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Rani ki vav, stepwell in Patan, Gujrat
https://www.heritagehotelsofindia.com/blog/wp-content/uploads
/2017/07/rani-ki-vav.jpg |
However modern you are, you still cherish that artefact you
received from your grandparents or great grandparents; be it a piece of jewellery,
a Saree, an antique chest or a pen. It means world to you! Sometimes you may get
to use it or sometimes you may not, but it’s value is ever enriching for you. I
hope all of you have experienced this. What could be the reason? It’s not just
about the design, material and craftsmanship of that artifact but the ties it
carries with it from your ancestors to you. It is because of this story,
heritage you take immense pride to share this treasure with your friends. They
too like it and appreciate the story of it. You take all the efforts to preserve
and maintain it so that you can hand it over to your coming generations as a
legacy. This we are talking about at your family level. Similar pride, efforts
and curiosity we must show for our local and national level heritage in art,
culture and architecture.
Historic monument in our area brings in the unique identity
and character to the place. It tells us stories about our earlier generations.
Otherwise with globalisation all the built structures around us look alike. Unfortunately,
local material, climatic conditions, local art and culture etc. do not
influence the design of current urban or even rural buildings. With this
scenario it becomes all the more important to preserve historic architectural treasures
for our future generations to make them aware about our history and culture.
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Hawa Mahal, Jaipur
http://www.indiatraveltimes.com/review/review2005/hawa_mahal.html |
Conservation architects contribute to preserve and maintain
such historic structures and sites which are identified as cultural heritage
sites. Scope of conservation architect varies from working on actual site to
restore or preserve the damaged structure, to develop Interpretation centers nearby
the heritage site to enrich tourists with experiences of the site’s heritage
assets, to come up with guidelines for development of peripheral area of the
heritage site to ensure that the new constructions are not in any conflict with
existing heritage site. While working on actual site they need to study the about
historical context of the site, materials and technology used then. Designers
work on how those materials could be procured and used or develop new materials
that can gel with existing materials as the focus is not to loose original
character of the structure.
Large monuments are taken care by the national level organizations
but there are many interesting sites at local level having historical thread,
great craftsmanship or other heritage relevance. Intense efforts from local
authorities, organisations and communities would benefit preservation of such
sites in interest of our own cultural pride. Organisations like INTACH are
working in this area. Awareness among citizens for preserving our heritage site
would encourage efforts at community level.
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Bomonjee Hormarjee Wadia Fountain and Clock Tower, Fort
http://www.zoom4india.com/news/national/item/241056-mumbai-
wins-big-at-unesco-asia-pacific-awards.html |
Heritage site need not be a built structure or a complex, it
could be a public space like a square or a neighbourhood. Kala Ghoda square,
Khotachi wadi, Girgaum and Wadia fountain and clock tower in Mumbai are good
examples of such conserved heritage sites. Tourists visiting the heritage
places while exploring new places many a times expect to enjoy and relive the
glorious historic experiences. This leads to turn such places into recreational
places which is no good to preserve these places for longer duration. As a
responsible tourist we should understand importance of our historical heritage,
respect efforts of the team contributing to preserve these treasures for
generations to come and co-operate by following all rules mentioned by the
authorities like not touching the surfaces or not using harsh lights that will
damage the surfaces.
I hope this read
highlights the importance and role of design activities not only in creating
new spaces and structures but also in preserving old treasures of our history
to make them shine like gold for centuries to come!
Some useful links:
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