Conservation
South Asia
South Asian Network of Young Conservation Professionals
S A N E Y O C O P
N e w s l e t t e r
Vol. 2 / No. 2
Contents
Ma y - A u gu st 2 0 1 0
Editorial
Jiirnnoddharana – Indian Traditional Philosophy of Conservation - 2
Dr. Binumol Tom
Spatial Transformation of Dutch period Town Houses in Galle Fort - 5
Varuna de Silva and Amanda Rajapakse
Earliest Inscriptions of Nepal - 14
Prakash Darnal
Sacred Landscapes of Govardhan in Braj, India: Imagined, Enacted, and Reclaimed - 15
Amita Sinha
Encountering Canova- 17-21 June 2010 - 17
Poonam Verma Mascarenhas
Tourism Development in Bhaktapur, Nepal: Prospects and Problems - 21
Basudev Lamichhane
Sustainable Urban Design- The Bigger Picture - 27
Gaurav Sarin
Book Review - 34
Dr. Moukhtar Mohammed Mai
Book Review - 35
Neel Kamal Chapagain
Book Review - 36
Mrinalini Venkateswaran
Editor
Jhilmil Kishore
Contributors
Amanda Rajapakse
Amita Sinha
Basudev Lamichhane
Binumol Tom
Gaurav Sarin
Malvika Bajaj Saini
Moukhtar Mohammed Mai
Mrinalini Venkateswaran
Neel Kamal Chapagain
Poonam Verma Mascarenhas
Prakash Darnal
Varuna De Silva
Moderator
Neel Kamal Chapagain
Special Thanks
To Ms. Jaquie Conway- Associate at
AukettFitzroyRobinson
for
assisting
us with the Graphics and Layout of the
Newsletter
Disclaimer:
The contents of and opinions expressed
in the articles are those of authors and
not necessarily shared by the publisher
of this publication.
All Rights Reserved
© 2010. SANEYOCOP
Editorial
This issue is a very real evidence of the revival of CSA Newsletter- it is 39 pages long. There’s nothing new
about the fascination of historic places. What has changed – and changed utterly – is the scale of the 21st
century heritage industry. Connecting people to places is the mood of the times. So how do we make sure
the historic environment is at the heart of the new localism?
In this issue of CSA, we start with Jiirnnoddharana by Binumol wherein she explores Indian Traditional
philosophy of conservation and how relevant it is today. Varuna and Amanda talk about spatial
transformation of Dutch period town houses in Galle fort (Sri Lanka) and bring to the fore some pertinent
aspects of urban conservation. Gaurav’s paper explores the connections and the cross-pollination among
sustainability, globalisation and history – or context. He believes that the three should form the very basis
of a truly sustainable development – one that responds to not only the local condition, but also to the
wider geographic, geo-economic and the political issues.The paper also analyses the linkages of sustainable
urban development with design quality, feasibility and policy and how all these together form the basis of
sustainable urban planning.
Amita discusses the often blurred boundaries between tangible and intangible through case study of sacred
landscape of Govardhan in Braj, India. Poonam’s travelogue on Canova (Italy) makes us relect upon the
often discussed issue of ‘common sense’ approach to conservation.
Basudev’s article on tourism in Bhaktapur, Nepal reinforces two main driving concerns of all heritage
operators- the irst is the passionate enthusiasm to share the very special place for which they are
responsible with a much larger public. The second is the determination to generate enough income to
keep them in good repair for the beneit of future generations. Taking us back several centuries Prakash’s
article on Earliest Inscriptions of Nepal documents the earliest known record of Brahmi script.
We have three book reviews in this issue- Old but New:: new but Old is a response to 400 years of
Dhaka as a capital city- and discusses the neglect and problems of architectural heritage conservation
in the developing countries. The Heritage-scape- offers unique perspectives regarding the relationship of
heritage with tourism. And inally, Monuments of India documents 50 monuments and steers us towards
understanding them from their functional and social perspective rather than community based stylistic
afiliations.
- Jhilmil Kishore
1
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Jiirnnoddharana - Indian Traditional Philosophy of Conservation
By Dr. Binumol Tom
The philosophies of Conservation are based on the key principles
of care, stewardship and that of truth. The concern for protecting
and preserving the tangible and intangible cultural heritage
was rooted in the eighteenth century romantic and historicist
philosophies of the west, which eventually evolved into legalized
protection of cultural heritage in the nineteenth century as a
reaction to the conservation movements germinated from the
works of enlightened individuals namely John Ruskin, William
Morris, George Gilbert Scott and Viollet-le-Duc and other people
and altruistic groups. In ‘The Seven Lamps of Architecture’, the
most important of the many writings on building preservation
published in 1849 and, in particular, The Lamp of Memory Ruskin
introduces the idea of stewardship: “...it is again no question of
expediency or feeling whether we shall preserve the buildings of
past times or not”. It was as a reaction to the then popular trend
to ‘restore’ old buildings, that William Morris founded SPAB in
England in 1877. It is again through Ruskin that we irst realize
the necessity to make a crisp distinction between ‘restoration’
and ‘repair’ and he felt that ‘restoration’ means “the most total
destruction which a building can suffer, a destruction out of which
no remnants can be gathered, a destruction accompanied with
false description of the thing destroyed”.
While Viollet-le-Duc in France, considered surviving remains as
suficient indication to understand the intent of the original builder
which can guide contemporary restoration and preservation.
“Knowing that restoration inevitably unsettles old buildings,
one must compensate for this curtailment of strength by giving
power to the new parts, by perfecting the structure, by clamping
walls, and by introducing greater resistances, for prolonging the
life of the building is the true task of restoration”, his intention
was to extend the life of the monument by providing materials
and construction methods, which were superior to those used
in the past. He advocated the philosophy of stylistic restoration
through stating that, what is picturesque today might well be
only a memory tomorrow and further argued that what could
be skilfully substituted today, would in turn weather and become
picturesque to later generations. There is an apparent contrast
in approach between these two igures of nineteenth century
restoration, Ruskin and Viollet-le-Duc, who are still acknowledged
as the “grandfathers” of the preservation movement representing
the two opposite poles of restoration practice though Ruskin
is certainly the more accepted in the preservation realm and
has remained a strong inluence throughout the history of the
preservation movement all over the world.
But in India, both the points of view of the French as well as the
British, had existed long ago, in essence, in parts of the Ancient
treatises of Vastusastra, in the form of Jiirnnoddharana, which
were, to an extent, consistent with the modern day conservation
principles advocated by the main international charters.
Jiirnnoddharana according to the same traditional treatises, was
not as much romantic as the western philosophies and was meant
to be practical and purely of functional nature. The compound
Jiirnnoddharana can be glossed in two ways: jiirnaat + uddhaarana
(ablative tatpurusa), deliverance from decay; and jiirnasya +
uddhaarana (genitive tatpurusa), ‘raising up of [what is] old or
decayed’. The irst has a preventive sense and can be understood
as preservation or conservation (from servere, ‘to- keep, protect,’
etc., but still not in the modern sense), while the latter has a
restorative sense (bringing back to youth/life what is already old
and decayed). Jiirna, means ‘old, decayed,’ and also ‘the process of
getting old, of decaying.’ Uddhaarana means ‘lifting, raising up’ and
also ‘delivering’.
In Vastusastra there are mainly four aspects of Vastu viz. bhumi
(land), prasada (the one that gives bliss, the building), yana (vehicles),
and sayana (furniture). Shilpa (sculpture) and chitra (graphics) are
also considered as the other two aspects forming the shadanga
(or the 6 limbs) of Vastu in general. Here, an empyreal assumption
is that, Vastu is not a composition of inert components built of
different dead materials but has life in it and has been referred to as
Vastupurusa or Bhavanapurusa. Planning, design, construction and
maintenance, the four aspects of the science of building is based
on this philosophy that a building is a living thing. The basic cause
of every creation (Sargaprakriya) is the coalescence of Prakriti and
Purusa and when we conceive such philosophies as the basis in the
conceptualization of Prasada, it gets life and becomes Prasadavastu.
Similar to growth even to decay is the law of nature and is
inevitable and every object natural or manmade has to undergo
change. So even the prasadapurusa has to undergo change and
decay. Among ayadi-shadvarga (as explained in Mayamatam), which
is a group of six indicators used in traditional science, ayusthiti
is very important. It is believed that no creature is immortal
in this universe where the process of Srsti (creation), Sthiti
(existence) and Samhara (destruction) are going on continuously.
Balatva Kaumaram youvanamadh vardhakyam ca nidhanam ca I
Panch vayamsyesvanathyam nestam sistani vastunistani II
(Manusyalayacandrika)
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
2
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Jiirnnoddharana - Indian Traditional Philosophy of Conservation (contd.)
By Dr. Binumol Tom
So every prasadapurusa should also undergo the ive stages of
life viz Balyam (childhood), Koumaram (adolescence), Youvanam
(climacteric), and Vardakyam (old age) one by one and inally
Maranam (death).This interpretation comes from the understanding
that a building is the progeny resulting from the fertilization of the
seed planted by the male force vasthupurusha in the female force
bhoomi or earth, thus emerging out of her body. So the seed sown
(garbanyasa) into the womb of earth at the auspicious time grows
above the surface as superstructure into prasadapurusa, then also
going through the various stages of growth, decay and death. After
the inal stage ‘the death’, fortunately some of the prasadapurusas
too may have reincarnations or greenings or bringing back to life
of usefulness. Here in lies the relevance of Jiirnnoddharana.Though
it is desirable to prevent decay of prasadapurusa nothing can stop
the real process of aging and thereby decaying. So what is possible
practically is to uplift (Uddharana) the decayed (Jiirnna) through
the process of Jiirnnoddharana.
Tantrasamuchaya the 15th century foundation text by Chenasu
Narayanan Namboothiripad for the construction of Temples in
Kerala has a padala (chapter) on jiirnnoddharana written based on
Silpasastra of Srikumara. Mayamata also gives rules relating to the
renovation of temples, linga, pedestals, images, other constructions
and dwelling sites including settlements. The importance
attached to this process of renovation is best illustrated by the
fact that most of the Agamas, Samhitas, Tantras and others deal
with jiirnnoddharana. Naradeeyasamhita, Vishwaksenasamhita,
Prathishttamayookham, Bhargavatantram, Vishwamitrasamhita,
Suprabhedagamam, Padmasamhita, Kamikamagam, Rauravagamam,
Karanagamam, Sookshagamam, Ajithagamam, Chindyagamam,
Veeragamam, Markhandeyasamhita, Aparajitha Prachha etc are
a few to mention. According to the traditional belief only the
Prasada for Deva (religious structures) are intended to remain
till the destruction of the universe (Aakalpandhasthasnubhaveena
bhakthya Devasyevam samprathisttapitasya) and so jiirnnoddharana
was mainly meant for them.
Certain general principles followed in the jiirnnoddharana vidhi
(method) are as follows: The restored or renovated ediice must
have the same dimensions and similar materials as that of the
original one. Under no circumstance, the dimensions of the
restored object shall be reduced and inferior materials used.
Some texts say that the restored building (especially temples
established by Irshis or even ‘believed to be’ self born) can have
larger (transcendencial) dimensions and better quality materials
and techniques can be employed. Accordingly a single level
vimana of a temple can be made double or three levels; the single
cell garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) can be expanded. Such
alterations are better left to the wisdom of the Acaryas according
to the principles of jiirnnoddharana. While towns, villages and
shelters should be restored in the same manner, as they existed
before.
Nadyadeenam Jalarayirnastam va chalitham tu va
Damabimbadi talstanadh punaranyatra kalpayeth
(Viswamitra samhita)
This means that when an icon of a temple is destroyed or
threatened to be destroyed due to the attack of river or sea
or storm, the rule is that relocation of prasada should be done
within 1000 danda (stick) from the original structure. Here the
term danda should be taken as the width of the prasada, which is a
module according to some interpretations.The relocated structure
should be identical to the original one. Such relocation can be in
any direction other than south, southeast and northwest of the
original location. The ediice can be reconstructed using the old
materials or new. But every part of the prasada should be rebuilt
and assembled according to the canons of temple construction.
This is probably the reason why descriptions on jiirnnoddharana
are brief in agamas and samhitas.
Every element of a traditional building constructed based on
traditional principles contain a dimensional code that speaks of
the whole structure which makes it possible to extrapolate the
whole from the dimension and position of any relic. This is indeed
a strong guiding factor in jiirnnoddharana as it can be carried out
with utmost perfection and precision leaving no door open for
conjectures and refutations. When construction materials such
as timber are to be joined it is advised to join old materials to
old and new materials to new. Mixing of old and new materials
was permitted only under compatible condition, consistent with
structural function. Construction style was mainly of sudha (one
type of material) and misra (more than one type of material)
was rarely adopted. One striking point in Jiirnnoddharana is that
though salvaging of material is taken into account (for material
conservation) the Acharyas never compromised with the quality
& strength of ediices to be renovated. This is well evinced in
the practice of not reusing wooden pegs (kila) even if they are in
absolutely good conditions. Jiirnnoddharana of decayed historic
buildings present particular problems of both technique and
approach. According to traditional texts jiirnnoddharana is equally
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Jiirnnoddharana - Indian Traditional Philosophy of Conservation (contd.)
By Dr. Binumol Tom
important as new construction.Whether it is total reconstruction
or restoration or preservation, all depended on the extend of
damage and the importance of the structure (Tantrasamuchaya*
padala-11, sloka 1-35).
Whether it is the traditional Indian concept of Jiirnnoddharana or
modern conservation science – the respect for life and materials
is given prime consideration. In traditional jiirnoddharana concept,
if authenticity was believed to be more in spirit than in material,
may be it was with the understanding that tradition should be
kept alive in spite of the material conservation or may be not. As
we understand today that it is not just the historic buildings that
are worthy of conservation but the historic ways of buildings too.
Apparently, it was discussed also in Nara, Japan that there couldn’t
be absolute Authenticity in conservation of heritage buildings, as
the time has already gone by - from the original to – today. As a
bottom line it should be noticed that Traditional scholarship occurs
in the form of expositions and commentaries on foundational
texts, and almost never in the form of a retrospective, critical,
study in which one can bracket out a particular aspect of the
body of knowledge and treat it almost in isolation with respect
to the whole. Traditional system emerged and crystallized within
the matrix of the religious beliefs and practices, social, political
and economic organization and structures of the people of that
time -- none of which no longer exist in the same way today as
they were then. In other words, a rupture has occurred in the
process of transmission of tradition. But most of the traditional
scriptures and buildings are living testimonies of a grand past and
form an arena to rediscover hidden concepts, methodologies and
techniques.
*Tantrasamuchaya is the 15th century fountainhead for temple
construction and rituals in Kerala.
Dr. Binumol Tom is a Conservation Architect and an Assistant Professor
in the Department of Architecture at College of Engineering, Trivandrum,
India.
SANEYOCOP Moderator
From the Moderator’s Desk: August 2010 Newsleter
Following the release of the revived issue of the newsletter – CSA
on April 30th, the editorial group received several emails cheering
up the effort and promising for participation next time. Certainly,
the revival of CSA newsletter stirred a new wave of energy
in the network. As before, the presence of the network and
passion of its members continued to be realized as our inboxes
received email posts discussing issues pertaining to heritage
conservation in South Asia and beyond. A quick sampling of the
posts we read in recent months included media news, burning
issues in the profession, seeking and sharing professional and
educational opportunities, calls for papers, invitation to lectures
and seminars, and so on.We were joined by more new members
where as some disappeared members also made a comeback
from their busy schedule to the virtual network. Yet, obviously
we wish to see more active participation, more voices featured,
and more issues discussed. While this wish could be taken as a
call for more active participation, it may also indicate that we all
are extremely busy in our professional ventures. Let’s keep that
energy and busy schedule up for the cause of our professional
practice, but let’s also remember that connectivity, networking
and learning by sharing is also a key to successful professional
practice in the “heritage-scape” – a term borrowed from Di
Giovine (see book review in this issue) but to mean all levels of
heritage sites, not just the World Heritage sites.
To facilitate the virtual networking, we also ventured into other
platforms of web-networking, such as Facebook and Linked-in.
While Facebook group has relatively encouraging membership,
Linked-in professional networking has not been much appealing
to majority of us. An attempt of compiling our members’
professional directory has mainly been unsuccessful until now
due to extremely low number of information received to date.
This perhaps indicates a success of the network that we all are
so well connected to each other that there is not really a need
of a directory as such. However, if we think that compiling a
members’ database as a directory may be a good tool to pursue,
we remain open to continue work on compiling the members’
information. A web-blog and an online document sharing tool
have been used to facilitate the sharing of this newsletter.A major
next target is to revive our lost website.As we move forward, we
hope that SANEYOCOP will continue to be an active platform
to facilitate our continued conversation about conservation, and
it is possible only with your valuable presence in the network.
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Spatial Transformation of Dutch period Town Houses in Galle Fort
By Varuna de Silva and Amanda Rajapakse
Galle - A History
The city of Galle situated
on the South Western tip of
Sri Lanka (Figure 01) is the
administrative capital of the
southern province of the
Island. Its historic quarter,
the Fort, is said to be the
largest surviving Fortiied
Dutch
Colonial
Town
outside Europe and one of
Houses in row on either side of the street with colonnaded
open verandahs contributed immensely to the character of the
streetscape by deining its street edge.This characteristic remained
intact during Dutch and British Periods, where Galle continued to
function as an Administrative Centre of Southern Sri Lanka.
Figure 01
the best examples of a fortiied city built by the Europeans in
South and South East Asia. This was declared a UNESCO world
heritage site in 1984 (Figure 02).
The modern History of Galle starts in 1505 when the irst
Portuguese under Lorenzo De Almeida was driven here by a
storm. They built a small fort in 1589 on the orders of Viceroy
Mathias de Albuquerque. In 1640 the Portuguese surrendered to
the Dutch East India Company. The Dutch set about constructing
the massive ramparts and the fortiications in early 1660s. The
fortiication was strengthened and completely overhauled during
the administration of Dutch Governor Petrus Vuyst (1726-1729).
In 1796 the Galle Fort was handed over to the British.
The fort is approximately 40 hectares in extent and is divided
into sectors based on the standard grid iron pattern of streets
established in all Dutch colonized cities of Asia. There is a
hierarchical arrangement in the buildings which consists of
Churches, Hospitals, Administrative buildings and town houses.
EXISTING LAND USE
•Govt’s Offices
•Commercial
•Primary Residential
•Mixed Residential
•Religious
•Industries and Warehouses
•Educational Institutes
•Recreational
•Recreational open spaces
•Public Square
•Vacant Land
Figure 02
Aerial Views of Galle Fort (photos Ashley DeVos)
Figure 03
Period of Construction
Source: Ancient Ceylon, CHCS, University of Moratuwa
The morphology of Galle Fort represents a primary response of
the buildings to the street. Residential plots which are about 50%
of the built fabric are narrow on the street frontage and run deep
and perpendicular to the street (igure 03). This was a common
practice in dividing plots in all colonized cities of South East Asia.
The commercial value of the street frontage in urban spaces was
a major consideration for the frontage to be narrow.
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Spatial Transformation of Dutch period Town Houses in Galle Fort (contd.)
By Varuna de Silva and Amanda Rajapakse
Architecture of the “Town House” of Galle Fort
Plaatse (Courtyard – paved compound)
What is generally referred to as ‘Dutch Houses’ in the Galle Fort
have a complex history. These houses have typical characteristics
of Sri Lankan vernacular architecture of the maritime region in the
18th and 19th centuries. Culturally, this has involved the combination
of Asian and European concepts, designs, technologies and ways
of life and their adaptation to the new social needs in tropical
Asian conditions2. Therefore, it is not considered authentic Dutch
but a hybrid of western and eastern architecture. It is a new
form of Domestic Architecture, built by local craftsmen based
on the knowledge of migrant Dutch, denoting a unique style of
architecture of Dual Parentage.
Slaap Kamer (Bed rooms)
Visite Kamers (Visitors’ rooms)
Plaatse Kamer (handy room used for different purposes)
Keuken (Kitchen)
Dispens Kamers (Store room)
Well – usually in the Plaatse
Lavatory (igure 05).
In addition to these
spaces, there were service
corridors by the side, but
within the house itself in
instances where there
was no street or service
alleyway abutting or behind
the house for removing
soil from the lavatories or
in some houses, for taking
the horse to the back of
the house.
The plot coniguration has been a major generator in deining
and restricting the original form of the house. The courtyard has
been a central element that not only provided light and ventilation
to the town house but shaped the other main functional spaces
around, giving it identity and deinition.
Analysing a majority of the town houses in Galle Fort, it is
evident that there is a very deinite pattern in the arrangement
and relationship between the spaces of the house. The Stoep
(front verandah), Klein Zaal (lobby), the Zaal (Great hall) and the
Halvedak (back verandah) although different in size, proportion
and in interior detailing (based on the social and economic status
of the occupants) have almost always been consistent as distinct
types of semi private spaces in the front section of the house. The
more private spaces were organized towards the rear of the plot,
around or along a courtyard. This quiet, interior courtyard was
the space around which the domestic life of the family revolved.
(igure 04)
Transformation of form
of the Town House
The unique architecture
of domestic buildings and
streetscape generated by
these buildings gradually
began to disappear during
the latter part of the British
and post Independence
periods. Particularly during
the last few decades, there
is an apparent loss of
character in the building
envelope and in the
Some distinct elements can be identiied in a typical Dutch Town
House abutting a street frontage. They are;
Stoep (front verandah)
Klein Zaal (lobby) which could
consist of one or two rooms on
either side
Zaal (Great hall)
Figure 04
Two typical
conigurations of town houses in
relation to courtyard
Zolder (attic - above the Zaal)
Halve dak (back verandah) so
called because only half the
paved is covered by roof
Figure 05
Typical plan of a
Dutch House in Galle Fort.
Source: Brohier R.L, Links between Sri Lanka
and The Netherlands
internal planning of these
town houses. Main reasons
for this occurrence could
be due to expansions
and fragmentation to
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Spatial Transformation of Dutch period Town Houses in Galle Fort (contd.)
By Varuna de Silva and Amanda Rajapakse
accommodate additional functions due to growth of family units,
legal ownership related factors and a general deterioration
of spaces owing to the poor economic status of most of the
occupants.
layer of the Town House. There is a need to investigate beyond
these more public areas of the house to study the layout and
transformation of the more private internal spaces of the house
with the passage of time.
Conservation efforts related to Galle Fort
The Study
During the late 1970’s with worldwide trends on preservation
of heritage, conservation efforts on Galle Fort too got under
way. With the newly acquired status as a World Heritage Site by
UNESCO, the ongoing efforts in preservation of public buildings
and infrastructure with patronage from local and international
communities as well as of the Government of Sri Lanka were
enhanced.
This study is an attempt to investigate the present context of the
‘Town houses’ within the Dutch fort, speciically the interior spaces
and layout, how they have been transformed by the occupants .
However, privately owned domestic buildings, which are an
integral part of the Fort Heritage, were not governed by rules
or regulations with regard to restoration and preservation. This
resulted in rapid changes and deterioration, causing severe changes
to historic streetscapes.
Since 2007, several new attempts have been made to preserve the
historic landscape of the Fort by restoring of private houses. Building
Regulations of the Urban Development Authority, conservation
regulations imposed by the Galle Heritage Foundation and legal
jurisdictions of the Antiquities Ordinance have been used as tools
for these proposed preservation attempts.The Centre for Heritage
and Cultural Studies of University of Moratuwa provided technical
assistance as Consultants and the Galle Heritage Foundation was
the implementing authority.
Method of preservation was adoptive conservation related to
social conservation aiming at preserving the outer envelope of
the building to harmonize with the surrounding streetscape while
allowing occupants to alter the interiors of their houses to fulill
their modern day requirements. Proposals were prepared to bring
back houses to its townhouse character.
55 Private houses had been selected for this programme.The main
intention of the programme was to reduce the negative impacts of
environmental and climatic aspects through a policy of minimum
intervention. One of the primary tasks was to reintroduce the
front verandah which was one of the most important elements of
the town house architecture of the Fort of Galle and restoration
of the roof, if rescue conservation was needed.
The present conservation efforts focus on refurbishing the front
Figure 06
Location of selected houses within the Fort
Six examples on the basis of the variation in the spatial layout,
unique social circumstances and accessibility are selected (igure
06) from the 55 houses that were preserved/conserved by the
GHF to analyse the following;
1. The physical characteristics of the Town houses at present and
what the original might have been (considering the layout, usage
of materials, details, inishes of the existing building) to identify a
pattern in the physical transformation.
2. The Social context (Ethnicity, Gender, life styles, privacy
requirements) of the occupants that may have inluenced changes
as expansions, encroachments etc.
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Spatial Transformation of Dutch period Town Houses in Galle Fort (contd.)
By Varuna de Silva and Amanda Rajapakse
3. The Environmental/climatic responses and material usage of the
dwelling that affects the basic light and ventilation requirements
and comfort levels of the internal spaces.
Analysis of the selected Houses
1. NO 52, LEYN BAAN STREET
be obtained by the bedroom and pantry to enable more livable
spaces.
Moreover, these modiied spaces have been built with thinner
walls, low roof heights, heat generating material such as asbestos
for rooing, cement blocks for walls etc. contributing to a warmer
temperature within the building.
Physical deinition
The plot has a 7m wide street frontage and is 33m deep. The
jagged edge in plan form of the plot suggests that it might have
been fragmented at some point of time. The house appears to
have been an L shaped single storied building with a courtyard
along its length. The footprint of front four layers of space which
are Stoep (front verandah), Klein Zaal (lobby), Zaal (Great hall),
Halve dak (back verandah) appear to be unchanged. Beyond that,
the courtyard has been built upon to add a kitchen and a toilet.
As in most houses, additions have been bedrooms, cooking spaces
and bathrooms. The rooms along the courtyard have no windows
making the rooms dark, hot and also damp during rains (igure
07).
Figure 07
A narrow service alley connects the rear boundary of the plot
from the side. The alley which may have been continuous appears
to have been encroached upon by the rear boundary terminating
at this point.
Social context of the occupants
A Muslim family occupies this house and according to the head of
the family they, have been occupying the house for ive generations.
Privacy of the females was a prime consideration of the family.
They were not comfortable with the surface conservation
method that transformed the enclosed front verandah to an
open one exposing the female members of the household to the
general public. The verandah is therefore not used by them. The
front door and windows are kept closed making the verandah
redundant. The verandah is thus a mere artifact or decoration to
the street devoid of functional relevance.
Environmental response
The front four layers are thermally comfortable as opposed to the
modiied and added spaces to the rear. Physical encroachment on
to the courtyard as well as lack of openings in the bedrooms have
compromised the level of natural light and ventilation that could
2. No 08, SMALL CROSS STREET
Physical deinition
This is a two storied house on an 8m x 37m plot on Small Cross
Street linking Leyn Baan and Church Streets. Every element of the
house appears to have been modiied and added on extensively
beyond recognition. Space deinition of the front four layers
remain as per original footprint. Above these four spaces there
are four identical spaces on the upper level with access from both
verandahs. The front stairway from the verandah to the upper
level appears to be a later addition to give access to the upper
loor bedroom and living area which functions as a guest house
away from the more private spaces of the occupants. There is an
obvious difference between the appearance and treatment of the
front built spaces of the house (both ground and irst loor) and
the rear.The front portion is well maintained and clean, compared
to the rest of the house.The reason could be that the front spaces
are used as a Guest house. (igure 08).
Beyond these layers, it has been built up in a manner that it
becomes dificult to understand what the original layout may have
been.
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Spatial Transformation of Dutch period Town Houses in Galle Fort (contd.)
By Varuna de Silva and Amanda Rajapakse
Along the length of the plot runs a service lane about 1.4m wide.
These service lanes which were required for servicing the pit
latrines during the Dutch times and still used as a service access
ways.
x 8m space is ventilated only through a central courtyard which is
2.4m x 2.4m. Furthermore, this courtyard is covered at roof level
by a concrete slab to accommodate a toilet on the upper loor.
A series of rooms exposed to very little natural light and ventilation
makes the spaces feel unhealthy.
3. 78, 78A, CHURCH STREET
Physical deinition
This house is unique as it has been divided by an imaginary line
lengthwise along the middle of the 8m x 35m plot beyond the three
front layers, and used as two separate houses for two families.
They even have two separate assessment numbers. The three
front spaces are common and shared by both families. Beyond
these spaces, a narrow passageway of approximately 1.2m acts as
the separator and the only source of light and ventilation to the
houses on either side. Most of this passage is covered with a roof.
This space however is not used for circulation. Circulation within
the two houses is through one room to another. (igure 09)
This too would have been an L shaped house with a courtyard
which has subsequently been completely built up.
Social context of the occupants
The occupants of the two units are Muslims by ethnicity. In Muslim
society, though it is acceptable for many families to live in one
house in different rooms, the situation here does not seem hygienic
as there is no natural light and ventilation into the rooms.
Figure 08
Social context of the occupants
Although the inhabitants are Muslim by ethnicity, the fact that the
front area of the house has been converted to a guest house
indicates a deviation from their usually conceived social pattern.
A strong need for privacy is not directly evident except for the
subtle separation of the two areas of the house by the second
internal verandah which physically acts as the boundary to the
private spaces of the house.
Moreover, the unique feature in this subdivision is that the two
families are not related even though they have mutually agreed to
share the public layers of the house. The close proximity of the
two units sharing a narrow open slit to obtain light and ventilation
also compromises their privacy needs by being visually and aurally
exposed to each other.
These are aspects that cannot be dealt with mere physical
conservation efforts. The delicate balance of the social context
and legal rights of ownership cannot be compromised and this is
a unique situation which limits the general physical interventions
that are possible within the town houses to enable a better
environmental condition enhancing the livability of the place.
Environmental response
This house does not have adequate light and ventilation as a 24m
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Spatial Transformation of Dutch period Town Houses in Galle Fort (contd.)
By Varuna de Silva and Amanda Rajapakse
Social context of the occupants
The occupants of the house are an old Muslim lady with a female
occupant to assist her. Thus the spatial needs of the two present
occupants are minimal.The house looks completely neglected and
on the verge of collapse.
Figure 09
Environmental response
It appears that the only way to obtain light, ventilation and
circulation to the building is by removing the encroachment on
the original courtyard. But this will result in one family losing
their home. Therefore, the existing internal spatial layout of the
house, though not conducive as a healthy living space, seems
irreversible.
Environmental response
Even though the extent and low of the central courtyard has been
blocked by the built up pavilion, the general lighting and ventilation
level has not been compromised to a large extent. The planting
in the central courtyard and trees growing in the backyard have
inluenced a cooler temperature within the property. However,
the unused pavilion is a physical encroachment that restricts the
natural low of space along the length of the site.
Thus the whole idea of legal ownership issues, importance of social
sustainability and being sensitive to the community needs become
a key point in responding to and directing the future conservation
efforts of the interior of the houses.
4. 43, CHURCH STREET
Physical deinition
This is a relatively wide plot of 16.5m X 35m.Therefore the house
is a U shaped structure with a courtyard in the middle with two
wings on either side. Though the buildings on either side of the
courtyard have been built at a later date, the footprint appears
as per the original. Apart from the doors and windows facing the
front verandah which represent details of the Dutch period town
house all other elements in the house have been replaced. As in
many other houses, the four layers of the more public spaces
towards the front of the house are intact with thick walls resulting
in a cool and comfortable temperature (igure 10).
An interesting feature here is the ‘pavilion’ like structure built in
the courtyard with blank walls to either side of the courtyard.
This had been a living space but unused now. The space has been
built in such a way that light and ventilation to the bedrooms and
kitchen are not obstructed.
There are sheds added to the rear that are temporary in nature
which appear to be storage spaces.They are dilapidated structures
that take away the possibility of using the original open space to
enhance the livability of the place.
Figure 10
5. 75 PEDLAR STREET
Physical deinition
The plot is 8m x 40m with an unusual proile, an L shaped plot
with a two storied house. Toilets are added at random locations
in the building. The deinition of the rear garden indicates that a
portion of the plot may have been acquired later on for additional
space requirements to build a new wing or might have originally
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
10
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Spatial Transformation of Dutch period Town Houses in Galle Fort (contd.)
By Varuna de Silva and Amanda Rajapakse
been a larger plot which has been subdivided.
Social context of the occupants
The three rooms at the rear on the shorter side of the plot which
appear to be a later addition does not impede the functionality
and aesthetics of the existing space. However, subsequent partially
built additions in the middle of the court yard, toilets at random
locations positioned without much consideration of the affects
on spatial deinition, and the shed at the rear, built across the site
have completely compromised the aesthetics and livability of the
place. (igure 11)
The occupants are Muslims but do not occupy the house at
present as they need to resolve legal ownership of the place. Thus
the place is in a dilapidated state and on the verge of collapse.
Environmental response
Except for the random additions mentioned earlier, the older
segment of the house, which is a greater part, is thermally
comfortable with the courtyard providing adequate light and
ventilation to the built spaces around.
More than any other house that was considered for the case
study, the original structure of the entire house including building
materials appears to be original(Coral stone walls, original Dutch
period doors and windows in the more public spaces of the house,
timber loors etc). However, as it is in a rundown condition the
building is badly in need of repair.
6. 22, Hospital Street
This doughnut shaped layout on a 13.7m X 23.35m plot is one of
the best examples of a house that has not lost the original central
open space. The rear block of rooms, toilets on one side of the
verandah and the upper level appear to be a later addition. But,
these additions have not blocked natural light or ventilation to the
house. (igure 12).
This house demonstrates how additions and changes could be
made to the original design without compromising the livability of
the place. Unfortunately no attempt has been made to maintain
this house and it is very urgently in need of repair as it is on the
verge of collapse.
Social context of the occupants
Though the occupants are Sinhalese by ethnicity they are not the
legal owners of the property and there is a dispute over ownership.
In addition, the occupants’ poor economic status appears to have
prevented them from making any renovations or repairs to the
house.
Environmental response
The central court yard is adequate to provide light and ventilation
required for comfortable living environment.
Figure 11
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
11
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Spatial Transformation of Dutch period Town Houses in Galle Fort (contd.)
By Varuna de Silva and Amanda Rajapakse
living environment have been compromised.
The study revealed that preservation of the street façade and
envelope is inadequate to sustain this historic city. Giving the
occupants the total freedom to alter the interiors without any
guidelines has made most of the spaces almost unlivable in terms
spatial quality. Adequate natural light, ventilation is lacking. As
laymen, they would want to maximize built up or covered area
within the plot, without due consideration for essential aspects
needed for a healthy living environment.
Thus for the present and future internal physical changes to be
compatible to the aspect of ‘livability’ that existed in the original
town, careful consideration of the present community along with
their social needs is vital in conservation efforts to preserve the
overall sustainability of the historic Fort of Galle.
Figure 12
General observations through analysis of the case
studies
Physical deinition
1.
Most urban houses in the Galle Fort have retained the
irst four layers of space (verandah to street edge, living
space/lobby, inner living space/great hall, verandah to
courtyard).
2.
What have changed are the more private areas beyond
these spaces. Reasons could be;
a. need for more space due to larger families – additions
and fragmentation
b. need for modern day requirements - internal
bathrooms, kitchens
c. transfer of ownership – due to economic reasons
Social needs of the families
Considering the deinition of social sustainability, a community is
much more than what is represented through the physical form of
their habitation. Composition of a community is of people as well as
the places where they live which are as much social environments
as physical environments. The original design of town houses was
for a community of a speciic era with speciic needs, values and
cultural norms.With passage of time, the ethnicity of communities
that occupied these houses changed. Along with the change in
lifestyle, the need for functional spaces as physical demarcations
of their social beliefs and norms changed.
For example, a greater majority of the people occupying the town
houses are Muslims by ethnicity. The issue of gender segregation
especially where women are preferred to be away from the public
imposes speciic restrictions on their space usage. This was a
prime restriction in reintroducing the open verandah to the front
façade of the building which exposes women to the public.
d. social habits of occupants in relation to space usage
e.Galle acquiring World Heritage status too has
contributed to this
3.
The original courtyard which is evident in all these
residential buildings has been compromised to gain more
private spaces. (Mainly bedrooms and bathrooms) They
have been encroached upon or have been completely
covered for built up spaces. Therefore light, ventilation
and proper circulation which are essential for a healthy
An interesting observation was that in some houses where the
open verandah was reintroduced in place of an enclosed space,
this verandah was not utilized by the occupants. During the day,
only women occupy these houses and they keep the front doors
and windows closed in order to prevent the interior of the house
being exposed to the street. Therefore, the verandah has become
a mere ‘artifact’ or ‘ornament’ to the street.
The private spaces zoned towards the rear areas of the site,
clustered together with minimum exposure to light and ventilation
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
12
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Spatial Transformation of Dutch period Town Houses in Galle Fort (contd.)
By Varuna de Silva and Amanda Rajapakse
almost represents the need for segregation. Furthermore, in some
houses that were studied, the existing method of expansion of
spaces where circulation is from one room to another due to
narrow width of plot indicates the limitation of privacy within the
family which appears acceptable, representing the strong social
links within the extended family.
These social norms and corresponding spatial needs are
unavoidable in any attempt of maintaining the social sustainability
within the Galle fort.
Environmental deinition
The environmental response of the town houses cannot be
considered in isolation although it should be a prime consideration
for habitation. The present usage of the town house is strongly
linked to the social composition of the occupants; the functional
and spatial needs and the limited space of the plot that is available to
manipulate for fulilling their requirements legally or otherwise.
Physical conservation guidelines devoid of an understanding
of the social context will not ensure that individuals, families
and communities will make environmentally sustainable
choices in organising their interior spaces. However, as part of
social conservation, working closely with the community and
understanding their social needs can help to make environmentally
sustainable choices easier.
The Dutch adopted simple design features in the town houses that
created a very comfortable temperature within the house. High
roofs with wide overhanging eaves, verandahs on either side of the
main functional spaces that created a buffer zone preventing heat
transmission, thick walls that reduce heat transmission, and design
features that allow for cross ventilation etc.
Educating the community on the possibility of adopting such
simple methods in their houses and the long term environmental
beneits of such decisions could convince them to consider
environmentally sustainable design options in future expansions
Conclusion
The historic city of Galle has survived almost four centuries
with changes, additions and modiications with the rich layering
of different periods evident, though blurred. The fortiied town
is unique in the sense that it has continued to function as a living
settlement while accommodating all the other administrative,
religious and commercial activities. The architectural fabric reveals
different phases of its development bringing variety to its social
and physical attributes.
The houses have survived, and have been occupied for centuries
due to the fact that they were designed in a way that the main
aspects for healthy living which are adequate natural light and
natural ventilation was obtained into the buildings and adequate
privacy by locating them around or along a courtyard.
The interesting observation is that major changes have happened
in houses only in the past half a century.And some of these changes
have made the houses not conducive for healthy living.
Urban conservation often attempts to freeze or ix a past. In
seeking historical originality, social consciousness is often ignored
or overlooked.The attempt has been to restore buildings in exactly
their original shape where the outcome becomes contrived.
Thus it is apparent that the scope of architectural conservation
is more complex than prevention of deterioration in historic
buildings. It involves a range of issues related to social, political
and economic dimensions.
The most interesting and challenging aspect of conserving this
historic city is to retain the social and physical cohesiveness while
conservation efforts are carried out.The changing socio economic
situation demands that broader social issues are addressed as
well.
References
1. Bandaranayake Senake.1992.The Galle Fort: A Walled Town of Sri Lanka’s
Third Urbanisation .Ancient Ceylon. Journal of the Department of
archeology, Sri Lanka, 15 11-13
2. Brohier, R. L. and J.H.O. Paulusz..1951. Land Maps and Surveys.
Vol.2.Colombo: Ceylon Government Press
3. Brohier, R. L. 1978. Links between Sri Lanka and the Netherlands. Colombo.
The Netherlands Alumni Association of Sri Lanka.
4. Cordiner, James.1807. Description of Ceylon.. Aberdeen: Longman, Hurst,
Rees and Ovme.
5. De Silva, R. K. and W. G. M.Beumer. 1988. Illustrations and Views of
Ancient Dutch Ceylon 1602-1796. London: Serendib Publications
6. Kuruppu, I and Gamini Wijesuriya. 1992. The Conservation of Galle as
a lining Town: Challenges and Prospects. Ancient Ceylon. Journal of the
Department of archeology, Sri Lanka, 15:21-25
7. Nelson, W.A .1984. The Dutch Forts of Sri Lanka. Edinburgh. Scotland.
Canongate
Continued on page 14- bottom half
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
1
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Earliest Inscriptions of Nepal
By Prakash Darnal
Stone Inscriptions have been important source for the writing
of authentic history in Nepal. Dhanavajra Bajracharya ,the
famous author of ‘Licchavi Kalaka Abhilekh ‘collected more
than two hundred inscriptions belonging to Licchavi period . It
was published by Centre for Nepal Asian Studies in 2030 B.S .
According to this source, Mandava was the irst Licchavi king, who
erected Samvat 386 (A.D.464) inscription at Changu Narayan
Temple.Two sculptures of Trivikram Vishnu, which have inscription
of Mandeva period, Samvat 389 (A.D.467) were earliest inscribed
and dated sculptures. So Samvat 386 (A.D.464) inscription of the
Mandeva at Changu Narayan Temple was believed to be the
earliest dated inscriptions until the inding of Mandeva inscription
of Samvat 381 (A.D.459) at Pasupatinath Temple in 2046 B.S.
These inscriptions are from Kathmandu Valley. But inscriptions of
Niglisagar and Lumbini, both erected by Ashoka in third century
B.C. in Kapilavastu and Lumbini are the earliest inscriptions outside
the valley. Niglisagar is dedicated to Kanakmuni Buddha and the
Stupa was restored as before but twice in size. It is the earliest
record of restoration even in Indian peninsula. The other pillar of
Lumbini is important evidence of birth place of Buddha.
In 1992 (2049 B.S.), a sculpture, broken in four pieces
was found at Maligaon, when digging the foundation of a house.
It was the sculpture of King Jaya Varma (171*49cm) dated Samvat
107 (185 A.D.) This has been displayed now at National Museum,
Chauni after the completion of its restoration. The inscription of
Jaya Varma has pushed back our inscriptional history 274 years.
While restoring Dhando Chaitya in 2059 B.S. a brick was
found inscribed in Brahmi script “ cha ru wo ti thu pa” . It is the
earliest and irst record of Brahmi script in Kathmandu valley
dated third century B.C.
Prakash Darnal is an archaeologist, working in Culture Ministry of
Nepal. He worked as conservationist with Department of Archaeology
in 1978. Prakash currently works in Ministry as under secretary (Chief
Archaeology Oficer)
Inscription of Lumbini
Brahmi script found from
Dhando Chaity ,Chahabil
Inscription of Niglisagar,Kapilvastu
Jaya Varma Samvat 107 (185 A.D.)
Trivikram Visnu Samvat 389
Spatial Transformation of Dutch period Town Houses in Galle Fort (contd.)
By Varuna de Silva and Amanda Rajapakse
8. Raven-Hart, R. 1964. History in stone. Ceylon. Lake house Publishers
9. Manawadu, S. 2009 .Preservation of private houses in historic site of
GalleTsuji Funo felicitation volume - Kyoto University, Japan
10. Manawadu, S. 2010.Competition submission to UNESCO, Bangkok
2009
seminar held in Colombo, February 24-28, 1995. Ancient Ceylon –
Journal of the Department of Archaeology no.18.
13. http://newcity.ca/Pages/social_sustainability.html
(Retrieved August 09, 2010)
11. Manawadu, S. 2010 Preservation of historic Streetscape through reparation
of private houses in world heritage site, Galle, Sri Lanka – Professor Nimal
De Silva felicitation volume
12.Wijesuriya Gamini, ed. 1995. European Architecture and Town planning
(Dutch period) outside Europe. Proceedings of the International
Varuna de Silva and Amanda Rajapakse are Chartered Architects by
profession and Senior Lecturers in the Department of Architecture,
University of Moratuwa
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
1
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Sacred Landscapes of Govardhan in Braj, India: Imagined, Enacted, and Reclaimed
By Amita Sinha
Among the many sacred sites of Braj, Govardhan Hill is
revered as much the Yamuna riverfront, if not more. It symbolizes
Krishna’s superiority over capricious forces of nature worshipped
by Brajvasis (residents of Braj) as gods to be placated. As a
metonymic form of Krishna it is the embodiment of divinity, its
every stone sacred. Its cultural landscape evolved as stories of
Krishna celebrating his victory over gods, prowess over demons,
dalliances with the gopis (cowherdesses) and manifestation to his
devotees became associated with speciic sites.The physical setting
and its signs and markers are mnemonic elements and tangible
reminders of Govardhan’s mythic and historical past.They are cues
for ritual enactments that visualize and afirm one’s relationship
with the divine. The real and the imagined landscapes are bound
in a reciprocity that is weakening with the intense pressures of
uncontrolled growth, mechanized modes of transportation, and
breakdown of customary rights and obligations towards forest
and water bodies. The rich environmental and cultural heritage
of Govardhan (and Braj) is at stake compelling a serious effort
towards reclaiming, remediating and restoring the Hill.
Govardhan Real and Imagined
Govardhan Hill has been visualized and represented
in manifold ways. The rich array of images allude to the many
myths centered on the Hill, of which the most popular one is
Krishna holding it up like an umbrella on his little inger to protect
brajvasis from the loods sent by the wrathful god Indra. Other
representations include the mountain-river dyad Govardhan Hill
and Yamuna River lowing at its foot, the Hill as a mountain of
food Annakut, Krishna illing the hollow of a cave in the Hill, and
the Hill as a peacock and a bull. Individual sites on the Hill are
visualized on their own accord with imagery drawn from Krishna
sporting with Radha and other gopis in verdant, Eden like setting of
kunj (bower) and nikunj (arbor) in groves. The Hill being Krishna’s
svarup (essential form) and his embodiment has many boulders
and stones carrying the imprint of his face, crown, lute, hands
and so on.
The relationship of imagined landscapes described in
words and images to the actual, physical landscape may at irst
appear tenuous, but on closer examination it is apparent that
idealized imagery has indeed inspired and imprinted the present
day cultural landscape of Govardhan. Quite unlike its conical
representations, Govardhan Hill is a long, low ridge, rising no
more than 100 feet above the surrounding plain. Much of what
is seen of its landscape today stems from historical events and
activities of charismatic saints in the sixteenth century. No
building structures prior to that period exist and in the absence
of systematic archaeological excavation of the Hill, it is a matter of
conjecture what the sites were like before they were reclaimed as
sacred places. Legend has it that they were neglected and lost to
memory, the temples raided and deities hidden in ponds or buried.
The ruined sites were rediscovered by Narayan Bhatt, Chaityana,
Vallabha, Madhavendra Puri, among others who had visionary
experiences of Radha and Krishna when they began living there
in the sixteenth century. They composed books, re-established
worship, and created the pilgrimage circuit. The lost ponds were
dug up and made into built kunds, presumably groves were replanted, and hidden or buried deities were found and installed in
temples.
Govardhan Enacted
The landscape is seen, felt, tasted, and inscribed in the
body in parikrama, raas, festivals, and daily worship.The enactments
evoke appropriate bhav (moods and feelings), give meaning, build
memory, and hold out the possibility of encounter with the
divine presence. Although Krishna is the subject of devotion, his
transmutation into natural forms imparts sanctity to landscape
elements—the Hill and its boulders and stones, the built kunds
and natural ponds, the garden groves and even the soil (braj-raj).
Of the many ritual enactments, the one that involves the entire
Hill is its parikrama. This ancient rite of circling a sacred object
is the primary way of experiencing the landscape—there is no
reaching a center as the climatic event of a journey, rather a series
of places (kunds, temples, sthalis) are visited on the way. Parikrama
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
1
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Sacred Landscapes of Govardhan in Braj, India: Imagined, Enacted, and Reclaimed (contd.)
By Amita Sinha
is done through walking around the Hill and for the very devout
through prostrations on the ground (dandauti parikrama).
Scholarship on Braj has emphasized the (re)construction
of sacred landscape in pilgrimage and continuing enactment of
rituals that afirm an idealized vision of that landscape. Enactments
create memorable experiences rooted in the body’s myriad
interactions with the place. Narratives acquire vivid shapes and
hues eliciting bhavs as they are enacted in raas lilas in garden groves.
The multi-faceted view of nature and divinity seen and experienced
in Govardhan (and Braj) is unique, a kind of cultural heritage
deemed ‘intangible’ although it has a very tangible expression in
landscape iconography. The landscape is continuously imprinted
and modiied by human acts driven by faith and cultural beliefs
that keep this heritage alive and vital.
Govardhan Reclaimed
Due to luidity and open-endedness of customary
practices, ritual enactments result in a dynamic, continuously
evolving cultural landscape. With increasing urbanization, the
cultural landscape of Govardhan is changing and the incongruence
between the real and imagined landscape is becoming more marked,
reducing the quality of engagement with the sites. Private realtors
building luxury condominiums and gated residential communities
are encroaching upon the farmland around the Hill. The existing
settlements too are expanding into the vans and the groves are
being replaced by agricultural ields or housing. Increasing number
of pilgrims (ive to seven million annually by some accounts) has
stressed the carrying capacity of the landscape. The existing
infrastructure to support the movement and needs of such large
numbers is inadequate.
imperative as is reclaiming space for the prostrating pilgrim and the
holy wanderer. In reducing the dissonance between the imagined
and the real lies the hope that Govardhan Hill will continue to be
revered as the most sacred object in Braj.
Although Govardhan Hill does not it either the natural
heritage categories of “wildlife sanctuary”, “reserved or protected
forest”,‘national park’ or heritage category of historic monuments
in “archaeological park”, it possesses both environmental and
cultural heritage. Its environmental heritage is the transcendental
view of nature in the landscape imaginary and its cultural heritage
is the rich corpus of place narratives and ritual enactments. The
ambit of pilgrimage can thus be expanded to include eco-cultural
tourism leading to coordinated and integrated cultural landscape
protection and management. The irst step would be to obtain a
formal designation, legally binding and administratively enforced,
for Govardhan Hill as a protected cultural landscape, with a
500 feet buffer zone where development can be regulated. This
easement is necessary to protect the Hill from encroachment.
The Hill presently appears to be under siege, a victim
of its own rising popularity as a pilgrimage destination. Building
construction and expanding settlements are causing irretrievable
changes in its landscape. Fencing the Hill to protect it from these
changes would be an immediate, short-sighted response, defeating
the very purpose of conservation. Improving accessibility and
legibility of its landscape, organizing movement, consolidating and
separating incompatible functions on the other hand will increase
its carrying capacity. Govardhan can thus be a model for other
hilly sites in Braj exemplifying the delicate balance of the symbiotic
relationship between nature and human culture.
Note
The powerful Govardhan iconography in popular
imagination demands that its actual landscape conform in some
degree to its representations. The loss of vans and kunds and
disappearance of place markers would mean a weakening of
collective place memories affecting one’s capacity to envision. It is
argued that one way to conserve intangible heritage is to protect
the cultural landscape of narrative place markers, relics, and other
commemorative structures that act as mnemonic devices in
keeping the place bound traditions alive. Restoration of the kund
in the garden grove, the archetypal landscape unit, is therefore
The article summarizes the project on Govardhan Hill by a
team of graduate students from the Department of Landscape
Architecture, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign under
the guidance of Amita Sinha in Spring 2010 and in collaboration
with Braj Foundation,Vrindavan.
Amita Sinha is a Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture
at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, USA. She has worked
extensively on heritage sites and is the author of Landscapes in India:
Forms and Meanings (University Press of Colorado, 2006)
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
1
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Encountering Canova - 17-21 June 2010
By Poonam Verma Mascarenhas
Canova Association has been hosting the event ‘Canova
International Architect Encounter’ since 2001. This June, thanks
to Brinda Somaya’s recommendation and on the invite of Ken
Marquardt, President of the association, I found myself in the
Domodossola valley at the foothills of Italian Alps, comprising
several villages, each dotted with medieval stone houses.
View of Canova
Ken and Kali, turned their backs on the US, and reached the
European shores some two and a half decades ago. On reaching
this valley, they laid their back packs as their search for a place
where ‘not all was done’ had ended. Many villages were nothing but
a macabre of ruins, abandoned for 50- 70-100 years. Ken bought
a ruin, befriended Paolo Mafrici, a stone mason, and got to work.
The ‘ixed-up’ ruin became home for a decade to Kali and Ken and
as their family grew, another set of old houses, up the hill found
a new lease of life, while the old found a new owner. Friends and
family came to visit, liked what they saw, and invested in some more
ruins and got Ken and Paolo to ix them as homes. Painters, actors,
writers, dancers from the US, Canada, Switzerland- have been
‘discovering’ the valley with its quaint village roads, natural springs,
giant oaks and high Alp ridges for two decades now. Canova today
looks restored with 20 odd houses rehabilitated by the duo. But,
there are many more awaiting a new lease of life or municipalityhammer, in the nearby villages, as it came
about not so long ago.
Views of Canova
As it is often, all learning is in retrospect, so it appears- for Ken
and friends too, who had been acting on a natural response of
seizing an opportunity and making good that was available with
adequate resources. Changing and growing with experience,
meeting the demands, working within the restraints, absorbing
the inputs and altering the built fabric for absorbing the lifestyle
and catering to the same. The numbers of stakeholders increased
and an association (www.canovacanova.com) was born. Now the
need was felt for sharing the ‘experience’ and invite the ‘trained’
to debate on the future and share the joy for continuum of the
adventure.
To think that in Italy, the birth place of conservation movement
(Venice Charter) and conservation technologies (ICCROM), a
valley has an ongoing adventure of revival ‘by the people, for the
people’ as a sensitive and sensible response as opposed to an
intellectual concept of ‘conservation of sense of place’ and devoid
of the obsessive ‘authenticity’ was indeed a major surprise! The
structured thinking of participating in a ‘meet’ was broken and
‘out of box’ exploration set in - for me.Young architect Paola and
partner Maurizio’s venture into buying a ruin at the abandoned for
ifty years - village of Ghesc, with intention of making a home, felt
liberating.Wading through the rivulet, walking in a line through the
trees up the hill to reach the next project site of the association
sure felt like stepping into an era of another time.
Route from Canova to
Ghesc
Village Ghesc Ruin
Ruin bought by Paola &
Maurizios in Ghesc
Just as the emotional brain was revelling in the experience, the
rationale jumped in with its incessant drone “so what am I doing
here?” I turned to my co-invitees.
Julian, Gustavo & Ken (from left to right)
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
1
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Encountering Canova - 17-21 June 2010 (contd.)
By Poonam Verma Mascarenhas
I knew from emails that Julian Smith is heritage architect with
over three decades of works in Canada. What I wasn’t prepared
for was an open face, clear eyes and warm smile with the heart in
Meenakshi Temple at Madurai and a vision for reviving the ‘artisan’
in the ‘architect’ at the Willowbank School (of restoration arts,
www.willowbank.ca ) in Canada which he helped set up and
is Executive Director of. This is his consecutive visit as course
director for the summer camp of ‘building with stones’ and his
conspirator is Ken who with his team of architects and masons
conduct periodic training courses where the students learn by
working on site.
The ten ‘students’ who signed up for the Willowbank summer camp
are people from all walks of life(such as a retiree from automobile
industry; a technician from Nuclear Plant) brought together by
the internet for their interest in rural stone buildings. All were
enthused to build the stone roof over the house at Ghesc.
The ‘encounter’ acts as the
preface, and perfect moment for
Architect Gustavo Araoz to take
the stage. President ICOMOS
for three years now, Gustavo’s
visit was strictly ‘non oficial’.
He was grabbing a few days for
then became easy to shut the ‘bee in my bonnet’ and just be.
Borella, a village nearby, stood out most amongst the many sites
that we visited. We all were united in recommending this site to
the association as their new venture with the local government to
establish the participatory process of caretaking.
Views of Borella
The group duly visited the workshops of stone sculptors and
nearby hill village of Vogogna.The mayor of Vogogna has a vision of
putting it on the tourist map of scenic hill towns of Italy. Except
for the access road and the unplanned industrial development of
1940-60s in the vicinity, we all were in agreement that the historic
View of Ghesc
himself and going off the oficial grid to keep his promise to his
friend Julian Smith. He closed his own preservation architectural
practice a decade or so back in the US, to devote himself to
the cause of heritage via the ICOMOS while contributing to
the academia as visiting professor internationally. His wit and
sensitivity and the realism made my days at Canova an encounter
worth remembering.
Views of Vogogna
Gustavo oriented the students to the world of ‘structured
conservation’ and us to his vision for a shift in paradigm within
ICOMOS and the world from traditional heritage places whose
signiicance rests on tangible physical elements to heritage
sites where the values attributed to the place reside largely or
completely on intangible concepts and wondered if the policies
for former could also cater to the later or was it time for new
insights; which felt fresh like the Alps breeze. He shared his vision
of setting up of scientiic committees – to redeine ‘policy’ and
align it with ‘practice’ and revisit ‘ethics’ for ‘values’ in ‘intangible
concepts’ and not just the ‘material fabric’. With the shifting
demography, he wondered aloud relevance of ‘cultural identity’ as
basis for continuum of certain heritage. In such erudite company, it
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
1
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Encountering Canova - 17-21 June 2010 (contd.)
By Poonam Verma Mascarenhas
core of the hill town itself had immense scope and quality. Julian
was put in the hot seat by Ken and the mayor’s representatives,
to recommend a strategy to tackle the eyesore buildings dotting
the edge of the hill town, and he did so with some thought: “plant
trees and hide all that which cannot be demolished”. Simple and
brilliant indeed!
Marble Quarry
Entrance
Marble Striations
Expanse of the Quarry
tunnel which has air stacks every 40-50 mts along its length of
200 mts on both sides, which were used to discharge waste from
levels higher and are sources of air supply. The temperature drops
dramatically with every inward step and percolating water from
the hill above lows on the pebbled loor. We walk on gratings in
a line of twos and reach the extraction hall: 50 mts. long and at
least as high! It is a marbled hall with striations continuing from
the loor to the walls to the ceiling and back to the loor, and
sweeps up on the sides, with of course no joints. The vastness is
astounding and so is the quality of sensory atmosphere. There is a
stepped portion in the hall that feels like a stage while we stand in
the proscenium of a theatre that inspires. Once inside, it became
easy to understand leitmotiv of the Brazilian choreographer Ismael
Ivo who performed here the interpretation of the ‘Myth of Atlas’.
The quarry has enthused many and is fast becoming a destination
as a cultural space. It sure is an example of generic ‘adaptive reuse’.
I couldn’t recall another building as opposed to this hole in the hill
that had my senses alive as much!
Our presence in the valley was made public at the oficial encounter
one afternoon where amidst the residents, press and oficials we
presented our works, congratulated the association, and appealed
to the local authorities to participate and support the ongoing
valuable effort of retaining and reviving the built landscape of the
valley and desist the demolition. We were joined in our effort
by some of the past participants who had travelled from Miaine,
Istanbul, Genova and Ljubljana especially for the encounter.
Entrance Vault within the Marble hall
While the valley is otherwise known for its granite quarries, the
marble of Ornavasso has a mention since the Roman times. Altars
and statues of irst and second century AD are housed in the
Civic Archaeological Collections of the Castello Sforesco in Milan.
The heir to the quarry is also a member of the association and
a sculptor of repute and was our guide for the afternoon. Having
lived in Rajasthan, India and being familiar with many a quarry, it all
seemed a little trite. The visit is now my most cherished memory.
The closed round table did stir many, ’cause here was an example
of conservation at work that had economics as bedrock and
emotional content as a cornerstone without the tag of ‘heritage’.
It made for musing the role of ‘heritage’ industry with its many a
don’ts. A familiar theme did emerge that of the issue of ‘plenty’!
The quarry is one of the irst examples of tunnel excavation.While
the section we visited is now a visitor centre, an active tunnel is
just beneath. The handout informs the system to be of Simplon
tunnel which consists of four exploratory drill tunnels in proximity,
keeping the diaphragm of rock intact that separates them and to be
demolished last. The largest is used as entrance. Once the quarry
was abandoned, the owners vaulted the entrance tunnel using the
rubble from the site. As a visitor you walk through this vaulted
Round Table
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
1
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Encountering Canova - 17-21 June 2010 (contd.)
By Poonam Verma Mascarenhas
None other realm talks as much about the problem of plenty as
is done in the ield of heritage buildings. Malls keep mushrooming
and so do the resorts but when it comes to future of old buildings
and especially the domestic, the ‘heritage inspectors’ balk and
take cover and shoot the ‘lack uniqueness’ palettes and legitimise
demolitions.
house of Fredy’s, to the roar of the stream at its footing with the
view of the rising Alps through the strings of the lowering wine
on the iron trellis: why we talk only of the houses and not see that
it is ‘a way of life’ that was being resurrected!
The experience reinforced my understanding:
‘Conservation’ is all about an attitude as in mindset
I wondered to myself enjoying the embrace of the 200 year old
Attitudes are shaped by values
Values are imbibed through interaction and facilitated by
education
Education provides knowledge (only), which when used with
awareness becomes wisdom
Wisdom is directly proportional to sensibility
Sensibility is being ‘conscious of senses’
Senses are common to human beings and hence the term ‘common
sense’
Thus Conservation makes for and demands ‘common sense’
And perhaps it is just not so common any more, and hence
Conservation is not so simple any more.
Fredy’s Casa
Two decades of work life has seen Poonam building with alternative
technologies at Auroville; Conservation and development of 22 govt
owned heritage buildings at Jaipur, Amber and couple of privately owned
palaces along with several old houses at Goa, where she currently resides.
Her listing was published in 2000 as the Kerala Heritage Guide and has
researched and authored “Silent Sentinels, Traditional Architecture of
Coorg”, published by HECAR Foundation in January 2006. Founding
member of Goa Heritage Action Group, member of Goa Bachao Abhiyan
and Director of Archinova, her work is guided by the inter-relationship
of human consciousness and the environment and she strongly believes
in collaboration.
New Publication
As part of the series titled ‘Conservation Briefs’, INTACH has
published in June 2010 ‘Guidelines for Preparation of a Heritage
Management Plan.’ It has been prepared by 3 co-compilers: Benny
Kuriakose, Nupur Prothi Khanna, and Malvika Bajaj Saini.
The compilation offers a list of items and ideas that could be used
for developing a complete programme of action and planning for
implementation stage. This publication is mainly targeted towards
architects, planners, engineers and others who are not trained in
conservation, but who practice conservation. For those who are
trained in conservation, this will be useful as a checklist; especially
to plan for implementation of conservation projects.
The guidelines deal with aspects of a heritage management plan
covering all scales, including urban conservation as well as building
conservation, and certain sections focus on buildings.
The initial sections of the publication deal with the rationale
for preparation of a heritage management plan and assessing
signiicance of a heritage property. The structure of a heritage
management plan is drawn out and emphasis is laid on deining
the vision, developing objectives, formulating policy guidelines,
and a programme of action follows from these. The latter part of
the document provides checklists and additional key aspects for
planning and implementation of a heritage management plan, and
the need for evaluation throughout these stages.
The publication will be available at INTACH ofice, 71 Lodhi Estate,
New Delhi – 3, India.
- Malvika Bajaj Saini
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
20
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Tourism Development in Bhaktapur, Nepal: Prospects and Problems
By Basudev Lamichhane
Bhaktapur: A Historical Background
Bhaktapur, one of the seven World Heritage Sites within the
Kathmandu Valley of Nepal, was founded in the 9th century and
was the centre of the Malla dynasty until the mid-18th century.
Between the 12th -15th centuries, Bhaktapur was the capital
of a uniied Kingdom of Kathmandu Valley of Nepal. Major
architectural masterpieces located within the Bhaktapur Durbar
Square, Taumadhi Square, and Dattatraya Square in Bhaktapur
were erected during this period. Bhaktapur kingdom was
disintegrated in 1484 AD and was divided into three different
states - Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur. With the passage of
time, the modernization and urbanization took place in a fast pace
in Kathmandu and Lalitpur, but Bhaktapur was able to keep its
medieval, traditional and cultural identity even till today.
Bhaktapur is one of the smallest districts among 75 districts of
modern Nepal. It occupies 138 square kilometers and lies 14 Km to
the east of Kathmandu at 1401 meter from the sea level.The district
has been divided into two municipalities (Bhaktapur Municipality
and Madhyapur Thimi Municipality) and 16 Village Development
Committees. Bhaktapur Municipality spreads in the area of 6.6
square km and one of three major towns of Nepal, locally known
by Bhadgaon and Khwopa. It is a place of historical importance and
home for medieval art and architecture, renowned for its colorful
festivals, traditional dances and typical indigenous Newar lifestyle
inhabited by 80,000 Newar peasants. And majority of population
is still engaged in agriculture. Besides agriculture people are also
engaged in pottery, handicrafts (Thanka painting, wood carving,
handloom cloth weaving, Nepali cap making) and hotel/restaurant
activities. Since it displays historically and architecturally vibrant
heritages, religious monuments, festivals, traditional music and
ritual dances, all displaying vibrant depth of Newari Culture, this
ancient city is also variously known as the ‘City of Culture’, ‘City
of Devotees’, ‘a Living Museum’, ‘the Cultural Capital of Nepal’ and
‘Nepal’s Cultural Gem’. In 1979, Bhaktapur was declared a World
Heritage Site by UNESCO, along with six other monuments in the
Kathmandu Valley.
Major Tourism Attractions in Bhaktapur
Monumental masterpieces in Bhaktapur are innumerable. Most of
the temples are Tiered Style buildings; they have multiple terracotta
tile roofs one over the other supported by intricately carved
wooden struts or columns, wooden doors and windows, gilded
roof pinnacles, open brick-paved spaces around, and above all, an
image of the deity presiding over the ediice. Still every temple and
monument carries architectural and cultural uniqueness. And each
monument relects a different component of the religious belief,
social outlook and the economic status of the rich culture and
long artistic tradition of the indigenous Newars.
Durbar Square: The Durbar Square, one of the seven UNESCO
world heritage sites located in the Kathmandu Valley, stands as
a monumental gem. This spectacular square lies in front of the
palace complex, once one of the seats of the Malla Kingdom till
1769, and is an open-air museum itself. Once packed with various
monuments, it was destroyed by the disastrous earthquake of
1934, yet still holds mesmerizing palaces, Tiered-style temples,
Shikhara-style temples as well as Buddhist monasteries of exclusive
architecture.
Taumadhi Square: Taumadhi Square, just half a minute walk
from the Durbar Square, divides the ancient town into upper
and lower halves. The biggest festival of the town – Bisket Jatra,
celebrated annually in April – starts from this very square. The
square is dominated by the mesmerizing ive storied Nyatapola
Temple, Bhairav Nath Temple and Til Madhav Narayan Temple.
Being centrally located, a lot of activities depicting local life-style
and culture can be observed here throughout the day.
Dattatraya Square: Like the other squares, the Dattatraya Square
is also like an open-air museum that contains several monuments
and is home to some of the ancient city’s best masterpieces of
woodcarvings. Bhimsen Temple, the famous Peacock Window,
the Bronze and Brass Museum, the Woodcarving Museum and
Dattatraya Temple are the major attractions of this square. It is
probably the original centre of Bhaktapur in the initial periods of
its founding.
Pottery Square: Bhaktapur’s two Pottery Squares are world
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
21
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Tourism Development in Bhaktapur, Nepal: Prospects and Problems (contd.)
By Basudev Lamichhane
Dattarya Square
Wood carving, Brass & Bronze Museums are located here
renowned, and so are the many potters that can be seen working
there on their traditional wooden wheels. The main Pottery
Square is located some 500m to the southwest of Taumadhi
Square, on the way to Suryavinayak. Here visitors will ind potters
giving shape and size to lumps of black clay, and earthenware
they make ranges from such household goods as pots and jars
to cheap souvenir items. As pottery in Bhaktapur is a family job,
visitors may chance upon the entire family doing their parts of
work. Bhaktapur’s second Pottery Square is located to the east
of the Dattatraya Square. Here also, visitors will see the ancient
city’s well-known craftsmen sunk in what they have inherited from
their ancestors.
Other Areas of Attractions: The world famous Changu
Narayan temple, the oldest Tiered-style temple in Nepal and the
World Heritage site, is only six km to the north of Bhaktapur. The
temple premises also boast of housing a number of masterpieces in
stone. Above all, the enclosed area is also home to the Kathmandu
Valley’s oldest stone inscription, which dates back to 464 AD.
Nagarkot—one of Nepal’s most favored tourist destinations—is
some 17 km to the northeast, from where one can savor the
breathtaking 360-degree views all around including the thrilling
Himalayan panorama to the north. In a clear day, visitors can also
have a mesmerizing glimpse of Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) (8,850 m),
the highest point on earth and a World Heritage site, from here.
The Madhyapur-Thimi Municipality area—a part of Bhaktapur
District—is another destination that travelers just should not
miss during their stay in Bhaktapur. Located ive km to the west
of Bhaktapur, this part of the district is well acclaimed throughout
the world for its pottery, papier-mâché masks, farmlands, and
above all, the authentic Newar art, culture and creativity pursued
by the local people.
Museums in Bhaktapur: Even though the whole city could be
considered a live museum itself, Bhaktapur still offers the three
specialized museums: The National Art Gallery is located in the
Durbar Square and exhibits many masterpieces in stone, metal and
paper that include an ancient book on various breeds of horses
and remedies for their ailments. The book, which contains many
illustrations, folds out to a length over three meters. Another
attraction here is an ancient scroll painting that shows Lord Indra,
king of all gods and goddesses, infested with female genital organs
all over his body, which he got as a punishment for seducing the
wife of a learned saint.
The Woodcarving Museum is housed in the 15th century Pujari
Math, a priestly palace which itself is no less impressive than an
open museum. With its intricately carved wooden windows and
doors, the building still stands witness to the artistic excellence
of Newars over ive centuries ago. And it is on the eastern façade
of this structure where one can ind the world famous Peacock
Window.This museum exhibits various wooden objects dating back
to Lichhavi (400-1200) and Malla (1200-1769) periods. The Brass
and Bronze Museum displays a wide variety of metal objects.
Housed in an equally historic building, the museum exhibits such
ceremonial and household items as ritual water vessel, varieties of
traditional oil-fed lamps, ordinary water vessels and jars, utensils,
spittoons and so on.
Festivals of Bhaktapur: Bhaktapur’s monuments serve as a
stage for the city’s many festivals and cultural dances, which are at
least as spectacular as any architectural structure. Still celebrated
with the same old fervor and enthusiasm, this living heritage
Neel Barahi Festival at Thimi
has been handed down from
centuries in an unbroken chain
from generation to generation.
The most popular festivals of
the town are Bisket Jatra and
Gai Jatra (Cow Festival). Others
Tongue Piercing Festival at Thimi
are Mother’s Day and Father’s Day (not the Western-style days),
Birthday of Lord Buddha / Swanya Punhi, Yenya Punhi, Mohani /
Dashain, Swonti / Tihar, Maha Shiva Ratri, Holi / Fagu, and Navadurga Dance etc.
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
22
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Tourism Development in Bhaktapur, Nepal: Prospects and Problems (contd.)
By Basudev Lamichhane
Ritual Dances of Bhaktapur: There are over 150 musical
groups and over 100 cultural troupes that make Bhaktapur as
culturally lively as it was centuries ago. Among the local dances
of Bhaktapur the name of Devi Dance comes to the forefront.
Men wearing masks and adorned with embroidered laces and
decorative loral designs participate in it. The dancers represent
such deities as Kali, Kumari, Maha Laxmi, and other demons. The
dance of Kumari and that of Maha Laxmi on the back of a gorgeous
lion are exquisitely charming. One could include Bhairav dance
and Maha Kali dance in the same category.They dance in tune with
Masked Devi Dance
Indideneous Newari Dimay
Musical Group with Dimey
Instrument
the blowing of trumpets called Khing. This dance is very vigorous
and awe-inspiring. Among the other local dances, the names of
Monkey-Dance, Dancing Girls, and the duel dance between ShivaParvati, Bear Dance and Lakhey Pyakhan Demon Dance are the
popular dances. These dances are exhibited during the Gai Jatra
festival which takes place in August.
Products of Bhaktapur: Besides monuments and festivals,
Bhaktapur is equally rich in local Newari handicrafts. Generations
of master craftsmen have been carrying on their time-honored
traditions of arts and crafts. Bhaktapur’s handicrafts includes paubha
(scroll) paintings, papier-mâché masks, cotton cloth, woodcarvings,
metalwork, and jewelry. One can also ind the homespun hakupatasi (black sari), traditional black caps, and the world famous
Juju-dhau- the King of all Yoghurts.
Tourism Facilities
Bhaktapur is one of the most visited cultural destinations in
Nepal. With the increment of visitors’ number, the city has also
seen a considerable surge in tourism activities including hotels,
guesthouses, restaurants and handicrafts shops in and around
the historic territory. Like anywhere else, the guesthouses in
Bhaktapur do vary in size and standard, but things that they
all have in common are their convenient location, varieties of
amenities and above all, the personalized service they offer to
their customers. The rooms are well-appointed, most of them
having all amenities that a modern traveler may look for. For those
whose preferences are for luxury-starred hotels, it is only a few
kilometers away from the city centre. The city is a favored place
for gourmets and gourmands as well.Tastefully decorated and well
stocked, restaurants in this historic city serve varieties of culinary
delights ranging from simple Nepali food to international delicacies.
Adding to it, the ambience is serene and soothing. And always with
an eye on hygiene, what they offer their customers suit both their
palates and wallets. Among other facilities that tourists enjoy in
Bhaktapur, guide facilities in various languages and comfortable and
pleasant access/transportation
to and from Bhaktapur are also
available.
Present Tourism Trend
Approximately, 150,000 visitors
visit Bhaktapur every year. A
recent study conducted by the
BhaktapurTourism Development
Committee (BTDC) revealed
that 32% of the visitors came
to Bhaktapur to see the World
Heritage Site, 30% came to
experience local culture, and
29% came to observe the local
lifestyles.Those visiting for study
and research purpose have been
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
2
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Tourism Development in Bhaktapur, Nepal: Prospects and Problems (contd.)
By Basudev Lamichhane
found to be only 2%. Those who visited Bhaktapur with other
purposes have been found to be 7%. The major motivational
factors for visitors were the World Heritage Site followed by
experiencing local culture and observing the local lifestyles of
Bhaktapur.
The study revealed that 55% of the visitors learned about Bhaktapur
through travel guides, guide books and the Internet. Of the total,
15% knew about the place through travel agents, and 11% learnt
about it through friends while 7% knew from advertisements and
press articles.
The study also revealed the gloomy fact in regard to the visitors’
length of stay in Bhaktapur. Of the total visitors, 70% visitors have
been found to have spent only few hours to one day in Bhaktapur.
Visitors spending one to two nights have been found to be 16
% and only 10 % visitors have spent more than three nights in
Bhaktapur. The visitors spending more than three nights were
found to be those who have visited the city before. For a visitor
per day average expenditure was also found to be very low i.e. 3040 USD. Handicrafts, especially woodcarving and Thangka painting
are the most purchased souvenirs by the visitors in Bhaktapur.
Tourism Revenue as a major source of heritage
conservation
The preservation and conservation of heritages demand
investment and sincere efforts from governments and local
community. Without inancial sources it is very arduous job to
preserve and conserves such legacies of our ancestors. In order
to carry on the conservation and preservation works initiated
by Bhaktapur Development Project (BDP) in the 1970-1980s,
Bhaktapur Municipality started charging an entrance fee for the
international visitor’s sinc1993. Since then the municipality has
been annually receiving approximately 70-80 million Nepali rupees
from entrance fees and investing on the conservation of cultural,
historical and religious monuments, education development and
sanitation.
and squares, lanes and streets and its townscape as well.
Therefore, Bhaktapur Municipality was awarded by the UNESCO
PEACE PRIZE for 1998/1999 as recognition of its endeavors to
conservation and preservation of cultural heritage of the city.
The lesson learnt from the conservation efforts of Bhaktapur is
that the investment made on heritage conservation pays in the
long run. Conservation of heritage on the one hand preserves the
legacy of our ancestors and creates opportunities for economic
activities and provides beneit to local people on the other hand.
Therefore, conservation of heritage should not be considered as
a liability by the government and local community. It is also an
activity of economic development which indirectly helps to uplift
socio-economic condition of local people and reduction of local
poverty.
Impact of Tourism
The ever-increasing low of tourists possesses economic
potentiality and as well as threat to the cultural heritage, which in
principle relects the history of the socio-economic development
of the society. The economic developments are rapidly taking
place and the impact on the heritage is clearly visible. It has also
brought changes in the cultural landscape with the introduction of
modern technology in communication and concrete structures in
the old city core areas, either destroying the old heritage houses
or modifying them altogether resulting in signiicant quality of the
cultural landscape.
Bhaktapur is predominantly an agriculture based city and tourism
has been the second economic activity of the people. The recent
survey conducted by BTDC has shown that there are 27 hotels
and restaurants, 81 handicraft shops, 35 woodcarving and maskmaking centers, 19 Pashmina shops, 33 Thanka (scroll) painting
shops, 17 pottery centers, and it is estimated that at least one
The US $ 10 entrance fee has been the major source of income for
the Bhaktapur Municipality.The Municipality spends almost 45% of
the total fund generated from the tourists’ service fees on keeping
the city clean and in the improvements of urban infrastructures.
Of the remaining fund, 35% is used for heritage conservation and
management, 15% for education, and 5% for cultural promotion.
The urban heritage conservation of Bhaktapur includes not only
the important monuments, but also the surroundings, courtyards
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
2
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Tourism Development in Bhaktapur, Nepal: Prospects and Problems (contd.)
By Basudev Lamichhane
member of each family is engaged in knitting and handlooms
activities. Development of tourism and expansion of tourism related
activities have also contributed to the creation of employment at
local level. Locally produced agro-products have now easy access
to local hotel and restaurants and its direct beneiciaries are local
farmers. The Major economic impact of tourism in Bhaktapur is
the major source of revenue through which Bhaktapur Municipality
has been carrying out its activities.
Prospects of tourism development
With the availability of historical, architectural, religious and cultural
heritage there is an immense possibility of the development of
various tourism products to cater the interest of visitors of
different age-group in Bhaktapur. Bhaktapur Municipality is located
in the middle of 16 village development committee and there is
Changunarayan Temple and Nagarkot as already developed major
tourist destinations in the district where majority of the visitors
who visit Bhaktapur also visit these areas.The village development
committees are inhabited by different ethnic groups with their
unique culture where home-stay, village walk and agro tourism
activities as well as adventure activities like short hiking, mountain
biking and jungle walk can be developed. Of the total visitors, as
per the survey, 70% percent preferred to stay in the houses of local
people in Bhaktapur. So there is a high possibility of development
of home-stay activities in the two municipalities. Therefore, there
are immense possibilities of the development of culture-based and
nature-based tourism activities in the district.
Though, there are huge potentialities of tourism development and
socio-economic development of local people with the availability
cultural and natural attractions in the district, the concerned
authorities have become aloof towards this fact and remained so
for a long time. If the available potentials were reaped then there
will be lots of tourism activities to fulill the need and interest of
visitors.
Tourism Development Initiatives
1. Bhaktapur Development Project (BDP): A Turning Point of
Tourism Development in Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur Development Project (BDP) was started in 1974 with
the assistance from Federal Republic of Germany and continued
till 1986. The BDP completely renovated 182 priest houses, public
shelters and inns, 17 sunken tap and ponds, 2 museums, 6 private
buildings of archeological values and other dilapidated monuments
destroyed by century’s of time and 1934 earthquake. The project
paved 140586 m2 of streets, installed 4520 private and 38 public
toilets, two sewerage plants and carried out various activities to
uplift the socio-economic and health related status of the people.
The follow-up project was also carried out during 1987-1991. Once
the ilthiest place before 1970s was completely converted into the
living museum and slowly the enchanting art, architecture, cultural
heritages and colorful festivals lured many visitors from different
countries of the world. Now a day’s approximately 400 visitors
visit this well preserved cultural capital of Nepal. The complete
renovation work carried out by the BDP during 1974-1986 and
the declaration of Bhaktapur Durbar Square as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site in 1979 inally prepared Bhaktapur to become an
attractive tourist destination.
2. Role of Bhaktapur Municipality
After the completion of BDP, the responsibility of conservation
and preservation of heritage was handed over to Bhaktapur
Municipality. Since then the Municipality has been carrying out
conservation projects of cultural heritage in its own capacity
and in partnership with the Department of Archeology of Nepal.
Bhaktapur Municipality receives substantial amount as income
in the form of entrance fee from international visitors and the
amount is used to carry out small or large scale renovation and
conservation projects, development of educational infrastructure,
sanitation and waste management. Another source of income
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
2
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Tourism Development in Bhaktapur, Nepal: Prospects and Problems (contd.)
By Basudev Lamichhane
the local government receives is a tax from hotel, restaurant and
handicraft business sector.
The role of Bhaktapur Municipality in conservation has contributed
a lot to expand and promote tourism activities not only in the
Municipal area but also in the surroundings. It is very necessary for
Bhaktapur Municipality to work towards mitigating the problems
associated to heritage preservation and tourism development
by investing more on basic tourism infrastructures, facilities and
conservation of intangible cultural heritages like traditional music
and dances. It is also very indispensable for Bhaktapur municipality
to carry out tourism development and promotional activities
in association and partnership with the private sector and local
community.
The investment on the conservation of heritage plays a crucial
role in tourism development and would attract more visitors
which provides major source of income to the local government.
And invest of the small amount by local government on the basic
tourism services and facilities, development of new tourism
products will enhance the service and quality of tourism
which will eventually attract more visitors ultimately doubling
the tourism revenue. Therefore, focusing only on the heritage
conservation overlooking the necessary infrastructure to be
developed for tourism hampers both the heritage conservation
and tourism development. Hence, the local government should
adopt a balanced approach in heritage conservation and tourism
development.
3. Role of Bhaktapur Tourism Development Committee(BTDC) in
Heritage Conservation and Tourism Development
Bhaktapur Tourism Development Committee (BTDC), established
in 1997, has been working in four main areas of tourism; Product
Development, Product Promotion, Service Quality Enhancement
and Sustainability. Its main function is to identify measures that
contribute to the conservation and development of historical
and cultural sites as well as traditional skills and technologies. The
Committee has been involved in developing training programs and
disseminating information. It has already demonstrated and played
the catalyst role in developing culture-based tourism products like
Bhaktapur Night and Food Festival and promoting this product
in direct partnership and co-operation with the Nepal Tourism
Board. Similarly, short hiking and biking trail development and
home-stay activities in the surrounding rural villages in lengthening
the visitors stay, workshops, seminars and awareness campaigns
have been carried out by BTDC.Various promotional activities on
handicrafts, traditional dances and music by organizing handicraft
fairs and cultural shows have been carried out. It has been
publishing various brochures, booklets and a tourist guidebook
on Bhaktapur’s rich culture. A tourist information center has also
been setup in its ofice to provide information to the visitors
regarding unique culture and festivals of Bhaktapur.
Problems and Constraints
Despite the huge potential of tourism development in Bhaktapur,
there are some problems and constrains which have emerged as
challenges along with the development of tourism in Bhaktapur.
Seasonality is the major problem of tourism in Bhaktapur. SeptNov and Feb –April are the two chief seasons during which most of
the visitors come to Nepal. Bhaktapur receives majority of visitors
during these two seasons. This seasonal nature of tourism has put
adverse effect in the hospitality service business and people who
depend on the living of handicraft business.
Modernization has also posed threat to the conservation of
tangible and intangible cultural heritage as the new generation is
inclined towards new trends and lifestyles. Despite the building
code of conduct and bylaws introduced by the Municipality, the
constructions of new concrete and modern houses are increasing.
The unchecked and frequent vehicle low in the major heritage
sites are the main challenge to keep these historical and cultural
sites intact. Visitors hardly get an opportunity to observe the
fabulous art and architecture due to free movements of vehicle in
the heritage areas. Historical-traditional dances and music are the
major cultural assets of Bhaktapur. These dances and music that
were performed every day in every nook and corner have now
being disappeared day by day due to lack of inancial incentive
and encouragement to the local cultural groups from concerned
authority. Cultural and heritage conservation also include these
intangible cultural assets and failing to preserve them also make
us fail towards heritage conservation.
Lack of information, activities, and facilities for diverse tourist
interests is another issue. The local guides are more motivated
by inancial gains than providing true information to the visitors.
Likewise, suficient and adequate information materials about
the cultural heritages, local festivals, cultural dances and music
are lacking in Bhaktapur. New tourism product development and
product diversiication based on local culture, traditional musical
and dances in Bhaktapur and disburse the visitors by developing
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
2
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
short hiking and trekking trails to the surrounding urban areas
have become another big challenge to meet the interest of the
visitors having different interests. Similarly, lack of coordination
and cooperation among local people and local government,
lack of trained human resource in hospitality business sector,
inadequate tourism promotion activities form municipality, and
lack of beneit sharing mechanism to local people have been the
major shortcomings of tourism in Bhaktapur. There is also lack
of suficient tourist toilets, information & communication centers,
city maps, signage and signposts, information materials about
heritage, culture and festivals, and health facilities for visitors in
city area in Bhaktapur. The tourism activities are only based and
centralized in Bhaktapur municipality. On the one hand visitors’
length of stay is very short due to less tourism activities in the city
Heritage is what Bhaktapur boasts of.The conservation of heritage
is imperative for its identity and continuity of the culture and
furthering its development in the future. Realizing the richness
of art and architecture and the functional values of the heritage,
there is the provision of providing technical and inancial support
by Bhaktapur Municipality to the heritage house owner for
maintenance and up-keeping of the heritage house intact. Material
(brick, wood etc) and inancial support have been provided by the
Municipality for new construction of private houses inside the
municipal area. Building code and bylaws have been introduced
and applied and building of new private and public structures near
to the heritage site has been checked by heritage site code of
conduct. But attempts to declare vehicle free zone for the heritage
site have not been materialized due to the people’s private houses
area and on the other hand there are many places of interest of
natural, cultural and historical values which are not yet developed
as the tourism sites in the district. There is also lack of big hotels
in city area. Therefore, most of the visitors those stay overnight
in Bhaktapur are budget travelers and they are accommodated by
local guesthouse.
and commercial enterprises are located inside or near to the
heritage area.Therefore, massive awareness campaign is necessary
to create the feeling of ownership of the cultural heritage among
the local people.
Another drawback in Bhaktapur’s tourism is the presence of
beggars and hawkers who are a nuisance to visitors by begging
money and forcing visitors to buy souvenirs. Bhaktapur, once
known as the chief producer of paddy with full of green paddy
ields has now illed with brick kilns. These growing brick kilns
have reduced the quality of environment and beauty of the city as
well as the whole district to a great extent.
These problems exist until and unless there is a strong coordination
and cooperation among local government, private sector and
local community. All stakeholders need to act together to mitigate
these problems and convert these problems into opportunities.
Despite consecutive advocacy from BTDC and private sector, the
concerned authority has not been taking any curative measures
to mitigate these problems which have marred the healthy and
sustainable tourism development in this city.The City of Bhaktapur
has become a special example for the world in its efforts for
economic well-being through heritage conservation and tourism
development. Aloofness of the concerned authority towards the
existing problems may hinder the smooth development of tourism
activities in the Bhaktapur and eventually affect tourism revenue
that ultimately hamper the heritage conservation as well.
Future Strategy for tourism development and heritage
conservation
In order to develop rural tourism, agro-tourism and eco-tourism,
culture based tourism and manage the cultural heritage, minimize
the negative impacts and other socio-cultural problems created
by tourism, lengthen the visitors stay, diversify tourism products,
enhance the economic condition of rural-urban community and
reduce poverty, a Tourism Development and Management Plan of
Bhaktapur district is being formulated with the active involvement
of District Development Committee of Bhaktapur, Bhaktapur
Municipality, Madhyapur-Thimi Municipality, Nepal Tourism Board,
all the 16 Village Development Committees, Bhaktapur Tourism
Development Committee , Bhaktapur Chamber of Commerce
and Industries, and other stakeholders.
The major objectives of this plan is to ensure sustainable tourism
development in the district with the focus on the heritage
conservation by bringing all the concerned stakeholders together
to develop new tourism activities and tourism destination as well
as disburse the visitors currently centered mainly in Bhaktapur,
Changunarayan, and Nagarkot to the other parts of the district
in order to lengthen their stay and increase their per day
average expenditure. The objectives also include developing the
whole district as the major tourist destination of Nepal by the
management of cultural and natural heritages and their marketing
and promotion in national and international arena.
Mr. Basudev Lamichhane is working as the CEO in Bhaktapur Tourism
Development Committee(BTDC), a nonproit organization active in
the development of Healthy and Sustainable Tourism in Bhaktapur-(The
UNESCO World Heritage Site, Cultural Capital and Open Museum of
Nepal.
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
2
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Sustainable Urban Design- The Bigger picture
By Gaurav Sarin
Urban Design
There are numerous deinitions today for ‘urban design’, each
denoting a range of concerns and activities that differ from one
another in scope, objectives and practices. The Urban Design
Group, UK, suggests that urban design is “concerned with the
careful stewardship of the resources of the built environment in
the creation and maintenance of those parts of the public realm
that are new or have been cherished”… but it still does not deine
urban design.
Although pre-designed urban surroundings existed long before
any deinition, it was in the 1970s that the concept of urban design
was introduced. The reasons for this conceptualisation may be
embedded in speciic situations, acknowledged by professionals
and the public in the late 1950s. They formed the raison d’etre
for the newly deined sphere of activity and were constantly
reafirmed in urban design discourse: to give people back that
which modernist sterility, abstraction, uniformity and minimalism
had taken from them.
The outcome of modernist urbanism was placelessness.
Urban design was directed towards placemaking.
Urban design was established in opposition to modernist
urbanism and there was a broad common denominator among
creators of normative theories, such as, the intention to reestablish quality of place in the public realm. Just as the renewed
interest in postmodernist urban fabric arose from the need to
exploit all possible local assets to assist the reorganisation of
post-industrial inner cities, and especially the tourism industry, so
did placemaking. Evoking a ‘sense of place’ is related to human
scale, emphasis on the local (historical, natural or cultural),
legibility, deined urban spaces, pedestrian circulation, stimulation
of all senses – the essential characteristics of downtown. Although
nowhere has urban design become a distinct profession, it has been
embraced into the heart of ‘good practice’ guidelines, particularly
in Britain and other European countries. For the better part of
the last century, visions of the city were reduced to what could
be engineered to it the abstractions of a technological milieu
and its economic dictates. This became a world of immediacy, of
concreteness, where the real and the possible were framed by
the Cartesian dictates of technological determination, which, in
turn came to be indiscriminately understood as the only form of
realism possible.
There is an emerging need for a triumvirate of inluences to guide
the development of urban centres (Figure: 1). Working together,
these three aspects serve to create better urban environments.
Globalisation
More than ever, markets appear to transcend the borders and
interests of nation states, while the ability of individual countries
to direct their internal economies and shape the way in which they
interact with external forces has declined. These changes reshape
urban networks and rearrange the distribution of opportunities
and income in cities, regardless of a city’s participation in global
economics. Due to the modern-day capacity and ability of capital
to switch locations, all cities- with the exception of ‘global cities’
which are decision centres- have become interchangeable entities
to be played off against one another from positions of comparative
weakness for the investment of capital. In this situation, the task
of urban governance has become the creation of urban conditions
attractive to lure investments. In many places, there has been
a shift in the attitudes of urban government from a managerial
approach to entrepreneurialism.This entrepreneurial stance views
the city as a product that needs to be marketed. This marketing
approach, and the emphasis on restructuring the city so it appeals
to businesses, has led to the dominance of economic interest in the
decision-making process of urban planning. ‘Urban regeneration’
has become a growth industry in itself as a variety of options have
opened up to rebuild cities…derelict industrial sites have been
converted to heritage parks, old canals have become housing or
shopping areas, warehouse conversions have become something
“chic” to live in.
Sustainability
Globalisation
Conservation (Local)
Fig. 1 - Inluencing Urban Form
Uses of urban design itting into their development prospects
involve redevelopment, renewal, reconstruction and revitalisation
of urban space. Larger cities in economic decay, such as port cities
and old industrial centres, have often considered reconstruction,
redevelopment, renewal and revitalisation of historic centres, or
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
2
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Sustainable Urban Design- The Bigger picture (contd.)
By Gaurav Sarin
declining urban areas or waterfronts, etc; as a top priority in the
hierarchy of their actions to restructure the local economy. One
example could be taken of Liverpool and the redevelopment
of the city’s docks in the 1980s as well as Rotterdam and the
waterfront redevelopment of Kop van Zuid in the 1990s. In both
cases, redesigning of urban space was focussed on adding to the
architectural heritage and producing at the same time new space
for lourishing economic activities and lively uses such as cultural,
leisure, housing and commerce.
alienation and shape a new form of localism. Much of the recent
interest in urban design repeats the familiar deiciencies of the past:
a focus of the supericial aesthetics and the picturesque aspects
of cities (instead of the role that aesthetics play, say, in community
development), an understanding of urban design primarily as a
inished product; instead of an ongoing long term process linked
with social and political mechanisms.
Conservation
The most common reason for preserving old buildings, leaving aside
historic interest, is that they are useful resources.This might seem
rather obvious, but is often forgotten. A building usually reaches
Pic. 1 - Southbank of Thames, London: a vibrant urban space now
which was crime ridden till a few years earlier
Larger cities have also been making great efforts to accommodate
major international events, such as the Olympic Games and
international exhibitions. These kinds of events are considered
catalysts for major urban makeover exercises. For example, the
Olympics at Barcelona in 1992 served to accelerate the city’s
physical, economic and social restructuring during the period 198692. Smaller cities lourished in the late 1970s and 80s – a period
which was marked by counter-urbanization. Smaller cities were
the major beneiciaries of this phenomenon and exhibited rapid
growth due to a series of factors. The diseconomies associated
with larger cities, such as congestion, lack of space, high costs and
expensive overheads for services prompted decentralisation of
certain economic sectors (e.g. Manufacturing industries) from
metropolitan regions towards smaller cities.
However, the majority of smaller cities usually suffer from major
structural weaknesses: inadequate infrastructure, limited inward
investment and technological underdevelopment. Some of the cities
lack indigenous resources, i.e. archaeological and cultural heritage
or a particularly attractive natural environment. In such cases,
urban design may become a determinant factor for their future.
The production of a new urban image – whether contradicting
local heritage or not – can, if successful, counteract the sense of
Pic. 2 - Warehouses converted to
residential use with retail at the
base (London)
the end of its ‘natural life’ as a
result of external economic
forces
and
operational
obsolescence rather than
because it has ceased to be
capable of repair. An example
may be taken of the sturdily
engineered warehouse buildings
in various docks around Britain
in the 1970s, which rapidly
decayed and were demolished
by the hundreds. These had not
become unmaintainable, they
had simply become redundant.
There are some buildings that
are worthy of preservation for their own sakes, these may be
celebratory and magniicent; rare and curious; commemorative
and associative; exemplary and instructive or perhaps pleasing and
picturesque.These are usually monuments in our cities, and ample
evidence exists of preservation and conservation efforts for these
kinds of buildings through history.
As early as 1877, societies such as SPAB (Society for the
Protection of Ancient Buildings) in England, have led these efforts.
The manifesto of SPAB can be summed up in three basic tenets:
1.
We are custodians of the ancient buildings we have
inherited. We should not regard ourselves as free to do
as we please with them.
2.
Effective and honest repair should always be the irst
consideration.
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
2
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Sustainable Urban Design- The Bigger picture (contd.)
By Gaurav Sarin
3.
We should do no more than prudence demands. In
particular, we should not fall into the trap of allowing
scholarly or artistic ambitions to dictate what is done.
The Manifesto had another thought which was later withdrawn,
namely, that it was better to raise a new building rather than
enlarge or alter an old one which had become inconvenient for
modern use. This was replaced by:
4.
Any permanently necessary new work should be clearly
distinguishable from the old and should not reproduce
any past style.
The aim of conservation is to retain or recover the cultural
signiicance of a place and must include provision for its security,
maintenance and future. The object of conservation is seldom
to prevent all change, but rather to manage it positively. Policies
must aim to keep the asset or area alive, yet ensure that any new
development accords with its special interest.
Sustainability
The area that a city needs to support itself (known as the ecological
footprint) has associated sustainability issues. Technology was
playing a critical role in supporting cities such as Rome even in this
early historical period: aqueducts, sewage systems and increasingly
sophisticated ship building are all examples of this technology.
Urban areas can be seen as a type of system, with inputs,
throughputs and outputs – just as in the human system.
The inputs may be made up of people, whether daily commuters
or more permanent migrants and immigrants, goods such as bricks,
bread, furniture and computer microchips and services such as
water and electricity. Outputs may appear to be more obvious
– like waste water and refuse, outgoing commuters and migrants
but there are also ‘unseen’ exports, the main being air pollution.
Where great amounts of products are exported without much
recycling, this type of system is called an open system. [Fig. 2]
Such a system may be thought of as unsustainable in the long term
because of the escalating demands for resources from an everwidening area, creating a widening ecological footprint. This is a
linear type of system
Cities have long acted as the ‘engines’ of human cultural,
technological and economic development.
Throughout history there have been linked trends of:
•
Concentration of people in one location.
•
Specialisation into different tasks which together make
the whole ‘city system’.
•
Utilisation of technology to control nature.
Fig. 3 - Circular metabolism of cities- a recycling/reuse led development
Fig. 2 - Typical linear urban system
Thousands of years of nomadic hunter-gathering was gradually
replaced for thousands and later millions of people by the
development of a sedentary lifestyle (i.e. living in one location).This
was only possible through the concentration of food production
in a limited, deined area, for example in Asia over 5000 years
ago.
In nature, a circular metabolism is developed whereby every
input is also able to renew and sustain the living environment by
recycling the outputs. In the past medieval cities had something
approaching this relationship, with the following closely linked
nearby: market gardens, orchards, arable and grazing land, local
water supply, forest products and so on.
Indeed, until the recent and rapid industrially led growth of the
late twentieth century, many Chinese cities were largely selfsuficient in food. They were unique among the world in having
highly developed low technology systems of using human waste
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
0
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Sustainable Urban Design- The Bigger picture (contd.)
By Gaurav Sarin
as fertiliser for local farms. It must be stressed that any city has an
ecological footprint – the question is to what degree?
Cities in less economically developed countries such as India often
have a higher ‘re-use’ system than do those in more economically
developed countries. [Fig. 3] In the USA and UK, ‘disposable
culture’ and ‘built-in obsolescence’ permeate society. Modern
cities have broken the close links with the local biosphere.
In order for cities to become more sustainable they must change
the linear metabolism to a more circular metabolism, creating a
self-regulating sustainable relationship with the biosphere.
Heritage & Urban Design
Urban design conservation has evolved dramatically during the last
30 years or so as an urban design discipline necessary for dealing
with older city districts that were previously reduced to being
the location of monuments worthy of architectural restoration.
Recent international experiences in urban conservation vary
greatly in their focus and intent and still demonstrate the
conlicting interests of archaeologists, who focus on monument
restoration, and urban designers whose interest is in conserving
the spirit of the past. However, it is probably best for the skills of
planning, archaeology and urban design to collaborate to create a
truly lasting and signiicant urban experience that has a historical
identity.
Pic. 4 - Street art as means to engage people: Hamburg harbour,
Germany
There is danger of the urban designer ending up with a ‘Disneyesque’ version which is merely an illusion that bears little or no
connection to the history of the area. Authenticity is vital to the
honesty of the urban conservation project but there need not be
false accuracy or unnecessary sensitivity about all the urban or
social details of the project. To pursue this idea, it is essential to
differentiate between a conservation concept and a conservation
methodology.
A methodology is a practical way of following a process for
conservation, while a concept is the central bonding idea behind
the choices made during the practical process. In most cases the
urban designer’s task shall be limited to formulating the urban
conservation concepts and putting in practice a part of the
conservation methodology. Seldom will an urban designer make
managerial or inancial decisions for a community. Consequently,
the urban design conservation concept becomes a part of a larger
consideration for the area. However, the concept can go a long way
in inluencing the project and can ensure, for example, community
support and the encouragement of local businessmen.
Feasibility
Pic. 3 - Designing-in heritage: Siracusa, Sicily where 100s year old
remains for a part of new development
Design
Authenticity in urban design needs to be dealt with sensitively, as
it involves conserving streets, alleys, buildings, social practices and
community cultural beliefs that are spread over a large urban area.
The economic objectives of urban conservation, as of any other
human activity, have been impacting heavily on urban conservation
projects during the last 20 years or so. Cultural tourism has become
the major source of inance for costly urban conservation projects
and a major determinant of their form and methodologies. This
economic impact of cultural tourism directed the methodologies
of urban designers to create place to attract tourists. Both urban
designers and city administrators became interested in the
concept of genus loci, the power of place. The spin-off was the
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
1
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Sustainable Urban Design- The Bigger picture (contd.)
By Gaurav Sarin
other urban phenomena that relected a ‘personality’ and identity
of the place. Having a historical identity in urban conservation
became desirable and capable of attracting tourists to the place
through honesty and authenticity.The physical and historic identity
of an urban area may stem from its streets, its urban mass and its
overall urban character.
Policy
Context (Local)
Pic. 5 - Policy is critical in helping retain heritage. Old city, Frankfurt
Design
Feasibility
Fig. 4 - Process of Urbanisation
The concepts are simple. The urban conservators/designers
need to develop the meaning and function of the place so that
it becomes comprehensible to the public. This meaning might be
economic, cultural, social or political, with a deinite heritage bias.
If such meaning coincides with the choice of an authentic place
to start with, a successful urban conservation intervention may
result.
Successful urban intervention depends upon achieving a
constructive relationship between regulatory policy, inancial
feasibility, the design approach and relevant context (Figure: 4).
Financial feasibility shall ensure the commercial success of a
project and thus it’s potential to form a sustainable and sustained
economic contribution. If the design approach is wrong, quite
simply, the project objectives will not be met and the quality of
the delivered project shall be poor.
The term “urban policy” is used for a wide range of different
concerns and activities. [as per Robert Gordon University] The
key issues relate to •
economic development, including local economic
activity, income generation and employment policy;
•
social development, including housing and
neighbourhood issues, relations within and between
communities, and social inclusion; and
•
geographical issues, concerned with spatial relationships
in the city, planning, transport, the environment and the
urban infrastructure.
This does not deine a very distinct area of concern, and some
issues, like local economic policy, are not certainly “urban” at all.
Urban policy has mainly been distinguished by attempts to treat
economic and social issues in localised settings. The characteristic
modes of work include:
Policy
It is important to deine a framework for urban policy. There is
no analytical unit called an “urban sector,” rather there is a set of
activities that take place in urban locations. These activities are
usually associated with the traditional development sectors such
as industry, agriculture, or transportation, which are of concern in
both urban and rural areas.
That leaves the problem of deining what is meant by the term
“urban.” It turns out this deinitional problem is largely intractable.
Urban deinitions are country speciic and range from “main
towns, including suburbs” (Zimbabwe), to “all townships and
town-planning areas and all district centres” (Malawi). There is no
universally accepted deinition of what constitutes an urban area.
•
area-based policies, often concentrated on deprived
areas within cities;
•
joint or partnership working, drawing together a range
of agencies; and
•
community work, including community education, and
social development and political organisation.
Any urban development must be in accordance with the established
policy, sometimes for legal reasons.
Context:The Local
Not responding to the local context shall render the project
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
2
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Sustainable Urban Design- The Bigger picture (contd.)
By Gaurav Sarin
generic. This implies that while
the project may be easily
replicable, it offers nothing to
the local and thus is in no way
unique. Such projects, in turn,
do not often succeed inancially
or gather community support.
Pic. 6 - Iconic art can play an
important role in deining urban
spaces. Miro in barcelona shown
here
Having said that – it is entirely
possible to create context, for
example by using iconic artists
who are renowned globally, but
also as being of a place. This is
particularly true of areas of that
have been historically derelict.
for memory - imagine the Taj Mahal as a trafic island surrounded
by high-rise ofices. Responsibility for the care of these spaces
and sustaining a sense of place is borne by no single discipline. All
must be committed to stewardship and contribute to securing
quality. The management of the historic environment requires a
special degree of sensitivity and understanding. In providing this,
the urban design discipline takes on an important role. It becomes
more of a way of thinking, applicable to all disciplines and especially
architecture, town planning and infrastructure engineering.
Sustainability
Globalisation
Policy
Context
Design
Feasibility
Art can often infuse a new dimension to such developments.
Planning Sustainable Cities: Global Report on Human Settlements
2009 a report by UNHCS, assesses the effectiveness of urban
planning as a tool for dealing with the unprecedented challenges
facing 21st-century cities and for enhancing sustainable
urbanization. An important conclusion of the Global Report is
that, even though urban planning has changed relatively little in
most countries since its emergence about 100 years ago, a number
of countries have adopted some innovative approaches in recent
decades. However, in many developing countries, older forms of
master planning have persisted. Here, the most obvious problem
with this approach is that it has failed to accommodate the ways
of life of the majority of inhabitants in rapidly growing and largely
poor and informal cities, and has often directly contributed to
social and spatial marginalization.
Conclusions:The Bigger Picture
In most Asian cultures, the idea of simply keeping an old building
or parts of old urban fabric, simply because they are old, would
not be thought to be at all reasonable. From this viewpoint, every
building, city, or city quarter, has an indestructible soul - a permanent
reality that can survive any number of renewals and rebuilding and
still remain intact. In the case of most revered ancient monuments
and temples, entire structures may be destroyed and rebuilt from
the ground up without losing any cultural or social signiicance.
Historic spaces of a city are valuable for their contribution to the
setting and disposition of the enclosing buildings. They are also
important for creating a sense of place and providing a vehicle
Fig. 5 - Sustainable Urban Development
The re-emerging giants of Asia have a wealth of historicity that can
be severely and permanently damaged if these issues are not taken
up immediately and addressed in the government policies. This is
even more critical in these times of frantic economic growth (in
these parts of the world) where the desire to create advantageous
business environments can often result in negligence in this
regard. While the seeds of urban fragmentation were sown by
the garden city movement, it was Le Corbusier who campaigned
against the corridor street and encouraged architects to look at
urban buildings as sculptural objects sitting in space.This powerful
concept has permeated into the Modern Movement ethic to the
extent that even today many architects have dificulty in designing
larger layouts in which buildings are not arrayed as shapes on a
plan that have no meaning viewed at ground level.
More recently, deconstructivist design has played games with
building forms and hard landscape which are intelligible only on
reading the plan, not even when walking around the completed
scheme. But perhaps the most disruptive has been the effect of
catering for motor vehicle movement, circulation and parking.
This form of thinking assumes the car to be the smallest element
in the cityscape – not the human. Vast tracts of urbanscape in
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Sustainable Urban Design- The Bigger picture (contd.)
By Gaurav Sarin
Europe and much of North America are mute testimony to this.
Clearly, there needs to be a relationship between the inluences
on urbanisation and the process itself. The best candidate to be
the lynch pin between these, is the ‘local’ or the context (Figure
5). Heritage can form a lasting bond that connects these disparate
issues, needs, and demands in a meaningful way. It is the vital
ingredient that makes for vibrant and dynamic cities. The historic
environment, including buildings, the spaces between them, urban
parks and other incidental spaces, is a signiicant marker of quality
and a source of local distinctiveness.
we must employ similar logic while dealing with city quarters and
the urban fabric.
The whole must be much greater than the sum of its parts.
Bibliography
Planning Sustainable Cities: Global Report on Human Settlements 2009
a report by UNHCS
D Gordon, C Pantazis, 1997, Breadline Britain in the 1990s, Avebury.
Harris C D and Ullman E L (1945), “The nature of cities” Annals of the
American Academy of Political and Social Science
Burgess E.W. (1924)”The growth of the city: an introduction to a research
project” Publications of the American Sociological Society
Wheeler, Stephen (1998). “Planning Sustainable and Livable Cities”,
Routledge; 3rd edition
Matheos Santamouris (2006). Environmental Design of Urban Buildings:
An Integrated Approach
Bhagwati, Jagdish (2004). In Defense of Globalization. Oxford, New York:
Oxford University Press
House of India, Encyclopedia Britannica
Jurgen Osterhammel and Niels P.Petersson. Globalization: a short
history
Weaver, Martin and Frank Matero (1997) Conserving Buildings: A Manual
of Techniques and Materials. New York: John Wiley & Sons
Pic. 7 - Stylised architecture can also form a lasting legacy where the
context is more modern. Here, the Eurostar station below this mixeduse development in Lille, France
It provides a basis for reinstating patterns and helps to provide
references to repair the tears in the urban fabric. Cleared urban
brownield sites, for example, are seldom totally devoid of traces
of the past. Just as we do not preserve the ornamental parts of
a listed building and dismiss the rest as unimportant connecting
fabric which could be replaced by something new and ‘appropriate’,
Robert M. Sanford and Thomas W. Neumann, Cultural Resources
Archaeology: An Introduction. Rowman and Littleield Pub Inc, December,
2001
Note: All photographs, diagrams and illustrations by the author.
Gaurav runs an architectural and urban design studio in London,
TheStudio Orange; he is a keen researcher and a frequent speaker in
conferences around the globe. He has also published several peerreviewed papers in a variety of professional journals. The topics
that interest him range from architectural education, urban design and
conservation to energy and sustainability.
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Book Review
By Dr. Moukhtar Mai
Old but New :: New but Old
Editor: Mahbubur Rahman, mmrahman417@gmail.com
Publisher: UNESCO
Distributor: Omni Books, Chartered Accountant Bhaban
100 Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Karwanbazaar, Dhaka 1215
Bangladesh +880 2 912 0914
PP 366. Price:Tk 1500/ ISBN 978 984 33 0894 8
Buildings and monuments are the products of accumulated
wisdom expressed through the language of space and form. These
symbolize a particular civilization, a signiicant development, or
a historic incident, and become signiicant in our cultural and
national life. In addition to architectural, aesthetic, historic, and
iconic values, these possess emotional value as the symbol of our
cultural identity, and hence form the heritage. Architecture is a
vivid expression in material form of a society’s social, economic,
technological and cultural achievements at any point of time in
history and in a particular geographic area. In absence of adequate
historical sources and writings, it is a common denominator
between generations of people, a major means of communication
with the tradition and heritage of a nation. A civilized people or
society must know about its origin and roots in the local, regional
and in world contexts to be able to understand and appreciate his
being and be able to charter his course into the future.
Hence it is the moral obligation of one generation to preserve this
rich inheritance, held in trust for the future generations. Preservation
of architectural work is, therefore, of immense signiicance, as a means
of cultural heritage preservation, for a society that values its past and
cares for the posterity. Even two millenniums back, buildings used
to be adapted for reuse, though conservation movement started in
Europe in the eighteenth century. The value of architectural heritage
is now universally recognized, even in many developing countries.
Historic cores are generally the oldest parts of towns, particularly in
the burgeoning cities in the developing countries. These are under
huge pressure from competing economic activities, and hence are
giving rise to sharp land values. Many such cities or areas therein had
originated from lourishing trade and commerce historically, which
on many instances had not been relocated in several centuries. Thus
older buildings become easy target for demolition and replacement by
denser and taller structures, with higher economic return. However,
the long-term environmental and cultural costs have seldom been
duly considered.
Heritage resources are destroyed in the process when these
surrender to commercial interests, especially as heritage buildings
receive no legal protection, inancial incentive, or any other option.
The government often encourages developments with incentives
while discouraging retention of traditional activities and forms.
It is very dificult to protect historic buildings in a city where the
nature of development is market driven. Survival of a building in its
current form and use faces stiff opposition when the site has a higher
value and potential. There is hardy any exception to the widespread
phenomena of historic buildings giving way to alien uses and modern
construction. Thus old is usually replaced by new not for genuine
progress, improvement, or welfare, but to yield materialistic proits
to the vested groups.
Due to the absence of awareness of heritage value of old historic
buildings and apparent justiication for their conservation, alternative
options (to demolition) are not even considered in most instances.
Especially the policy makers/government oficials ind it more
attractive to build afresh by undertaking new projects, rather than
repair and reuse the existing buildings. Thus it should be mandatory
upon the government agencies to offer alternatives to decision
makers and users and incentives to the property owners in order
to protect a city’s heritage and culture, so that demolition and new
construction do not become inevitable destiny.
Historic districts within enormous, modern and expanding cities
OLD BUT N EW
N EW BUT OLD
Ar ch it e ct u r a l H e r it a ge Con se r va t ion
Mahbubur Rahm an
in the developing world, have
undergone changes. Patterns
of
invasion-succession
of
migrant populations have been
superimposed on the decaying
guild and ethnic neighbourhoods.
The well-to-do have tended to
escape the old historic cores of
their cities, often only retaining
businesses there. Other than
housing new activities like
warehousing, large and small old
buildings have been subdivided for multiple families, which raised
the density. Infrastructure provision in such areas is inadequate and
pollution threatens not only the well-being of the citizens, but also
the architectural and urban heritage that made these places special.
Almost universally this heritage is at risk of extinction.
In the above context, the book, Old but New :: New but Old, brings
forward all the issues pertinent to the protection of architectural
heritage in the developing countries.There are 10 chapters, 8 of which
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Book Review (contd.)
By Dr. Moukhtar Mai
are written by the editor himself, some with co-authors, while the rest
two are by two professors from Saudi Arabia and China.These cover
topics such as development and economics, administration, resources,
participation, urbanism, heritage, governance, ideas, philosophies,
current thinking, approaches and challenges of heritage conservation.
This is a very resourceful book using over 300 photographs many of
which are rare, and many drawings and maps. Half of the papers make
reference to Bangladesh, specially the urban areas and Dhaka, and
as such have relevance to almost typical situations elsewhere in the
developing countries.
Three papers discuss the master plans, building codes, construction
rules, and antiquities law, old and new, followed in Dhaka and other
large cities of Bangladesh, and put them into historic perspective.
These put forward so many unknown but very useful information
in one place which make it a must buy for the building professionals,
especially those with interest in traditional architecture, and
conservation experts and activists. On top of it, two papers on Ahsan
Manzil and Painamnagar too give many unknown fact for the irst
time to the readers, and establish that it is not only architectural value
or antiquity that can justify the heritage claim of any ediice, its socioeconomic and historic role too can qualify it. Ahsan Manzil is one of
the best conservation examples in Asia, while Painamnagar is one of
the 50 most endangered heritage sites declared by the UNESCO.
Of particular value to an avid reader are the many information,
examples and case studies in highlighted boxes,and as annexure with all
the papers. Some of these annexure, for example those on traditional
houses or Dhaka’s relation with water, are very rich and thorough.
Even the annexure on Building Code and Antiquities Act are even
otherwise dificult to get. In fact over 300 references used in the book
show just how thoroughly all the topics have been researched upon
and comprehensively presented. One of the boxes is on INTACH
and a whole paper is on participatory heritage conservation in the
historic city of Ahmedabad.
The book, Old but New :: New but Old, is a beitting response to
400 years of Dhaka as a capital city, and also epitomizes the efforts
at the North South University Architecture School which has been
documenting the old traditional buildings in and around Dhaka for
the last fours years under the able guidance of the main author who
has taught there between 2004-08.The ten essays, each of which was
reviewed by at least two experts some of whom are members of
SANEYOCOP, together embody a response to a common underlying
concern – the neglect and problems of architectural heritage
conservation in the developing countries.
It is to be mentioned that there are only two other books on similar
topic published from Dhaka.Yet this one by far is the most resourceful
and informative because of the diversity of topics, depth of study
and extent of information it provides. A beautiful cover matches
the contents inside. This book is not only for architects, but for any
conscious person who loves his/her city and cares for the heritage. It
can be a nice gift for any occasion. We wish this book available with
the distributor Omni Books a success.
Moukhtar Mai is a registered Nigerian architect, with varied experience
in practice and academia. He obtained his irst degrees in architecture
in 1984 and 1986 respectively from ABU Zaria, and completed PhD at
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) in 2008. His academic career started
at his Alma Mata in 1988. Dr. Mai is currently is a senior Lecturer at UTM.
With interest in housing and traditional architecture, he has published
research papers in international journals snd seminar proceedings.
Book Review
By Neel Kamal Chapagain
The Heritage-scape: UNESCO, World Heritage, and
Tourism
Author: Michael A. Di Giovine
Publisher: Rowman & Littleield Publishers, Inc.
Pub. Date: January 2009
ISBN-13: 9780739114346 (Hardcover)
ISBN-13: 9780739114353 (Paperback)
Author’s web page about the book: http://www.michaeldigiovine.com/
book
Image courtesy: author’s website (listed above)
“Heritage is a powerful word in its own right, for it is at
once extraordinarily suggestive and ideologically charged,
but simultaneously vague enough to be applied to nearly
everything across any space and time. It is a word whose
signiicance changes with its myriad invocations, designations
or legislations. Depending on its usage, heritage can
determine personal property, explicate unknown qualities,
foster patriotism among disparate peoples, become a tourist
destination, exacerbate geopolitical tensions, or call for help in
the form of preservation, among other uses.” (p. 91)
“Applying anthropologist Arjun Appadurai’s theory that
globalization produces a series of amorphous –scapes that spread
across the world”, Di Giovine terms the “ UNESCO’s newly
ordered social structure” of World Heritage sites as the heritagescape. Di Giovine argues that “the heritage-scape is a real social
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Book Review (contd.)
By Neel Kamal Chapagain
structure which creates real
material effects on a globally
distributed
population
in
accordance with UNESCO’s
long-term goals” (p.6), however
UNESCO neither necessarily
endorses this view nor uses
the term as such. Di Giovine
conceptualizes the heritagescape in relation to UNESCO:
“Just as UNESCO
is
composed
of
representatives
from
the world’s nation-states, but is something greater than the
aggregate of its individual members when they are working
together, so too is the heritage-scape composed of individual
World Heritage mediators that create something more when
juxtaposed together. UNESCO’s place in this is to change
each monument’s narrativity and object of employment
– from a local to global, divisive to unifying – by totalizing
all its differences, rendering them equal in value and equally
apprehensible to all human individuals who come into contact
with them. It must also be noted that UNESCO is itself complex
and multifaceted; though its ultimate aim is to contribute to
the United Nation’s mission of fostering a lasting, worldwide
peace through intergovernmentality, the organization is not
relegated to simply one task.” (p. 402)
The book is a project of global ethnography to conceptualize
the notion, processes, and position of World Heritage Sites in
contemporary globalized world, and “to analyze UNESCO’s
World Heritage program in socio-cultural terms, and, more
speciically, to describe how it its into UNESCO’s overarching
mission of fostering “peace in the minds of men” through its
designation process, through related preservation and awarenessraising activities, and through global lows of tourism” (P.399). Di
Giovine draws from theoretical works of various anthropologists,
sociologists, art historians, and others to analyze and present
his ethnographic ieldwork as well as his experience as tour
operator.
The book starts with an introductory chapter that relects the
author’s personal connection with the world of monuments
and heritages, that encouraged the author to delve into the
current project. The introductory chapter posits the theoretical
arguments as well as outlines the entire project.The key argument
in the book is that the world heritage designation is a placemaking strategy based on a socially constructed global structure
as deined by the author as the heritage-scape. Heritage-scape
is created as a result of mediation among various local, national
and international players who struggle and negotiate between the
ields of heritage production and touristic production. Chapter one
portrays monuments as social actors that “play a mediatory role
in creating the sense of community “in the minds of men”” (p.35)
and “(a) monument previously mediating between individuals and
their society is conceptually converted into a medium of global
reach through a complex and ritual process” (p.36), thus “joining
hundreds of other unrelated but similarly valorized World Heritage
Sites as another mediator in the service of the heritage-scape”
(p.36). Following Bourdieu, Di Giovine suggests that “the World
Heritage Site “is an object which exists as such only by virtue
of the (collective) belief which knows and acknowledges it” as a
World Heritage Site”(P. 37). Another player involved is tourism
that allows the products of monument and heritage including the
World Heritage Sites to be marketed and consumed for global
audience.
The second chapter analyzes the history of UNESCO and the
World Heritage Program, and presents a story of how the World
Heritage Sites – or the heritage-scape in a global landscape
– has evolved as “UNESCO’s globalizing endeavor”. The chapter
discusses the UNESCO’s processes and efforts of place making
using monument and heritage, that eventually create the ‘heritagescape’ and its nature and qualities. Each heritage site has some
uniqueness in terms of its nature and qualities, and yet through
the notion of World Heritage Sites, UNESCO espouses a “unity
in diversity” which is the focus of chapter three. Chapter four
then presents tourism as a vehicle for “the heritage-scape’s ritual
interaction”. Tourism is a ritual that brings people physically in
touch with distant or ‘other’ heritage sites, and it is the same ritual
that actually allows a heritage site to purposefully and gainfully
engage in global economic network. However, Di Giovine goes
beyond the economic and political aspect of tourism to discuss
tourism as a cultural process in connection to heritage sites and
their preservation. In chapter ive, Di Giovine equates conversion
of locales into global heritage sites to be a part of the heritagescape as a (re)contextualization of objects in a museum with a
constructed script. This process occurs at local, then national and
international or global scale and thus its perfectly into the nature
and process of the heritage-scape. The ritual of heritage-scape is
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Book Review (contd.)
By Neel Kamal Chapagain
explored in chapter six where an account of how a nation state
participates in this global process to globalize its local heritage site
by joining the process of heritage-scape, and various actors and
processes involved in this museological ritual. Similarly, the chapter
seven accounts museumiication of local cultures with cases from
Vietnam. Chapter eight explores the managing, interpreting and
branding of world heritage sites to create a destination. Chapter
nine inally reconnects all these different aspects of rituals of
heritage-scape with the practice of heritage preservation. The
practice of preservation is intrinsically linked to the idea of
World Heritage sites and thus to the heritage-scape. The chapter
explores in detail how UNESCO objectively ensures the practice
of preservation in heritage sites. However, this practice itself
cannot remain without being problematic for its intentions and
modalities of action, which is the focus of chapter ten. Using the
case of Angkor Archaeological Park in Cambodia, chapter ten
analyzes the problematic of preservation/conservation practice
by exploring how local, national and international stakeholders
and interested parties play according to their respective interests.
For that matter, perhaps chapter ten as well as eleven are of prime
interest to conservation/preservation professionals. As a response
to the concerns and problematic discussed in chapter ten,
chapter eleven offers alternative views to address those concerns
in terms of raising public awareness, and “the other ways in which
these sites re-present themselves in contexts disembodied from
their physical situatedness” (p. 13). The conclusion chapter refers
together the major themes presented in the book to explore
what the future of heritage-scape looks like.
“A World Heritage site dedicated explicitly to WOrld Heritage
itself may never be constructed, but the future orientation
of UNESCO’s WOrld Heritage endeavor – which was always
latently present in its long-term objective to create “peace
in the minds of men” – has taken now a new form. This
new form may certainly pave the way for more innovative
concepts that would, in turn, provide future opportunities
for new groups of people to enjoy formative interactions in
the heritage-scape. And with the ongoing integration of new
forms of “universal value,” the heritage-scape will continue
to expand, complexifying participants’ conceptualizations
of their position with others in history and in the world –
their very heritage – linking them with disparate times and
places, and orienting them towards meaningful future activity.
What constitutes meaningful activity may continue to be reinterpreted in the short term, but ultimately, UNESO hopes, it
will be a lasting, worldwide peace based on the “intellectural
and moral solidarity of mankind.”” (p. 429)
The book offers some unique perspectives regarding the
relationship of heritage with tourism due to author’s experience
as tour operator that brings in insights from within the tourism
industry. The multi-sited ethnographic accounts of world heritage
sites in the Southeast Asia is well weaved with discussion of how
various players including the hosts, the guests and the heritage
agencies interact in a complex network. The players in the
network include a broad range: from nation-state to its citizens,
from tour operators to tourists, from UNESCO as an agent of
creating heritage-scape to an individual localized monument. For
a practitioner and stakeholder of a heritage site, some of the
theoretical constructs used in the book may seem abstract and mere
theoretical arguments, but the book altogether offers alternative
ways of understanding the preservation/conservation practice in
various aspects. Book like this one does not offer a recipe for a
heritage conservation/preservation professional, but does help to
dissect the subject and object of heritage conservation at different
scales, and thus enriches our understanding of the profession and
how it is embedded in a global network of institutions, economic
forces, and stakeholders’ interests. Most of the case studies and
ield works are from Southeast Asia, so they are akin to the
cases in South Asia. About 500 pages long description of mutual
relationship and interaction between UNESCO, World Heritage
sites and tourism offer some thoughtful insights and broader
prospect regarding UNESCO led World Heritage movement.
Neel Kamal Chapagain is an architect from Nepal and is currently pursuing
a Ph.D. at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA
Book Review
By Mrinalini Venkateshwara
The origins of the word ‘monument’ have to do with remembrance,
whether that refers to remembrance of an event, a person, or our
common past through its material remains. A monument is thus
usually considered the most visible and recognisable marker of
a people or culture, and perhaps indicates who we are, through
what we choose to remember.
Just as with people however, a monument too has multiple layers
to its identity. So Itmad-ud-Daulah’s tomb in Agra is not just a
Mughal monument. Rather, it is a mausoleum/ tomb, constructed
by a member of the Mughal dynasty, in an architectural style that
is both Islamic as well as Mughal. It is linked to the Taj Mahal both
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
Book Review (contd.)
By Mrinalini Venkateswaran
because of architectural as well as decorative afinities.
None of this is new to a professional or an enthusiast, but most
history students in Indian schools are rarely encouraged to imagine
anything other than lists of names and dates as being relevant
to either their lessons or lives. Another point worth considering
is that since Indian parental culture tends to encourage reading
associated with schoolwork, there are numerous facts-and-igures
based books in the market, and dozens on Indian monuments
alone.They all veer towards a classiication prioritising communitybased stylistic afiliations, so one usually has lists that read of Hindu,
Buddhist, Jain, Islamic, Colonial &/ or Christian, etc. monuments,
which serve to emphasise one or at most two aspects of a
monument’s identity.
Monuments of India attempts to address several of these issues,
by approaching each of the ifty monuments discussed in its
pages from all sorts of angles. To begin with, monuments are
classiied by function rather than communal styles – so sections
deal with places of residence, government & defence; public &
commemorative buildings/ structures; places of worship, and
mausoleums. The possibility that a monument might fulil multiple
roles is also explored. With each section, monuments have been
selected keeping in mind chronology and so as to cover as wide
a range as possible. So for instance, ‘Places of Residence’ includes
the rock shelters of Bhimbetka as well as Rashtrapati Bhavan, with
many other possibilities of richness and scale in between. Implicit
in such a selection is also a challenge to the common assumption
that a monument necessarily must be built by human hands –
Bhimbetka for instance is only adapted for human use but is an
important marker of the development of human homes.
Each section is prefaced with a map and timeline that locates every
monument within that section both spatially and chronologically,
especially with relation to one another. Sites of universal
signiicance (World Heritage) are additionally denoted.The entries
contain a melange of information – building history, about the
builder/ patron/ architect, the architectural style, function, their
functional, stylistic, dynastic and/ or any other links with other
monuments, as well as stories (true or otherwise!) connected to
them. Basic concepts about types of buildings and architectural
styles for example, are also introduced throughout the book along
with ‘clues’ to recognising them. The book thus aims not only to
provide multiple perspectives on each monument, but ideally also
encourages a similar approach for any student reading about or
visiting one.
Mrinalini Venkateswaran is a JN Tata Scholar and a Ustinov Scholar
from Durham University (UK), and was a RA Association Scholar at
the Attingham Summer School (UK). She has worked with the Oriental
Museum at Durham, Northern England’s premier collection of East
Asian and Egyptian artefacts. Her museum expertise in India includes
establishing documentation and collections management systems for
private collections at the HH Maharaja Sir Jiwajirao Scindia Museum,
Gwalior and the City Palace Museum, Udaipur. She has in addition worked
on archaeological projects in Syria and Gujarat, and has recently published
a book on Indian monuments with Scholastic India. She is also a member
of the International Committee of Expert Advisors for the review of the
Commonwealth Association of Museums’ Distance Learning Programme
in Museum Studies.
Conservation
S o u t h A s ia
A Quarterly Newsletter of SANEYOCOP
Published three times a year- April, August and December.
Want to share news, opinons, experiences related to Architectural and/or Material Conservation?
Send us news, articles, photofeatures, book and project reviews or case studies to
publicationsaneyocop@yahoo.com
Your contributions will be duly acknowledged.
Next issue is scheduled for December 2010 Release
S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r Vo l . 2 N o . 2 . 2 0 1 0