Professional Documents
Culture Documents
March 2006
Introduction
Richard Storah
In 2006, the students of the MA Conservation Studies (Historic Buildings) at the
University of York joined the Alumni Association in a joint study tour to Delhi, India.
The tour was organised in india by Navin Piplani and Dr Priyaleen Singh, both former
York scholars. It was centred on Delhi, but also included visits to Agra and the deserted
city complex of Fatepur Sikri.
In addition to visiting the monuments of the Murgal period, the tour also included earlier
antiquities; and the later architecture and planning of the colonial and post-war city. The
intangible heritage being preserved by projects such as Sanskritti and by the training of
craft skills for the repair of monuments, including the work being carried out to the Taj
Mahal complex. Monuments and sites were visited which have a variety of protection ,
ranging from World Heritage Sites, to locally important and unprotected monuments.
These included preserved sites, conservation works in progress, sites which raise
conservation dilemmas, such as the colonial barracks and additions at the Red Fort,
and sites which have identified value, but are not yet protected, managed or preserved.
Also visited on the tour were works in progress, including the restoration of the ancillary
buildings as the Taj Mahal, limecrete protection at Humayuns Tomb and the use of lime
at Mehrau li Archaeology Park, together with the painting restoration works at the Indian
National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).
The tour gave a wide ranging access to the sites and the people influencing both their
conservation and the development of conservation policy in India. Conservation
workshops at INTACH and lectures at both the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and
INTACH gave further insights into the progress, policies and philosophies influencing
conservation in India and serving to highlight differences in approach from those of the
UK.
Contributors included.
Professor SK Mistra, INTACH
Professor Martand Singh, INTACH
Professor AGK Menon
Navin Piplani, Taj Mahal Conservation Collaborative, and former York scholar
Dr Priyaleen Singh, School of Planning & Architecture, and former York scholar
Dr RK Dixit, Director of the Taj Mahal
Mr R C Agrawal, Joint Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
Ajay Kumar, Programme Officer, INTACH
Tim Gore, First Secretary (Education), The British Council, Delhi
Raksha Kakhar, The British Council, Delhi
Mr Sandeep Mehra, Director, The National Rail Museum
Together with former York scholars in India: Romel Singh Jamwal, Nilina Deb Lal, Rajat
Ray, Gurmeet Rai, Janhwij Sharma, Balvinder Singh, Vijay Singh and Datta Makhija
Smitta.
The mausoleum is located on the right bank of the river Yamuna at a point where it
takes a sharp turn and flows eastwards. For construction, a network of wells was laid
along the river line to support the huge mausoleum buildings. Masons, stonecutters,
inlayers, carvers, painters, calligraphers, dome-builders and other artisans were
requisitioned from the whole of the empire and also from Central Asia and Iran. While
bricks for internal constructions were locally prepared, white marble for external use in
veneering work was obtained from Makrana in Rajasthan. Semi-precious stones for
inlay ornamentation were brought from distant regions of India, Ceylon and Afghanistan.
Red sandstone of different tints was requisitioned from the neighbouring quarries of
Sikri, Dholpur, etc. It took 17 years for the monument complex to be completed in 1648.
In all, the Taj Mahal covers an area of 60 bighas, as the terrain gradually sloped from
south to north, towards the river, in the form of descending terraces. At the southern
point is the forecourt with the main gate in front and tombs of Akbarabadi Begum and
Fatehpuri Begum, two other queens of Shah Jahan, on its south-east and south-west
corners respectively called Saheli Burj 1 and 2.
The Taj complex itself is in a good state of preservation. Minor defects such as
cracking of stones due to the corrosion of iron clamps and wearing out of roofing have
occurred and are addressed as part of a regular and substantive maintenance
programme. It also suffers from wear and tear and some more degradation due to large
number of visitors1. Tourism pressure and visitor facilitation has necessitated some
alteration in the originally (integrity) of the property.
Conservation and Visitor Facilitation Improvement Projects
The group firstly visited the work site of Fatehbad Gate Courtyard which was one of the
two courtyards adjoining the main gate of the monument to be conserved and reused as
heritage centres for enhancing visitor experience.
Apart from visitor facilities (like toilets, drinking water points and restrooms), the
proposed heritage centres, namely Fatehbad Gate Heritage Centre and Fatehpuri Gate
Heritage Centre, will also include information centres with computer rooms for
consulting the GIS digital database of Taj Mahal, as well as other publications,
brochures and site maps. Series of display panels about the Taj Mahal including a
scale model of the complex will be set up in the heritage centres.
Repair and alteration works at the Fatehbad Gate Courtyard have been undertaken
since 2002 including repair of flooring, re-pastering, restoration of colonnade, upgrading
of the courtyard and opening of two new exits at the western part of the building direct to
the forecourt and the Main Gate (a change of the original design: exits to the entrance
pathway of East Gate as shown below).
There were a total of 2,226,725 local and foreign visitors to Taj Mahal in 2001 (World Heritage
Committee, 2002, 15)
Plan of the proposed Fatehbad Gate Heritage Centre (source: Piplani, 2006, slide 29)
This alteration project, however, might violate the Ancient Monuments, Archaeological
Sites and Remains Act, 1958. The Taj Mahal has been notified as a Centrally Protected
Monument of national importance under the Act of 1958 (last modified in 1992) which
prohibits any development activity within 100 metres of a Centrally Protected Monument
in India.
Old Painting of early 19th Century showing the garden of Taj Mahal
(source: Singh, 2006, slide 6)
According to the old written documents and painting, the Taj Mahal garden like other
Mughal gardens, which was like a glimpse of heaven and they drew inspiration from the
Quran, modifying and adapting established designs to shape their paradise on earth.
The salient features of a Mughal garden are: the trees, shrubs, plants, flowering herbs
and constant and regular water supply, which provides a soul to it (Nagar, 1993, 66).
Shah Jahan himself had put an inscription on the Taj Mahal:
Like the Garden of Heaven, a brilliant spot,
Full of fragrance like Paradise fraught with ambergris (cited Tadgell, 1990, 242)
The Taj Mahal garden which, after the fall of the Mughal empire, was looked after, first
by the Marathas and later by the British, was not well preserved. In 1906, the British
undertook a large renovation work at the garden (see Figure 9). As influenced by the
picturesque idea, the design of the entrance and garden had changed so as to create a
dramatic view of the monumental structure, i.e. the Main Mausoleum. Many trees in the
garden were removed and replaced with big lawns so as to enable visitors to appreciate
the Main Mausoleum from every part of the garden (See Figure 10).
Garden Plan of Taj Mahal by Col. J. A. Hodgson, 1828 (source: Photo British Library
[India Office Library and Records], London, cited Koch, 1991, 98)
The gardens and lawns around the Centrally Protected Monuments conducted by the
Public Works Department were once considered to be quite prestigious and impressive
ones and were decorated with beautiful flowery beds pleasing to the eyes. This type of
arrangement is, however, reconsidered and vanishing (Nagar, 1991, 68). In view of
serious water shortage in many cities of India, large demand of water supply for
maintaining lawns of these gardens has made the people to reconsider the garden
design within the monuments.
Research and field survey on the Taj Mahal garden and water system had been
conducted. Archaeological findings have also provided evidences for understanding
how the garden was planted and managed. Conservation plan of the garden has been
drawn out for restoring this Mugual garden in a traditional style and sustainable way.
There are conflicts between the tourism development pressure and conservation
legislations. Sustainable heritage tourism development is an important topic of heritage
management for both developed and developing countries, including the United
Kingdom and India.
References
Koch, Ebba (1991) Mugual Architecture: An Outline of Its History and Development
(1526-1858), Germany: Prestel-Verla
Nagar, Shanti Lal (1993) Protection, Conservation and Preservation of Indian
Monuments, New Delhi: Aryan Books International.
Tadgell, Christorpher (1990) The History of Architecture in India. London: Architecture
Design and Technology Press.
Tillotson, G.H.R. (1990) Architectural Guides for Travellers: Mughal India. London:
Penguin Group.
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Taj Mahal information from ASI Webpage:
http://asi.nic.in/writereaddata/sublinkimages/24.htm, consulted on 1 May 2006.
Baig, Anita (2006) World Monuments Fund India: Projects Review, Power-point file
presented in the Conservation Tomorrow Workshop organized by the Indian National
Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage at New Delhi, India dated 29 March 2006.
Piplani, Navin: The Taj Mahal, Power-point file for the Conservation Tomorrow
Workshop organized by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage at New
Delhi, India dated 29 March 2006.
Singh, Priyaleen: Intach Final Conference, Power-point file presented at the
Conservation Tomorrow Workshop organized by the Indian National Trust for Art and
Cultural Heritage at New Delhi, India dated 29 March 2006.
UNESCO World Heritage Committee (2002) Periodic Reporting Section II: State of
Conservation of Taj Mahal (World Heritage Committee Periodic Report), downloaded
on 1 May 2006 from UNESCO World Heritage Centre Webpage:
http://whc.unesco.org/archive/periodicreporting/cycle01/section2/252.pdf.
UNESCO World Heritage Committee (2005) Context of Decision Document of Item 7 of
the Provisonal Agenda of the 29th Seession of UESCO Convention Concerning the
Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage dated 10-17 July 2005 (WHC05/29.COM/7B.Rev), download on 1 May 2006 from UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Webpage: http://whc.unesco.org/archive/2005/whc05-29com-07BReve.pdf
As an assertion of his power, the third Mughal emperor Akbar built the fort at Agra
between 1565 and 1571. Its building coincided with the building of the tomb to his
father, Humayun, in Delhi which we also visited on this trip. Its colossal double walls rise
20 metres in height, measure 2.5 kilometres in circumference and are encircled by a
moat. Its magnificent towers, bastions, ramparts and gateways enclose the beautifully
decorated palaces within. Built of red sandstone and white marble in a variety of styles,
the buildings which remain within the fort were built over two subsequent generations,
by Emperors Jahangir and Shahjahan.
The most important building of the Akbari period is the Jahangiri Mahal (Jahangir's
Palace). This was the principal zenana palace, intended for the women of the royal
household and used mainly by the Rajput wives of Akbar. The interior courtyard is
reached through a magnificent gateway. Grand, finely decorated halls surround the
courtyard. It combines Transoxanian features, such as the verandah on the east front
and its high slender columns with the courtyard halls styled in the Gujarat-MalwaRajasthan tradition.
Akbar's predecessors, Jahangir and Shahjahan, were enamoured by the qualities of
white marble and were responsible for the demolition of several red sandstone buildings
built by Akbar, however, what remains today is still a beautiful range of palaces, with
exquisite detailing and decoration, such as that shown in this photograph.
Fatehpur Sikri
After lunch we were taken to Fatehpur Sikri, also a World Heritage Site, approximately
40 kilometres from Agra City. Also built by Mughal Emperor Akbar, it became the
imperial city of the Mughal dynasty between 1571 and 1584. The decision by Akbar to
transfer his capital from Agra to Fatehpur Sikri is a matter of some contention amongst
historians, although Agra Fort remained the stronghold for the imperial arsenal, treasure
and other reserves. One school of thought suggests that Akbar, having failed to produce
an heir to his throne, used to visit the hamlet of Sikri to take the blessings of the great
Sufi saint Salim Christi. They believe that the city was built under the instruction of Salim
Christi following the birth of Akbar's three sons. The white marble encased mausoleum
of Salim Christi still stands within the courtyard of the Jama Masjid mosque inside the
walls of Fatehpur Sikri. Other historians believe that it was its location on the main road
from North India to South India which gave it a strategic advantage over Agra. Its hilltop
position also provided a defensive location from which to anticipate any potential threat.
The reasons for its abandonment remain a mystery but it has been ostensibly blamed
on the shortage of water necessary to supply the expanding city.
The highly decorative ceremonial capital, predominantly built of locally sourced red
sandstone, consists of elaborate palaces, formal courtyards, reflecting pools, harems,
tombs and a great mosque. It is regarded as Akbar's finest architectural legacy and it
has been cited as a key inspiration in the work of some contemporary Indian architects.
The use of indigenous craftsmen from various regions in the construction of the
buildings within the city, resulted in a synthesis of various regional architectural styles,
including Gujarati and Bengali, as well as the combination of elements from different
religious architectural styles, both Muslim and Hindu.
This photograph shows the Panch Mahal, a five-storey palacial structure, the first floor
of which is supported on 176 beautifully carved columns.
The day concluded with our return to Delhi by coach. We were taken back through
some of the rural countryside of Northern India, providing us with the opportunity to gain
a brief insight into the landscapes and activities of people living outside the larger cities.
Their basic homes and posessions formed a marked contrast to the wealth expressed in
the extravagant buildings and lavish decoration witnessed earlier in the day. This gap is
still evident, though perhaps to a lesser extent, in contemporary Indian society.
Presidential Palace
INTACH has the support of the government, international organizations and the private
sector. Meanwhile, they have been expanding their network of partnership to include the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the Ministry of Tourism, the Department of Culture
and other Government bodies at the local, state and national levels.
INTACHs website: www. intach.org
The speaker stressed that the definition of the Indian Heritage is a complex task due to
its diversity, the regional interests that are involved and its interaction with many
civilizations. India is a land with an enormous cultural wealth - 5000 years of continued
civilisation with living traditions, customs and crafts that are still attached to buildings
and sites. In consequence, the management of Indias Heritage is very challenging and
becomes even more complicated because of the lack of strong Legislative
Frameworks, the lack of awareness for Heritage Value, the limited technical
Conservation Expertise and Institutions of conservation, the lack of funding and
the fact that Heritage is a non-priority in Planning.
However, the AH has made great progress in listing, documenting and regenerating
through restoration and new development in a large number of towns and cities.
The listing process in India is a lot different from that of UKs. It includes three stages;
1st stage) A listing identification is carried out to inform and propose what is
considered to be worthy of protection.
2nd stage) The AH presents the listing to the government for further protection.
3rd stage) The monuments whose listing is approved by the government are
included in the National Inventory which implies statutory protection.
Mr. Divay presented several of their projects, along with the problems they come across
and the methods they adopt.
Finally, it was mentioned that AH has put up a list of some of the most Endangered
Heritage Buildings in India.
Natural Heritage: Manu Bhatnagar, Natural Heritage Division (INTACH
Mr. Bhatnagar introduced the Natural Heritage Division and presented the chronological
background of the division. Following that, he talked about their expertise and main
areas of focus which are:
Urban Water Resource Management Plans
Bio-remediation of Water Bodies & Lake Management
Campus Rainwater Harvesting
Watershed Management
Decentralized Wastewater Management
Sustainable Eco-Tourism Development
Rural & Urban Environmental Planning
Ecological Regeneration and Digital Environmental Mapping
Finally, a series of the Divisions past and ongoing projects were presented along with
their major initiatives and technical innovations.
Conservation Architect, private sector
The next speaker was a Conservation Architect coming from the private sector who had
worked with INTACH in the past. She had been engaged in many projects that reflected
the cultural complexity of India.
She talked about her experience when she was involved in the preparation of the
nomination of the Golden Temple as a World Heritage Site, which started in 2002.
Along with that, she pointed out the danger of diluting the significance of such a
heritage site being under the responsibility of UNESCO. For this reason, the need to
demystify conservation, namely to translate the mysterious definitions of it into more
culturally acceptable meanings, was stressed out. In addition to keeping everything
simple she underlined the need for conservation to become an inter-disciplinary
process that calls for the collaboration of a wide range of experts in order to achieve its
aims.
The proposed policy towards this direction consists of the following steps:
Historical Background
Building Description
Identification of Significance
Implementation and Instructions
If the Conservation Plan is properly linked to the site/building it can become a
sustainable, life document that is upgraded throughout its existence.
Conservation Led Regeneration in Blackpool: Carl Carrington, UK
The last speaker of the first day of the workshop, Carl Carrington, is an alumnus of the
Centre for Conservation Studies of the University of York who attended the course in
2002-2003. Currently, he is working with Blackpools Council and is involved in the
programme for the Regeneration of Blackpool, a Victorian sea-side resort.
Within the framework for the Regeneration of the city, a Townscape Heritage Initiative
has been put forward. The objectives of this scheme are:
To contribute to the sustainability of the local economy.
To facilitate the repair of historic buildings and ensure continued and future use.
To enhance the character of the historic areas of Blackpool and make them more
attractive to local residents and visitors.
The funding of the scheme is provided by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Local Strategic
Partnership, the Local Authority and Private Investment.
The speaker presented as well the second subject he is going to be involved with, which
is the Re-survey of Blackpools Built Heritage. In specific, a reassessment of the entire
town and an identification of the buildings that are significant according to the citizens
are going to be carried out, with the scope for creating a map, increasing the number of
listed buildings and preparing a programme of research and management initiatives for
the Historic Environment.
The presentation finished with a brief reference to the proposal that has been made
regarding the nomination of Blackpool as a World Heritage Site.
Visit to the National Museum of India
During a brief igap in the programme we were given the opportunity to visit the National
Museum of India
Visit to Humayuns Tomb
In the afternoon we were shown around the World Heritage Site of Humayuns Tomb by
Mrs. Priyaleen Signh, an alumnus of the Centre for the Conservation Studies and
current Head of the Conservation Department (SPA), around the World Heritage Site of
Humayuns Tomb.
The development of the area around the monument as a necropolis had begun since
the14th century. Humayun, the second Mughal emperor, was moved in the mausoleum
erected in 1565 by his widow Haji Begum and his son Akbar, the third Mughal emperor.
The main features of the complex are a radically symmetrical plan, a garden setting and
a bulbous double dome on an elongated drum are the main features of Humayuns
Tomb. Each of these had strong associations with Persian features, as it was one of the
first important buildings the Mughals erected in India, but it also draws several elements
from the land it was built in. The red sandstone and white marble, for instance, of which
it is built, was a common feature of 14th century architecture of the Delhi Sultanate.
In the centre of the garden, the mausoleum itself rises from a wide and lofty platform
about 6.5m high, which in turn stands upon a podium just over a metre high. Each side
of the high terrace is pierced by 17 arches, while the corners of the structure are
chamfered, giving the monument a pleasing depth. At each corner, an oblique arch cuts
the angle. The central arch on each side opens on to an ascending staircase. To the
east of the southern staircase a horizontal passage leads to the actual tomb below the
monument. The remaining arches open into cells, most of which contain subsequent
and subsidiary tombs.
Humayuns Tomb: A family mausoleum
Inside, the octagonal tomb chamber rises through two storeys and is surrounded by
smaller octagonal chambers at the diagonal points. These chambers also house a
number of other tombstones, making Humayuns mausoleum almost a family one.
Humayuns Tomb was among the first structures in India to use a double dome. The
device, a favourite of Persian builders, gave the building an imposing exterior height but
kept the ceiling of the central hall in proportion to the interior heights.
Mughal Gardens
Humayuns Tomb is also the first perceived Mughal garden. The gardens of the
Mughals represent the concept of paradise as a garden - the image of a place of perfect
eternal peace and plenty. The paradise promised in the Quran consists of several
terraces of gardens, each more splendid than the last. Symbolically, all the great tomb
gardens where the design of the tomb and garden were treated in unison are the perfect
embodiment of the Islamic ideal, the ultimate paradise garden, with the emperor forever
in paradise.
Humayuns Tomb, is the centerpiece of the square garden which occupies 30 acres.
The tomb rises above four rivers represented by four water channels. Four paved
walkways lead to the centre of each side of the mausoleum and divide the garden into
four parts and terminate in gatehouses and subsidiary structures. The garden is
enclosed within a 6-metre high arcaded wall on three sides and is divided into quarters
by causeways 14-metres wide. Each of the quadrants is further divided into eight plots
with minor causeways. The intersections of these causeways are marked by rectangular
or octagonal pools that are occasionally foliated.
Adjacent monuments
Apart from the main mausoleum we also had the chance to visit Afsarwala Mosque and
Afsarwala Tomb which are located about 90m at the south-west gate of Humayuns
Tomb and pre-date the main mausoleum.
Visit to Dilli Haat Orissa Festival
The rest of the evening was spent at the open market of Dilli Haat.
Darjeeling Railway
important points raised during the seminar, including areas of heritage conservation
where the pressures and constraints are similar between India and the UK. She also
highlighted that engagement with the public is paramount to understanding our heritage
and what it represents. Stemming from this, the issue of public value is becoming a
major consideration, which could undermine attempts at conservation if the heritage is
not valued by the public. If other values, such as commercial desires, are allowed to
predominate then major problems lie ahead for those trying to preserve the heritage.
Visit to the Delhi Crafts Museum
Following lunch we paid a visit to the Delhi Crafts Museum.
The institution of the museum, aimed at housing objects of antiquity and curiosity, is of
western origin and is not traditionally Indian. The core collection of the Crafts Museum
was actually put together to serve as reference material for the craftsmen who were
increasingly losing touch with their own traditions in terms of materials, techniques,
designs and aesthetics of their arts and crafts due to the sudden changes caused by
modern industrialisation.
Wooden temple-car.
The large permanent collection of 20,000 items of folk and tribal arts, crafts and textiles
is housed in a concrete, but almost invisible building. The architect, Charles Correa,
had a challenge before him on the one hand to provide a building for safe preservation
and display of the rare art objects, but on the other, not to let the building be so
imposing that it would belittle the humbler objects collected from village homes. The
scale and appearance of the building had to be such that it would not attempt to upstage
its ancient neighbour, the Purana Qila (Old Fort) on the one side and the village
complex of the museum on the other. Consequently, the low-lying building has old
carved wooden doors and windows from Gujarat and Rajasthan, central courtyards
having champa trees, tulsi shrines and a monumental temple-car coexisting in this
modern building.
The museums collection, built over a period of thirty years, comprises bronze images,
lamps and incense burners, ritual accessories, utensils and other items of everyday
use, wood and stone carvings, papier-mach work, ivories, dolls, toys, puppets and
masks, jewellery, decorative metal ware including bidri work, paintings, terracotta, cane
and bamboo work and a large number of textiles. The many different regions of India
are represented.
There is also a Visual Store for reference, comprising about 15,000 objects which can
be used by scholars, designers, craftsmen and other interested parties for study and
research.
Reception at the British Council Offices, New Delhi
The office in New Delhi is the headquarters of the British Council operations in India.
The current premises were designed by the renowned Indian architect Charles Correa
and opened in 1993 and are situated close to Connaught Circus.
The Delhi office acts as a hub for the development of the British Councils programmes
and events in the arts, English language, education, science & technology and human
rights. These events take place in major cities all over India.
The Delhi office has recently opened a new-look library with online services providing
access to UK electronic databases, journals and directories, an English Zone to help
people improve their language skills, an online learning zone to enable people to obtain
a UK degree through flexible study and a children's library. There are also smaller
libraries in North India in Chandigarh and Bhopal, run in collaboration with the Indian
Council for Cultural Relations, which provide a lending service as well as events
programmes.
Other services in Delhi include a busy and popular English language teaching centre
which provides a range of courses in English language for learners of all ages and all
levels, as well as running an examinations service and Education UK information
service.
Qutb Complex
Qutb Complex is located in the south of Delhi, which represented the arriving of Islam in
India. The name of Qutb Complex was given to the group of heritage site and
monuments which encompassing Quwwat-ul-Tslam Mosque of Qutbuddin Aibak, Qutb
Minar, Iron Minar and three royal tombs. The tombs of three kings are Imam Zamin,
Iltutmish and Alauddin.
Unlike the heritage of the Mughal period, such as the Taj Mahal and Humayuns Tomb,
the Qutb Complex is a heritage site combining Muslim and Hindu architectural
influences. In AD 1192, India was conquered by Muhammad, the Sultan of the mountain
kingdom of Ghur, where is the Afghanistan now. After his success, Muhammad Ghuri
returned to his homeland the left the newly conquered land to Qutbuddin Aibak who was
his favorite slave from Turkestan. Qutbudin then became Muhammads army
commander.
As a Muslim, Qutbuddin was very keen to left his religious mark in the newly-overcame
territory. He decided to erect a mosque to worship the one God-Ala. A Hindu temple,
Hindus called it elbut-khana, had been chosen as the site of mosque. The Qutbuddin
mosque (Figure 2) was not only raised over the Hindu temple, materials from twienty
seven demolished Hindu temples were used in the construction of Qutbuddin mosque.
A courtyard in the centre of mosque is 65.2 metres by 45.4 metres and surrounded by
pillared cloisters. The completion date of the mosque was AD 1198 which is recorded
on the north gateway alongside the name of Muhammad Ghuri.
The Mehrauli Archaeological Park covers 100 acres of green land adjoining the World
Heritage Site of the Qutb Minar and the Mehrauli village settlement. It is the only area in
the historic city of Delhi that is extensively covered with remains from every era of
Delhis history from Hindu settlements to the more recent British times. Hence it is a
wonderful resource for Delhis citizens from the historical and environmental points of
view. Within this area are over 70 heritage buildings listed by INTACH, and a fascinating
variety of plants and animals.
In 1997, having recognized its importance not only from a historical background but also
on its ecological value, INTACH Delhi Chapter collaborated with various government
agencies such as the Delhi Development Authority, Delhi Tourism, the State
Department of Archaeology, the Archaeological Survey of India, the Municipal
Corporation of Delhi, Delhi Jal Board and Delhi Sewerage Undertaking to actively
involved in the conservation of unprotected monuments in the area. With the combined
efforts of various parties, over 35 buildings benefited from the conservation project,
explanatory signages have been installed and heritage trails has been laid out to make
the recently conserved monuments more accessible to visitors.
Sanskriti
Sanskriti Pratishthan, a registered Public Charitable Trust, was founded in 1979 with the
intention of helping to nurture some of the most essential elements of Indias heritage.
Sanskriti literally means the process of cultivating, and the Pratishthan (or Foundation)
has been working towards cultivating an environment for the preservation and
development of the artistic and cultural resources not only of India but of the world as a
whole. Sanskriti sees its role as that of a catalyst in revitalizing the artistic and aesthetic
sensitivities of the Indian people and as an intrinsic part of everyday life.
During the guided tour, we had the opportunity to visit the Sanskriti two museums, the
Museum of the Everyday Art of India and the Museum of Indian Terracotta.
Museum of the Everyday Art
Established in 1984, the museum is part of Sanskritis commitment to preserve and
nurture the creative vitality of Indian culture. The primarily aim of this museum is to
collect objects that show excellence in craftsmanship and conceptual innovation, be it in
design or functionality. Currently, the museum possesses about 2000 objects where
most of the objects date back to the last two centuries. The display categorizes the
exhibits as in the cycle of life, from childhood to old age where the collection ranges
from folk and tribal sacred images, accessories for rituals, locks and latches, kitchen
wares to women and children accessories.
Exhibits in the Museum of the Everyday Art. (The above four pictures are extracted from
Sanskrit 2005)
Exhibits in the Museum of the IndianTerracotta. (The top two pictures are extracted from Sanskrit 2005)