Heritage Conservation, Philosophy and Principles

By:

P. K. Ghosh
Chairman, Heritage Conservation Committee, Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA)

JAMI MOSQUE

SHAKING MINARETS

SIDI SAIYED JALI

BHADRA FORT

RANI SIPRI MOSQUE

TEEN DARWAJA

MANEK BURJ

Before and After Restoration

House at Lambeshver Ni Pol, Kalupur

House at Vasta Ghelji Ni Pol, Shahpur

Hatkeshver Temple, Khadia House at Koth Ni Pol, Khadia

RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBOURHOODS

Traditional pols

Definition
1. What is or may be inherited Dictionary 2. Inherit What is received by legal descent or succession 3. It is a legal concept and applies to properties, both tangible and/or intangible enjoyed by private individuals or institutions. 4. The inherited properties contain some value for him which may be of:
Exchange value Use value Incidental value Associational value Sentimental value 5. These values are exclusively for the individuals which the prevalent laws prescribe to the rightful owners. 6. This is a matter entirely of the private domain.

1. When the same concept is applied to something outside this domain clarity is required as to the contents of the concept. 2. This signifies certain things both tangible or intangible which the community considers to be of special significance to it and would like to have an access to it and wont like it to be destroyed and is willing to devote its resources, if need be, for its upkeep, maintenance, propagation (if necessary), preservation and documentation. The entities to which such energies are devoted usually fall within the public domain but there is a large section which falls in the private domain eg. Udaipur Palace, living religious institutions like the Puri or Meenakshi Temple. 3. Therefore, while talking about the conservation & heritage, we have to keep in mind that both private & public properties are getting covered in this discourse. 4. This gives rise to a host of problems

1. Before enumerating the problems, let us have a look on a more or less accepted broad categories of built properties usually sought to be brought within the ambit of heritage properties. 2. There are two broad categories: Grand and Monumental Eg. Red Fort, Konark Sun Temple
Non-grand and non-monumental Eg. Jada Bhagat ni Pol, Vishwanath Gali, Sanjan Vandar Road, Properties in Goas lanes & by lanes near St. James Church 3. The second category mentioned above has been described in a negative way.

Grand and Monumental

Non-grand and non-monumental

RED FORT

JADA BHAGAT NI POL

KONARK SUN TEMPLE

LANES OF GOA

1. The reason for this negative categorization is the fact of the existence of host of factors which are supposed to confer heritage value to those properties.
2. Some of them are marked below: Uniqueness in space arrangement Uniqueness in Structural Principles Uniqueness or uncommonness in the materials used. Aesthetic quality Associational Value Example of experiment in engineering or design or decorative elements. 3. Grandiose or monumental are mostly owned by the state 4. Non-monumental or non-grand buildings are mostly owned by the private individuals

1. The question what is element which confers the heritage value to structure has to be answered. 2. An attempt was made to discover the essential heritage value in the U.K. when the controversy regarding the road under or near the Stonehenge arose. 3. Ultimately, it was decided that it is not the educative value nor the incidental value but a public value in itself 4. Value in itself is a meta-ethical concept A Summum Bonum which cannot be further defined.

5. The state/communitys intervention in matters of the properties in the private can only be justified by inducting the concept of public value.

1. Mostly some groups of small number of persons consider certain structures or group of structures to be of heritage value. 2. This brings in the charge of elitism. 3. In the developing country, lot of attention is directed towards the colonial architecture. Mysore. 4. The concept and the conservation movement is a western import.

5. It often goes against the development requirements particularly against the upgrading the service lines/laying service lines.
6. The movement goes against the rejuvenation of certain areas.

1. Initially discovering the heritage character is an elite affair. There is no escape from it. In Indian context it is well recognized Mahajanah Yena Gatah Sah Panthah.

2. We have adapted so many Western concepts and made them our own like democracy.
3. Conservation is to be distinguished from Preservation. 4. Conservation is not museumization. 5. Conservation does not run counter the development needs. 6. But there is strong need to make it a shared value.

Strategy could be:

Training

Exposure
Highlighting the various aspects

Adaptive Uses
Highlighting the environment friendly character

But there remains the moot question of a suitable statute otherwise there would be all sorts of problems. Examples of:
Ancient Monuments Protection Act

Environmental Protection Act

 Presently we are recoursing to a relevant provision of the Town and Country Planning Act and formulating regulations under them. We are yet to evolve a suitable machinery and get some budgetary allocation.

A special aspect of heritage conservation in the context of Ahmedabad is its attempt to get the World Heritage City Status.

1. Leaving aside the question of Value in itself let us look into the incidental value of the sought after status of the World Heritage City. 2. Obviously tourism will be the fallout.

3. Tourists would definitely like to have local flavor.

4. This requires on our part a very careful approach to present day reconstruction to avoid creating incongruous developments.

How to ensure the fund back up for conservation: Renewable T.D.R Cheap loan State / ULB allocation

To sum up

Acceptance of the concept of Public Value in Itself. There is a need for a statue. There is a need for a fund back up There is a need of, to avoid incongruous development in the heritage precincts To list out conforming uses To introduce the concept of renewable T.D.R To motivate the bank for offering cheap loan To workout a fund for interest subsidy To Keep the interest on heritage alive Rejuvenating the heritage areas with adequate services There is need for evaluation of the attempts of heritage preservation as well as its fall outs periodically To get the principles of old construction methodology articulated in the terms of modern engineering To keep the old crafts alive and create an institutional base and support for it

Thank You