| we Coumene @ Seote 2 CONSERVATION S INDIA Dr FONDICH ut Pondicherry Deborah Thiagarajan, Pierre Pichatd he city of Pondicherry stands out as 8 I special example of urban architecture and planning in the vast mosaic of culture represented throughout Indian ities. Situated on the sea cosst, an easy Gibketborsn Gell ete ble icp to Danish Tranquebar, and on io Than javur, Trichy and) Madurai. The city is ‘and is perhaps best surobindo Ashram and tighteenth century, French influenced und indian sesdentil sections, History Although little evidence of the area’s his loty prior to the French is apparent in Pon: urrounding it ‘at Arikamedu i only five tres from Pondicherry. Even today, man beads can be found in plenty in the the Rastrakutas surounds Pondicherry in the form of eighth to thirteenth century temples. ‘When the French arrived here in 1637 0 Set up a cormmercial trad chose the fs wore bul of the fort and then expanded to the north: west, From its inception Pondicherry sppears to have been a planned city ‘Churches formed the focal point around residential settlements grew. The ‘ost active building period occurred 4 when straight streets, it angles and bordered by rid system seen day the Gandhi and Nehru Streets) involved evictions ing of several houses, mostly Indian, City Ordinances were made compulsory for every rnew house, whose site had to be clearly ‘marked by surveys. Demolition was the fate if encroachments oF det By 1754, the street plan was al same as itis today. At this time,filled in the marshy land separating the Indian settlements from the French with dirt which had been excavated to build a moat ‘around the fort area. In 1788, a canal con- necting the sea was completed between the Indian and French town to serve as a drain- age area for both. This paved canal visually differentiates the Indian section from the French even today. 1m 1761 Pondicherry was captured by the British in retaliation or the French cap ture of Madras in 1746, and the city was razed to its foundations. Where the walls were left standing, mostly in the Indian sec tion, the roofs were destroyed and the timber taken by the British. The fort was never rebuilt and the large vacant area left by its presence is today the garden of the Government Square. Many of the historic houses existing in Pondicherry today were reconstructed on their earlier eighteenth Century foundations; other houses were ‘constructed in the nineteenth century Town Structure ‘The grid system of city planning has antece dents in France, though only for fortified new towns and not for those which organi cally progeessed into towns from small vil Jages. In Pondicherry the grid system appears to have been laid out over a fifty year period as a conscious decision ‘Strengthened by the environment itself. The long, straight beach and the long, straight ‘marshy area parallel to the beach formed natural boundaries in the grid system. ‘The planned city of historical Pow dicherty isan oval shaped area of approxi= nately two sq kms called the Boulevard trea, a {erm stemming from its encircling roads, This i a small seaside enclave within the fast expanding Pondicherry municipal ity, and represents only 11 per cent of the total urban land space of Pondicherry, though it houses a population of 89,228, Which is 55 per eent of Pondicherry's total turban population (1981 census). “The Boulevard area has several distinc: tive traits which embody both Indian and ‘colonial cultural values, In the French sec: tion, which in 1981 had a population of 3,000, common residential buildings form the vast majority of structures. The domin- ant street vista is a straight line of high walls ‘nd closed entrance gates and lateral build ing walls whose windows open directly onto the street. The effect enhances the straight and perpendicular street view. Architecture The French houses in Pondicherry are mod: clled after the typical mansion of the eighteenth century, urban, upper middle class in France, the main features of which ure the symmetrical plan and the main, classically detailed facade which opens onto « garden and not onto a street. The typical house plan consists of directly connected A pica gteay ta private howe lange rooms without cortidos, high eiings fi alignment of impressively large dors td windows, infront ofthe main facade, colurined prticos were Dl o provide Better protetion from th un and an at Wellass pleasant tansitn from the gat ten. The major change from the oil French model wa he use of fat teraced oom, French architectural decoration gener ally used lasscl orders and motives Attough architectural decoration n France ‘as goneraly done n stone, in Pondicherry the Sas building materials ere me mor tar ard brick, and he decorations were alo Shaped inlime mortar, Special emphasis wal pvent the quality av deta o the tairance gates of both private and pubic Rowet, The entrance gates tothe ay sell were excellent examples of the French class ical model, The Indian town is a documentation of ‘communal patterns, change, conflict and harmony. Three distinct sections emerged in the nineteenth century which have left their mark until today. The central section hhad a Christian majority which the Jesuits ‘and Capuchins encouraged with the built ing of a church. North-west of the forts the Indian section and a large late iswaren koil marks this site. Within the Hindu area, two sub-divisions are to be seen, one belonging to the upper and the other fo the lower castes, with members of these sections pro- hibited from entering jnto each other’s neighbourhoods, To the south of the Boulevard area was a Muslim settlement which developed slightly later than the4 CONSERVATION ® INDIA_ other two sections. Today, despite change ‘and migration, each area preserves ent Streets and sections of streets, reflecting the architecture and lifestyles of the population im the nineteenth century The Indian section of the Boulevard is basically characterized by smaller, but regu: lar plots totally built up and devoid of any garden except a small patch at the back. The distinctiveness of the Pondicherry house in relation to other Tamil Indian houses i the taller length of its interior columns support- ing the courtyard. A second difference is the frequent absence of raised siting areas (tinais) around the courtyard. Instead, these spaces have been replaced by various toms, Many of the Indian houses exhibit a distinctive pattern in the integration of Indian aad European features within the house. The general pattern is the retention ofall Indian features on the ground floor, including the courtyard, the puja room, Indian columns and decorative features, and room layout. European stylistic traits Cay Set, Pondicherry Pondicherry have only recently come under pressure for development, paralleling the increased cost of land. The Sri Aurobindo ‘Ashratn, which is the owner of over one thied of the French style houses in the Boulevard area, has been, until now, a sen= sitive custodian of this heritage. It nt only maintains the buildings well, even retaining, the traditional grey and white colour scheme, but has also contributed to the tranquil spirit of the town. The Boulevard are confined to the first floor, a style also Suited to the Indian religious and social reg ulations which rarely permitted entry of out siders into the interior of the house, par ticularly ito the courtyard area ‘The Ranga Pillai House on Ranga Pilla) ‘Street has a special place in Pondicherny’s history. [ts original owner, Ananda Ranga Pillai (1709-1761), was a respected trader land agent of the colonial French traders. He lett « detailed diary documenting the social customs of the time and the economic interaction between the Europeans and the Indians. His house has a significant blending ‘of European and Indian architectural fea tures, from both the eighteenth and nin- teenth centuries, Still owned and lived in by [Ranga Pillai’s descendants, the house is slated to become a museum open to the public Al Indian houses appear to have fol owed a similar plan, whether Hindu, Mus- lim or Christian. fo the Muslim houses a ‘more abundant use of wooden decorative tedging on the exterior is apparent. As this feature was very popular around the first ‘quarter of the twentieth century when many ‘of the houses were built, it may simply be the adaptation of this time-bound cotonial feature during that period. The most promi- rent street with traditional Mustim architec ture is Cazy Street. ‘The Case for Conservation ‘The beauty and architectural character of atea of Pondicherry is perhaps the only place ina town in South India where cars fre a rarity and where cycles are the ‘accepted mode of transport forall clases of people. This has been a major contribution Of the Ashram. in the reach section many of the streets have French houses alternating re larly with more modern, but often harmoni fous structures builtin this century, These ‘modern houses have been built on the gar den space adjacent to the original bun- galow. As a result there remains very litthe ‘open space in the French section, and ‘evelopment pressure is now directed towards the demolition of the older build ings The current trend isto tear down older ‘buildings to replace them with high-rise structures, The Pondicherry Government's fevently construeted 5-storeyed Secretariat fom the ocean front, in total disregard of the surrounding architectural patterns or skyline, shows a lack of sensitivity and has set a negative example for developers. In belated recognition of the importance of Pondicherry's architectural character, the town and countey planning officials are ‘working out parameters for building heights ‘and facades as guidelines for Pondicherty’s historieal area which will, when ratified, prevent further lapses. A more consistent Attempt to upgrade the infrastructure of newer areas of the town should remove ‘much of the pressure on the historic town. Pondicherry, a Union Territory, isin the unique position of being able to pass much needed conservation regulations to Timit destruction and unwanted growth in the historical area, Such farsighted action will have positive consequences in the rest fof the country. For Pondicherry, such legis Tation could have far ranging financial benefits primarily in terms of increased tourism and the subsequent service infras- tructure that will develop to suppor it. Pondicherry is also fortunate 10 have & historical centre which does not need major financial inputs to sustain it. In its present condition a small contribution by French ‘urban landscape architects for traditional street lighting, tree planting with approp fiate tree guards, and plans for the garden in Governor's Square would enhance the visual atmosphere. Various schemes or incentives could also be introduced 0 induce private owners to maintain their properties and retain external facades when Tenovating the interior space. “The Indian section presents a greater problem for restoration or even the com finued maintenance ofits older sections bbectuse of its fast changing character. Pub. licawareness is necessary to convince house ‘owners of the need to avoid modernizing external verandas and elevations while Sllowing the modernizing of interiors. The proliferation of large signboards and con Ntruction in wood, asbestos and thatch, the Tocation of petty shops inthe beautiful exteriors of some of the traditional houses ‘on the commercial streets have totally degraded the street. However, much of the damage is reversible ifthe people are made to see the merits of preserving these vestiges of their own culture The public of Pondicherry is slowly waking up to the needs of the city, but they have yet to organize themselves into an effective lobby for cultural preservation. Architects like Toshak Patel, Ajit Koujalgt fand Shalini Amin have been working to arouse public interest and need the support ‘of many more concerned architects. ‘Pondicherry has a rare opportunity 10 preserve its history alongside its programme for development and industrialization, fits, decision-makers accept a long-term vision for the town over a short-term commercial gain for the few, Pondicherry will retain its position on the South Indian cultural route, Continuing to contribute to India’s diverse and important cultural heritage. © wrajon isthe Convenor of the INTACH Manas Morne Phar, archer othe ach ed for com Rene ee