INTRODUCTION TO

HERITAGE CONSERVATION
BNCA | 31.01.2022| URBAN STUDIES II | FOURTH YEAR 2021-22
BY AR. KETAKI KADAM
CONTENTS >>>
1. VALUE, PREVENT, PROTECT
2. CULTURE
3. CULTURAL HERITAGE
3. TANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
4. INTAGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
5. HISTORY OF CONSERVATION AS A MOVEVMENT
6. WHY, WHAT & HOW TO CONSERVE
7. CONSERVATION AUTHORITIES IN INDIA
8. ISSUES
Assignment Questions
 INDIA
LEGACY

INHERITANCE

WEALTH

ENVIRONMENTAL & CULTURAL

VALUE, PREVENT, PROTECT…
The need for protection, conservation and sustainable use of natural resources has been expressed in Indian
scriptures, more than 3000 years old and is reflected in the constitutional, legislative and policy framework
as also in the international commitments of the country.

Even before India’s independence in 1947, several environmental legislations existed.

1972 - UN Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm, 1972).

1972 - National Council for Environmental Policy and Planning within the Department of Science and
Technology was setup.

1985 - Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) which today is the apex administrative body in the country
for regulating and ensuring environmental protection.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION: VALUE, PREVENT, PROTECT…
Legislation for Environmental Protection in India.

WATER >>>
Water quality standards especially those for drinking water are set by the Indian Council of Medical Research.
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
The Act prohibits the discharge of pollutants into water bodies beyond a given standard, and lays down
penalties for non-compliance.
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977.
This Act provides for a levy and collection of a cess on water consumed by industries and local authorities.

AIR >>>
Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Rules formulated in 1982.
The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Act, 1987, was enacted.

Forests and wildlife >>>

The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Amendment 1991.
provides for protection to listed species of flora and fauna and establishes a network of ecologically-important
protected areas. The WPA empowers the central and state governments to declare any area a wildlife
sanctuary, national park or closed area.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION: VALUE, PREVENT, PROTECT…
Legislation for Environmental Protection in India.

The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 >>>

The Act restricts the powers of the state in respect of de-reservation of forests and use of forestland for non-
forest purposes and only allows Re-afforestation.
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (EPA) >>>
legislation designed to provide a framework for the co-ordination of central and state authorities.
The Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986

The Coal Mines (Conservation and Development) Act (1974) >>>

The conservation and development of oil and natural gas resources Act, 1959.
The Atomic Energy Act of 1982, which was introduced to deal with radioactive waste.
In 1988, the Motor Vehicles Act, was enacted to regulate vehicular traffic

Hazardous wastes >>>

Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1989,
Biomedical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998,
Municipal Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000.
HISTORY OF CONSERVATION AS A MOVEMENT
FOUNDATION OF MOVEMENTS
- Care for the old buildings in Pre-modern age

GROWTH OF THE MOVEMENTS

- Emergence of first ideas of conservation

CRISIS OF MOVEMENTS
WHAT
WHY
SHOULD
- Mass Heritage destruction
HOW WE CONSERVE ?
PARALLEL NARRATIVES IN PRESERVATION
- Internationalisation of Movements
- Charters and Conventions
- Agencies like ICCROM, UNESCO

GLOBALISATION AND HERITAGE CONSERVATION

- Expansion of Boundaries
CULTURE
"Culture is the acquired knowledge people use
to interpret experience and generate
behavior." ... Culture can be defined as all the
ways of life including arts, beliefs, knowledge,
laws, customs, rituals, skills, cuisines and value
system of a population that are passed down
from generation to generation

Constitutional Provision for Cultural Heritage >>>

According to Article 51 A (f) of the Constitution of India,

‘It shall be the duty of every citizen of India to value and preserve the
rich heritage of our composite culture.’
CULTURAL HERITAGE
Heritage is that object, tangible or intangible, natural or manmade, which has been inherited, not created by
present generation.

Tangible Heritage
One which can be seen, touched and felt, is mainly immovable e.g. Forts, Palaces, Temples, Sculptures.

Intangible Heritage
One which cannot be touched but can be felt, experienced, created/ passed on through generations e.g. religion,
mythology, rites, rituals, traditions, music & dance etc.

Cultural heritage is the legacy of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that
is inherited from past generations. Not all legacies of past generations are "heritage"; rather,
heritage is a product of selection by society.
Cultural Heritage can be distinguished in:
- Built Environment (Buildings, Townscapes, Archaeological remains)
- Natural Environment (Rural landscapes, Coasts and shorelines, Agricultural heritage)
- Artefacts (Books & Documents, Objects, Pictures)
HERITAGE
The World Heritage Convention recognizes that heritage can be defined as “monuments, group of buildings,
and sites.”
There is a wide range of styles including urban cities, archeological sites, industrial heritage, cultural
landscapes, and heritage roads.

This increases the scope of places and landscapes that must be managed by heritage managers. By this
definition, heritage is not only buildings such as worship places or fortresses and castles, which were
considered as independent places of its own not related to its urban environment.

Today, heritage represents the whole environment that is influenced by its interaction with humanity and is
therefore qualified to be recognized as a heritage
HERITAGE: LEVELS
An initial survey indicates the total quantum of India’s built heritage and archaeological remains may roughly
amount to a total of 400000 plus heritage structures across the country including the centrally protected
monuments, state protected monuments, heritage buildings under various religious trusts, historic cities and
archaeological sites.

a. International Level - As part of a Universal Shared Heritage to build global relations in future by connecting with
stories and routes of cultural exchange through history and, learning from international practices.

b. National Level - As a tool to Nation Building, and branding of its unique cultural identity with iconic sites and
magnificent monuments in each region of India including its World Heritage Sites that narrate its rich, complex
and layered history.

c. Local Level - To guide sustainable development of its historic cities and sites at local level linking directly with
reuse and socio-economic benefits to the community while addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals
at the same time
HERITAGE CYCLE
The Heritage Cycle diagram gives us an idea how we
can make the past part of our future (Simon Thurley,
2005). In a clockwise direction the wedges and
arrows read:

By understanding (cultural heritage)……………….

people value it
By valuing it……………… people want to care for it
By caring for it………….. it will help people enjoy it
From enjoying it……….. comes a thirst to understand
By understanding it…… etc.

* Simon Thurley, Into the future. Our stategy for 2005-2010. In: Conservation Bulletin [English Heritage], 2005 (49).
TANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
ANCIENT MONUMENT
The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958
defines an ‘Ancient Monument’ as any structure, erection or monument, or any tumulus or place of
interment, or any cave, rock-sculpture, inscription or monolith which is of historical, archaeological or artistic
interest and which has been in existence for not less than 100 years.

It includes:

Remains of an ancient monument,

Site of an ancient monument,
Such portion of land adjoining the site of an ancient monument as may be required for fencing or covering in
or otherwise preserving such monument,
The means of access to, and convenient inspection of, an ancient monument
CATEGORIES OF HERITAGE MONUMENTS IN INDIA
A monument or a site is declared to be of National Importance by the Archaeological Survey of India
provided it meets the following requirements:

- The monument or archaeological site is not less than 100 years old.
- It has special historical, archaeological or artistic interest, making it worthy of declaration as of
national importance.
- It qualifies under specified provisions of definition of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites
and Remains Act, 1958.
- The interested public do not have major objections to such declaration.
- The authenticity and integrity of the ancient monument or archaeological site and remains have not
been damaged.
- It is free from major encumbrances.

There are at present more than 3650 ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national
importance.
CATEGORIES OF HERITAGE MONUMENTS IN INDIA
The Central government on the recommendation of the National Monument Authority (NMA), classified all
the ancient monuments or archaeological sites and remains as follows:
CATEGORIES OF HERITAGE MONUMENTS IN INDIA

World heritage monuments superposed on the Indian seismic zoning

map (IS 1893: 1, 2002)
LIST OF PROTECTED HERITAGE
The Constitution of India has divided the jurisdiction over these
monuments, cultural heritage, and archaeological sites as follows:

Union: Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological sites

and remains, declared by Parliament, by law to be of national
importance.

State: Ancient and Historical Monuments other than those

declared by Parliament to be of national importance.

Concurrent: Besides the above, both the Union and States have
concurrent jurisdiction over archaeological sites and remains
other than those declared by law and Parliament to be of national
importance.

Article 253 of the Constitution of India, enables Parliament to

legislate for the implementation of any treaty, agreement or
convention with any other country or countries, or any decision,
made at any international conference, association or other body.
INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE ELEMENTS
A total of 13 Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) elements from India have been inscribed till date on the UNESCO’s
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The Ministry of Culture has appointed the Sangeet Natak Akademi, an autonomous organisation under the
Ministry of Culture, as nodal office for matters relating to the intangible cultural heritage including for preparation
of the nomination dossiers for the Representative List of UNESCO.

The Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA)

- Nodal Office for ICH elements management and documentation.

- Makes necessary interaction with the stakeholders, experts/officials etc.
- Finalization of the dossier in respect of element identified for the nomination.
- Maintains a National Inventory of ICH elements

Some of the major organisations involved in preservation of propagation of ICH are named below:
Sahitya Akademi, Lalit Kala Akademi, Sangeet Natak Akademi
Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, National School of Drama, Centre for Cultural Resources & Training,
Zonal Cultural Centres (seven in number), Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Anthropological Survey of
India.
INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE

Indian ICH elements >>>

1. Tradition of Vedic Chanting – 2007
1. Ramlila, Traditional Performance of
Ramayana – 2008
2. Ramman, religious festival and Ritual
theatre of Garhwal Himalayas, India
3. Mudiyettu, ritual theatre and dance
drama of Kerala – 2010 etc…
URBAN CONSERVATION
Urban conservation is “a process that focuses on the quality of urban environment by developing a
program to protect cities and urban areas from environmental and optical pollution.”
Preserving the heritage while insisting on keeping up and responding to the modern urban fabric of the city
as a whole.
The sense of place can only be achieved if the urban heritage is still intact and preserved whilst accommodating
for new development.
“A city as a theatre of human arts, where every part of the city grows with time, integrating the
past with present” – Aldo Rossi.
Culture and cultural heritage should be declared the “4th pillar” for sustainable development. – ICOMOS 17GA:
“Heritage as a Driver of development”; ICOMOS Resolution 18GA 2014/37.
URBAN CONSERVATION

Heritage has a crucial, structural role within the

urban development process:

Creating social cohesion

Stimulating growth
Reducing poverty
Fostering socio-economic regeneration
Increasing the density of urban cores and
containing the anarchic spread of new buildings
Enhancing tourism benefits by preserving cultural
resources as a fundamental asset of long-term
tourism development
Strengthening social fabric and enhancing social
well-being / enhancing the appeal and creativity
of regions.
URBAN CONSERVATION
Types of Heritage Sites for Urban Conservation >>>
1. Site for COMMEMORATIVE interests (places or buildings associated with people, events, historical
importance.)
2. Site for ARCHEOLOGICAL Interests
3. Site for ARCHITECTURAL Interests and its surroundings
4. Site of LANDSCAPE Interests
5. Site of ECOLOGICAL Interests
AUTHORITIES IN CONSERVATION
AUTHORITIES IN CONSERVATION

The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) was founded in 1984 in New Delhi with
the vision to spearhead heritage awareness and conservation in India.

Today INTACH is recognized as one of the world’s largest heritage organizations, with over 190 Chapters
across the Country.

In the past 31 years INTACH has pioneered the conservation and preservation of not just our natural and
built heritage but intangible heritage as well.

Operates through various divisions such as Architectural Heritage, Natural Heritage, Material Heritage,
Intangible Cultural Heritage, Heritage Education and Communication Services (HECS), Crafts and
Community Cell, Chapters, INTACH Heritage Academy, Heritage Tourism, Listing Cell and Library, Archives
and Documentation Centre.
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS FOR HERITAGE CONSERVATION
ICOMOS: The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS; French: Conseil international des monuments
et des sites) is a professional association that works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places
around the world.

ICOMOS works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places. It is the only global non-government
organisation of this kind, which is dedicated to promoting the application of theory, methodology, and scientific
techniques to the conservation of the architectural and archaeological heritage.

International Conventions that are relevant to the protection and conservation of art and cultural heritage and to which
India is a signatory >>>

-Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. Paris, 20 October 2005
-Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Paris, 17 October 2003.
-Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Paris, 16 November 1972. -
Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural
Property. Paris, 14 November 1970.
-Protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. Hague, 14 May 1954.
-Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict with Regulations for the Execution of
the Convention. Hague, 14 May 1954.
METHODS OF HERITAGE CONSERVATION

Some Conservation methods are >>>

1. Consolidation
2. Reproduction
3. Reconstruction
4. Preservation
5. Deterioration Perversion
6. Rehabilitation And Restoration.
ISSUES IN HERITAGE CONSERVATION
Major Issues:

1.Lack of Master Plan: Except the world heritage sites e.g. Taj, Humayun’s Tomb, Ajanta, Ellora, Bodh Gaya
etc. other monuments of national importance face negligence of local or state administrations. The lack of
proper master plan foster haphazard growth around the sites and as a result sites lose their charm.

2.Encroachments/illegal occupation: Encroachments around ancient monuments has been a major

concern. These encroachments are done by local shopkeepers, souvenir sellers or local residents. These
temporary or permanent structures are not fit with architecture of monument or environment. For example:
Encroachment within the premises of the Taj Mahal near Khan-i-Alam’s Bagh.

3.Pollution: There are several types of environmental pollutions which hamper the heritage properties. e.g.
Taj Mahal was badly affected by Sulphur dioxide etc. emitted by oil refinery at Mathura and more than 200
furnaces used in Taj ganj area. The environmentalist groups with the help of Supreme Court banned emission
of these polluting agents.

4.Tourism and irresponsible Behaviour of Visitors: Increasing tourism and lack of civic sense among
majority of tourists have caused large damages to monuments degrading their aesthetic value. Criminal
damage such as graffiti and defacement directed towards the monuments has been a major concern.
ISSUES IN HERITAGE CONSERVATION

5. Degradation and lack of conservation:

- Biological agencies such as mosses, fungus, algae, and insects affect construction materials like
timber, bricks, stucco etc.
- Further, temperature and moisture which is a prime agent of degradation of monuments pose a
serious concern.
URBAN STUDEIS II_INTRODUCTION TO HERITAGE CONSERVATION
Assignment – 31.01.2022

Q1. What is Cultural Heritage and explain with examples Tangible & Intangible Heritage.

Q2. Write a note on Urban Conservation. Elaborate on Heritage Conservation as Sustainable

Development Goals.

Q3. Research and write on following topics:

1. Conservation
2. Preservation
3. Restoration