various parameters which is further explored in research.

The architecture is formed by responding to the natural & cultural biodiversity of Murud Janjira but its potential is however not recognized today. The ecological balance which the context had due to sustainable practices by indigenous communities is decreasing over the period time due to the impact of urbanization. The traditional occupational practices & vernacular architecture are sustainable & have a harmonious relationship with context. But it is not relevant in current scenarios as it is not meeting the increasing demand & changing lifestyle. Thus, the research identifies this gap and tries to create a bridge by re-establishing the sustainable practices of communities through the architecture & establish the significance of vernacular architecture of the region. It intervenes the knowledge from the past & new technology to meet the changing demands. The research will encourage future generations to recreate the contextual architecture & the sustainable practices from the past with advancement to meet present demands.

It is achieved by studying the existing built heritage structures, context & through interviews of local communities & experts. The research aims to re-establish of the sustainable lifestyle of community & ecological balance through the medium of architecture.




22 Indigenous Cultural Landscapes: A case study of Bastar

Nishtha Joshi (Architect; [email protected])

Key words: Bastar, Chhattisgarh, Tribes, Indigenous culture, Sustainability

The aim of this paper is to study the role of Indigenous sustainable practices in Historic Vernacular landscapes in India and to understand how the traditional knowledge of the region makes Bastar a sustainably flourishing Cultural landscape.

Bastar is the largest district in the state of Chhattisgarh, the tribal homeland of India. 70% is Bastar’s population is tribal and it comprises of 26.76% of all the tribal population in Chhattisgarh. (Gell, 1992, p. 1) The primitive culture, history, natural and geographical location of the region makes Bastar a unique Cultural Landscape of world importance. There are various indigenous tribes in Bastar, each very different to another in the costumes they wear, the languages they speak, their lifestyles and their beliefs. Some of them are farmers and agriculturists, some are craftsmen practicing ancient crafts while some still depend on hunting and gathering. There are some exceptional festivals like Madhai Mela, Fagun Madhai, Goncha festival and most importantly the Dussehra of Bastar that portray the indigenous culture of Bastar in the daily lives of its population. The people still follow vernacular practices but due to advancements in the region the population is slowly drifting towards modernity and forgetting their own traditional knowledge. However, the indigenous practices followed by the local tribes still makes Bastar one of the biggest examples of a sustainably growing Cultural Landscape in India which derives its best features from its Indigenous culture.

The main aim of this paper is to study examples of Historic Vernacular landscapes in India, along with Bastar as the main case and to understand and suggest how these places have retained the best of their indigenous character while developing with the growing world. This knowledge can open new avenues of sustainable development and practices influenced by the indigenous knowledge of the tribal people in Bastar.

Traditional values are the backbone of the tribal society of Chhattisgarh and by understanding and using them to their optimum, we can create a better future for the state and its people.




23 Homestead Farms of Kerala: A Dying Epitome of Sustainability

Deepa William (Landscape Architect; [email protected])

Key words: agriculture, productive landscapes, cultural landscapes, sustainability, Kerala homestead farms, spatial relationships, vernacular landscapes, land-use change, agroforestry, tropical home gardens, landscape conservation

Agriculture is one of the first interventions of nature by man and these landscapes clearly represents the ever-changing cultural needs of any society. The homestead farms of Kerala are vernacular landscapes evolved over time reflecting its geography, natural resources, socio-cultural and economic factors. Homestead farms of Kerala are tropical multi-layer structured home gardens which evolved over time around the cultural and natural context of Kerala. These cultural landscapes are the epitome of sustainability and are currently dying under land use change, rapid urbanization and changing human environment relationships. Homesteads farms of Kerala is only viewed till date as an agricultural practice rather than a cultural landscape. The paper discusses these homestead farms as cultural landscapes exploring the geography, natural resources and socio-cultural factors which shaped and continue to shape these landscapes. Evaluating its sustainability against proven agricultural and ecological practices is carried out, thus reinforcing its relevance in today’s time. The paper sums up the evolution of these landscapes under the various cultural and natural dimensions, current changes, sustainability evaluation and its future implications in community and landscape conservation.




24 Scio-Environmental Sustainability of Traditional Courtyard houses of Lucknow and Varanasi

Lalit Akash Verma (M.arch student; [email protected]), Dr Farheen Bano (Sr. Asst. Prof., FOAP, A.P.J. Technical University, Lucknow; [email protected])

Key words: Courtyard, traditional houses, climate responsive, daylight, thermal comfort, illumination

The courtyard houses have an important place in the history of architecture. They play a significant role in social as well as environmental sustainability of that place. Base on social, cultural and climatical context, several regions of India have their own vernacular language of architecture for deigning a courtyard. This paper is a comparative study on the environmental sustainability in traditional courtyard houses in Lucknow and Varanasi, as two of the ancient cities of India in Composite Climate. It aims to identify the significance of courtyards in composite climate by analysing the associated space and function, courtyard configuration and socio-cultural connection.

To achieve this purpose, eight courtyard houses of Lucknow and Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, were selected based on their heritage value (in terms of age) and placement of the courtyard. Drawings of these houses were prepared through site survey. Illumination data in the courtyard and spaces adjacent to it was measured through a lux meter. Various parameters of the courtyard such as placement, size (length, breadth and height) and connection to adjacent spaces were analysed through the above collected data. Comparative charts and tables were developed for the statistical analysis. The analysis concluded that the courtyard houses with NS orientation with significant height have good thermal comfort and daylight in the adjacent spaces.

This research shows that traditional courtyard houses of Lucknow and Varanasi were designed based on careful attention to climatic requirements in their socio-cultural context to provide both physical and mental comforts for residents. In conclusion, some socio-environmental design principles have been extracted, as lessons learned from the past, which can be considered in designing contemporary sustainable residential buildings in the composite climate of India. These design patterns can be generalized to all cases with similar climatic conditions to save more energy and enhance social values in mentioned areas.


SESSION 7 Sacred landscapes

SUB THEME 4: Spiritual landscapes as a source of divine inspiration and community wellbeing

25 Regenerating and Reclaiming the Contested Spaces in Sacred Landscapes

Ridhu Dhan Gahalot ([email protected]), Charlie Gupta ([email protected] ) (School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal)

Key words: contested spaces, sacred landscapes, tourism, commercialization, religious commodification

A sacred landscape is the result of human actions and subsequent evolution, and it serves as a backdrop for mytho-historical re-enactments. While it may represent divinity and spirituality, sacred landscapes are more complex, dynamic landscapes built on an unrestrained and chaotic environment, which can be easily juxtaposed for a tourist destination. This paper investigates this ideology based on the study of two major holy towns, Vrindavan and Pushkar. Both being an integral part of the Hindu pilgrimage invite millions of pilgrims annually, looking for spiritual essence and religiosity. However, along with pilgrimage these towns also tend to act as a destination for leisure tourism, leading to an inevitable contestation between the urban development process of these towns, where the spatial structure of the town is constantly evolving to cater the need of the pilgrims as well as the tourists.

It can be evidently observed in both the towns that the spiritual construct that once bound the meanings associated with several spiritual activities have lost their significance over time. These towns are now heavily promoted as tourist destinations, which has altered the traveling patterns and have led to a widespread commodification and commercialization of culture and heritage, where new emerging economic buoyancy and changing urban structure have given these towns homogeneous character and have led to the formation of new building typologies, which dominate the skyline of these towns, ultimately resulting in the formation of numerous commodified sacred spaces with diminishing place-based memories and associations. Using a case study approach and a purposive survey method, the paper attempts to identify such contested areas that impede not only the spiritual experience of these cities, but also the community's well-being, eventually proposing strategies to regenerate and reclaim these spaces in such sacred territories.




26 The Sacred ecology of Govardhan Hill, Mathura

Abhishek Bhardwaj (M.Arch, Urban Regeneration; [email protected])

Key words: Sacred Landscape, Urbanization, Habitat fragmentation, Local traditions, Nature worshipping, Sacred grove

In the sacred lands of Braj exists Govardhan hill, highly worshipped and revered by pilgrims who visit to perform Parikrama around the hill. This 11 km long ridge is located around 20 kms far from Mathura and runs across two states, i.e Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The hill has several hallowed sacred sites related to Lord Krishna and his consort Radha. The sacred flora of the hill is sacrosanct to pilgrims who worship trees of Kadamba and Tamal as form of Lord Krishna and Radha. The ancient trees are also venerated and worshipped as saints practicing meditation in austerity. The water bodies like Kunds, Sarovars and Pokhars are conceived as aquatic form of Lord Krishna and places for rituals performed by Pilgrims.

Govardhan Hill with its rising popularity as a pilgrimage destination has suffered unrecoverable alterations in its landscape due to urbanization. Since, sacred landscape of Govardhan Hill, Vans, Raas-sthalis and Kunds had strong lush imagery in the local customs and solemnities that the loss of sacred groves and disappearance of these place markers leads to subverting of cultural iconography and memories. The loss of several sacred sites and extinction of Kunds over a period of time has weakened the prevailing religious narrative of the pilgrimage. The lack of respect and awareness of the sanctity of Govardhan among the locals confirms the attrition of cultural values associated with the place. On the ecological front, expansion of settlements, vertical construction and heavy encroachment has further contributed to the depletion of forest cover, loss of sacred groves, habitat fragmentation of fauna that once resided in the forests of Govardhan. Moreover, the sacred hill which pilgrims hailed and prostrated while performing parikrama is no longer visible from Parikrama marg due to increased construction on the hill terrain.

This study focuses on the Sacred landscape of Govardhan, its historicity, the Urbanization around the hill and the vulnerable ecology of the region that still sustains religious practices of nature worshipping and keeps the local traditions alive. This research attempts to discern into all the layers associated with a sacred landscape like Govardhan hill which has enormously transformed over the years as a major site of pilgrimage in Braj region.




27 Reclaiming Ramjanambhoomi as a Narrative Landscape in Ayodhya

Prof. Amita Sinha ([email protected])

Key words: narrative, memory, place images, Ramayan, cultural landscape

The contested site of Ramjanambhoomi in Ayodhya has been reclaimed for building a Hindu temple following years of litigation and its occupation by Babri Masjid for more than three centuries. This temple is projected to be a monumental complex, a grand statement of Hindu faith in the divine king Ram. The site, while of immense significance as his birthplace, appears to be just a backdrop, devoid of any features and with no history, for a theme park temple designed as a visual spectacle. The paper outlines an alternative conceptual framework for site design based upon site readings and review of place images in the Ramayan linguistic and pictorial texts. This framework is predicated on the idea of place making as a process for memory retrieval in the present and encoding memories for the future. Place images are considered integral to memory formation and recall. In reclaiming Ramjanambhoomi as an act of placemaking, the temple is proposed to be situated in a narrative landscape that will speak of Ram’s person and deeds by incorporating place images and memory traces. Topographical features with their legends and archaeological fragments are memory traces to be amplified in site design for anchoring the emergent landscape narrative. The continuum between myth and history at Ramjanambhoomi will be represented in the proposed cultural landscape, the premise being that devotees will visit the temple to obtain darshan (ritual sighting) of deities of Ram and his family but will experience the surroundings as a site of memory of his forest exile that shaped his persona of a renouncer-king. The mnemonic landscape will communicate the lost environmental ethos of living in harmony with nature and will be sustainable in its use of resources.




28 Questions of Authenticity: The case of sacred Jain landscape of the walled city of Ahmedabad

Yash Gupta (Conservation Architect, DHARATAL; [email protected]), Jigna Desai (Asso. Prof., Program Chair, Masters in Conservation & Regeneration, FOA, CEPT University,

Executive Director, Centre for Heritage Conservation, CEPT Research and Development Foundation; [email protected])

Key words: Authenticity, Sacred Landscapes, World Heritage Sites, Jirnodhar, Historic Ahmadabad, Historic Urban landscape, Jain Heritage

Since the foundation of Ahmedabad in 1411, many religious and cultural revivals have shaped its history. One such historic shift came with the increasing influence of Jainism on the city’s culture, playing a considerable role in the political and economic development of the walled city of Ahmedabad. The social structure of Jain communities focused on community living inside a gated street community (pol) with their temples (Derasar) as an overriding part of their life.

A city-wide network of more than a hundred such Jain temples, Upashraya (monastery), Dharamshala (lodging for pilgrims) and Pathshala (religious schools) formed an interconnected sacred landscape that became the driving force behind the upheaval of the Jain culture in the city. These sacred sites have not only been the epicentre of spiritual knowledge of the Jain community but also one of the drivers of trade and commerce, which the city’s Jain community is famous for.

The sacred landscape encapsulates several intangible religious and ritualistic practices centred around the Jain temples. Amongst these, the practice of Jirnodhar (renewal of the temple) has been a medium for the community to spiritually connect with the divine. Centuries of Jirnodhar involving multiple cycles of restoration and reconstruction of these Jain temples have led to an overlap of many layers of historicity, meanings and materials on this sacred landscape making it highly dynamic and transformative. Moreover, this Jain sacred landscape made a vital argument for Ahmedabad’s nomination as a world heritage site for justifying UNESCO’s criteria (ii), for the community’s spiritual ‘response’. But subsequently, the city’s heritage management plan enforced strict heritage protection laws to safeguard its crumbling heritage fabric, thus creating a massive conflict with its age-old Jirnodhar practices.

This research stems from the aforementioned conflict and from the failure of the city’s heritage management plan to comprehend the complexity and multilayered nature of this sacred landscape, resulting in the twofold objectives of this research - the primary aim of the paper is to explore the delicate links between the various elements of this sacred Jain landscape while tracing its origins and evolution as a sacred cultural landscape using archival data, on ground cultural mapping tools and oral history narratives. However, the broader aim of this research is also to recognize the conflicting interpretations of the site’s authenticity, away from international ideals of ‘material authenticity’ and towards the local community’s ‘spiritual knowledge’.


SESSION 8 Historic urban landscapes


29 Historic Urban Landscape approach as a new paradigm for the conservation of cultural landscapes in Indian cities

Ashfina T ([email protected]), Prof. Pushplata, Prof.Chani PS (Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee)

Key words: Cultural landscape, Heritage, Urban Conservation, Historic urban landscape

Culture and heritage are two of the most important tools that cities can use to preserve their identity and distinguish themselves. Every city in India has a distinct and unique identity based on its culture and heritage, which necessitates extra care in its conservation. However, most historic city conservation strategies are fragmented, with individual layers of a heritage city being preserved separately, with less emphasis on the identity bestowed by the layers collectively. This type of conservation results in the loss of identity and becomes detrimental to any development in these cities. As a result, it is now vital to develop a more comprehensive and integrated strategy that considers all layers as a single entity. To ensure this, and also to determine the suitability, a thorough analysis is required before the implementation of any new strategy. A comprehensive review of existing approaches reveals significant flaws at the planning and execution levels, as well as a lack of integration for various layers of heritage, which harms socioeconomic development. The Historic Urban Landscape approach developed by UNESCO in 2011, is an integrated approach that is successfully implemented in many heritage cities. The living cities of India are also chosen for implementation in the early stages of the recommendations. However, no detailed investigation has been performed to determine its applicability or suitability. This paper aims to determine the historic urban landscape approach's relevance and applicability in Indian heritage cities by understanding the concept, attributes, and components as described in the UNESCO recommendations. It provides a critical evaluation of the HUL approach in various cities such as Cuenca, Shanghai, and Rawalpindi, where it has been implemented, and also a comparison of the context of these cities with that of Indian heritage cities so that to establish the applicability and suitability of historic urban landscape approach as a new paradigm for the conservation of cultural landscapes in India.




30 Historic Urban Landscape in Practice: Jaipur City

Nitya Khendry (Conservation Architect, Heritage Cell, Jaipur Municipal Corporation; [email protected])

Key words: World heritage, urban conservation, management plan, sustainable development, policy-making

The Walled City of Jaipur was planned as a single-phase project as a trade city on the plains with a grid-iron plan, where most of the city infrastructure, public buildings and royal spaces were completed within a span of four years - as opposed to the prevalent practices of organically growing military cities on the hills. The structures on the main bazars and craft-based settlements were planned by the State, ensuring continuity of the architectural and urban morphology and cultural landscape of the 18th century city.

The resultant cultural landscape and settlement patterns also reflect Jaipur’s unique nature-culture linkages as its plan is derived from the natural terrain, includes hills on three sides, with plains to the south as well as water bodies inside and outside the settlement, originally connected by a vast network of historic water channels to provide for the city. However, the city was planned to support a population of only 150,000 people within the nine sectors, a number which has almost quadrupled in the present day.

The Historic Urban Landscape approach has been adopted for various measures for the city, as shall be elaborated in the paper. As a living crafts city based on the traditional planning concept of “chhattees karkhaane”, Jaipur is also inscribed on the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The interconnection between the tangible and intangible values in the city require an integrated approach to regenerate the traditional livelihoods and protect its cultural landscape.

Recognising the dynamic nature and rapid urbanization of this living city, a sustainable development framework is now being prepared for the efficient management of Jaipur City, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it aims to use various tools mentioned in the Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape, including various civic engagement, knowledge and planning, regulatory systems and financial tools.

The paper shall explore how the management plan aims to guide the capacity building processes, as well as capacity building, education and research. It shall also address the policy and regulatory concerns necessary for the management of the city and the systems that need to be put in place for efficient implementation, coordination between various organizations and the integration of urban conservation strategies with sustainable development and enhancing the quality of life of all stakeholders.




31 Regeneration of the historic market precincts of Bengaluru

Roshini Muralidhara (Conservation Architect; [email protected])

Key words: historic urban landscapes, heritage led development, urban regeneration, historic urban neighbourhoods, stakeholder engagement, collaborative approach, cultural sustainability

Historic urban landscapes (HUL) can be defined as urban areas that are constantly evolving as a result of layering of various cultural, economic, social and natural values and continuous human interaction. They consist of a comprehensive urban context and geographical setting with a wide range of tangible assets like historic building fabric, streetscapes, urban settlements, traditional land use patterns and public spaces and intangible elements like community rituals and festivals, local folklore and art, shared associative memories, culinary traditions etc. HULs act as an important tool in integrating policies and theories of built environment conservation into the larger framework of sustainable urban development and management. They are inter-disciplinary, inclusive and provide a value-based approach for cultural heritage management and related development.

Heritage led urban regeneration is the process of developing and planning approaches for rejuvenating the deteriorating old neighbourhoods and heritage assets into the modern thriving environment so as to enhance their social, cultural, natural and economic values and improve the quality of life of the associated communities.

Bengaluru is one of the leading metropolitan cities in the country today, growing rapidly owing to the pressures of urbanisation. The origin of the city as a market fortress town in 1537 AD played a significant role in transforming the region into a major military, trading and industrial hub in the 17th-18th centuries. The city later went on to become one of the largest British civil and military station in South India with a thriving administrative and residential centre. This attracted traders and merchants from across the country and paved way for different types of markets and commercial establishments. This rich mercantile heritage of the city has undergone considerable transformation owing to years of interventions by various stakeholders and is slowly fading under the light of new development.

This paper intends to understand the different values that can be attributed to the heritage markets and also highlight their character and significance to the city. Further, the paper seeks to explore the idea of how these markets, as important markers of the historic landscape of Bengaluru can be used as a driver for social, economic and cultural revival of the historic precincts, through public awareness, planned collaborations, community participation and capacity building.




32 A Study of Policy & Legislation for Infrastructure Upgradation in Historic Urban Landscapes

Tanya Chaturvedi Vegad (Architect, Infrastructure Planner; [email protected])

Key words: Policy, Legislation, Historic Urban Landscapes, Infrastructure, Tools-Toolkits, Case studies

Inhabited historic urban landscapes have always been contentious landscapes. We need to ensure their upkeep, in line with global trends and user aspirations. Numerous layers of decision-making across hierarchies and organizational silos need to be coordinated. There is a constant need to keep our legislations current and updated. Else, they don’t keep up with policy directions.

Despite recent large scale, expensive attempts, many of well-intentioned initiatives have faced frustrating failure in implementation. Some issues faced are gridlocks amongst stakeholders, lack of co-ordination, no streamlining in decision-making, and an overall lack of “teeth”. These obscure the broader picture and allow piecemeal patchwork of upgrades to happen, marring the overall historic cultural landscape as well as OUV of individual structures.

This study focuses on inhabited heritage areas. The intention is to study their infrastructure up gradation policy and legislation aspects in India. What are the past experiences, learning and future directions. The study examines various sub-sectors of physical infrastructure and social infrastructure, applicable to inhabited historic urban landscapes, and list all policies and policy-offshoots that address them.

UNESCO policy evolution, since the 1960s, is examined through its recommendations and charters. Policies and programs in India are then compared. The study looks at contradictions and overlaps in various laws addressing infrastructure upgradation in heritage residences, and quarters, and their broader historic urban landscapes. Historical conflict with ‘development’ of infrastructure is examined. This is done through a study of laws and cases.

Specific legal hurdles, policy challenges and possible solutions are identified. Internationally, there has been a change in policy stance from defining myopic ‘heritage quarters’ to ‘historic urban landscapes’ over the decades. This defines a newer way to approach upgradation. From development and infrastructure being listed as ‘major threats’ the new mandate has to be to incorporate them into plans and create frameworks to do them right.

There is a clear and pressing need to create a single line of authority for each intended program. In several other sectors, infrastructure up gradation has shown promising results. Residences, though privately owned and maintained, could benefit from participatory planning approaches. Cross-pollination of successful implementation mechanisms from other infrastructure sectors with infrastructure up gradation in heritage areas is suggested. Few of these sectors are land re-adjustment mechanisms, PPPs in transportation, micro-finance initiatives etc.

Fatehpur Sikri, Agra I Picture by Nishant Upadhyay


ICOMOS India’s Scientific Symposium 2021 (19th -20th November 2021) I Hybrid event

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