11/8/2017 530 Debashish Nayak, Revitalising our walled cities

Revitalising our walled cities

DEBASHISH NAYAK

The search for identity, for a sense of where we belong in a changing

world, appears today to be both a personal and a general quest. The
reasons may go far beyond a purely intellectual quest to a yearning for
stability through a sense of belonging and a knowledge of where we
have come from; and behind this may lie deep-seated worries about
where we as a race, as a nation, as individuals may be going.
Martin Bibble1

MOST Indian cities with a long history have at their core areas of
strong architectural and urban character. These areas have been places
of life, vitality, wealth, power, enlightenment and culture. However,
these inner city areas have been marginalized in the process of urban
growth.

The personality and character of a city is the result of centuries of

growth in the course of which new elements are constantly juxtaposed
with the older ones. Old buildings and older areas of the city should be
looked upon as assets rather than liabilities because they represent the
history of communities, embodying their tradition, heritage and culture
through architecture and the urban form.

Ratna Naidu in her paper on A Conceptual Framework for the

Renewal of Walled Cities in India remarks that: Deprived of the
economic opportunities with the dismantling of the feudal structure and
deprived of its elite who are usually the powerful spokesmen for the
maintenance and enhancement of civic amenities, the walled city has
become a victim of blight. The walled city today as an area languishes
from multiple deprivation such as poverty of urban infrastructure,
poverty of income and employment of its residents and their lack of
access to the power elite who formulate policies for the urban region.
These interlocking cycles of deprivation are poised to destroy a
priceless heritage. The walled city was once a viable form in which
lived the rich, middle and lower classes belonging to different ethnic
groups Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs in peace and harmony.

Despite its present dilapidated condition the opulence and lifestyles of

the past are still very much in evidence in the form of innumerable
public monuments and private mansions, though in decay and in need
of urgent repair. Many rich and middle class families belonging to
different ethnic groups still continue to live in the walled city. And in
many of its areas there exists a high quality of essential services like
water, sanitation and sewerage. Land values in several areas of the
walled city are as high as those in the upper class area outside the
walled city.

http://www.india-seminar.com/2003/530/530%20debashish%20nayak.htm 1/11
11/8/2017 530 Debashish Nayak, Revitalising our walled cities

The discussion clearly indicates that though the walled city areas are
today dilapidated, there is still a hope of survival, of improvement, of
getting life back to them.

Efforts at understanding the concept of urban conservation in the old

walled cities of India have definitely gained momentum. Heritage has
now become a much talked about issue in the context of Indian cities
Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Mumbai, Calcutta, Delhi, among others.

An innovative programme was started in 1989 by the CRUTA

Foundation (Foundation for Conservation and Research of Urban
Traditional Architecture). The foundation organized local walks, tours
and slide shows in North Calcutta. CRUTA believed that Calcuttas
architectural heritage could match that of the finest cities in the world.
The enlightened precepts and the social reform initiatives of many of
the historical personalities who once lived in North Calcutta was one
basis for this assertion.2

CRUTA realized that local residents needed to be exhorted to take pride

in their neighbourhood and revive the para culture, with the objective
of promoting wider awareness about the importance of the place and
contributing to the growth of a local ethic of ownership and
responsibility. It organized conservation workshops with internationally
renowned authorities, ensuring a regular media coverage. The tourism
potential in architecturally important areas was highlighted.

As was the experience of many other conservation architects, it took

CRUTA some time to make people believe in the benefits of urban
conservation. Before and after pictures were used to show the people
and the authorities that many cities elsewhere were doing well because
the citizens of those countries had taken up many of the responsibilities
on themselves.

As a result CRUTA acquired a much stronger presence with a base in

the actual local community in Calcutta. The issue of urban conservation
gained a greater importance in the public domain. CRUTA also
initiated an intellectual effort, beginning with the documentation and
communication of the implicit approach, strategy and programme
underlying the neighbourhood-based, community-led change that had
been stimulated.

The necessary supportive policy and other actions on the part of the
authorities, as well as the requisite capital investment, were explicated.
Ideas were floated on possible area-based cultural festivals and other
events. With growing institutional interest in restoration projects,
documentation was generated on the importance of retaining a process
outlook in such projects, involving public awareness and education and
catalysing community participation as well as larger area revitalization.

http://www.india-seminar.com/2003/530/530%20debashish%20nayak.htm 2/11
11/8/2017 530 Debashish Nayak, Revitalising our walled cities

The urban heritage of Bengal was explored and the idea of a Bengal
urban heritage corridor was floated, involving a number of historic
towns along the river Hoogly, which offered good potential for heritage
tourism based revitalization. CRUTA crossed another milestone in
1995 when it was commissioned to prepare a report on the
revitalization of Barra Bazaar, the highly congested blighted
commercial centre of Calcutta.3

The efforts of CRUTA and other organizations helped raise

consciousness about urban conservation in the city. Inspired by its
success, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation invited CRUTA to
undertake similar efforts in Ahmedabad, particularly for the
conservation and improvement of the architectural heritage of its
walled city.

The birth of the old city settlement of Ahmedabad dates back to a 10th
century town of Ashaval. In the latter part of the 11th century, another
city known as Karnavati grew adjacent to Ashaval. The present walled
city was created during the Ahmed Shahi period in the 15th century. A
new palace and fort were built near Bhadra covering a rectangular area
of around 500-800 meters.

However, the 18th century saw the citys decline. Many suburbs and
even parts of the inner city were abandoned and ruined as new
wholesale markets at Kalupur, mechanized industries and workers
quarters on the eastern suburbs, Ellis Bridge, residential buildings and
educational institutions were established. Most fort walls were pulled
down in the early part of the 20th century. The absence of a
decentralization policy with regard to economic activities resulted in
congestion and decay of the walled city.

The walled city of Ahmedabad follows a radial pattern of streets with

twelve gates. Each micro neighbourhood around residential streets is
called a pol, which consists of a street with houses on both sides. Often
it would have two gates barring entry at night.

The challenge of a hot, dry climate and extreme conditions was well
addressed by the traditional craftsmen of the old era. The narrow
winding streets with two or three storey buildings ensured shade on the
streets for most of the day. The typical row house pattern reduced
exposure to extreme heat. Courtyards and openings aligned in straight
lines ensured good airflow through buildings. Havelis in intricately
carved wood, Hindu temples in wood and stone, Islamic and Jain
religious buildings in stone are among the different styles that comprise
the walled city of Ahmedabad.

The collaboration between the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation

(AMC) and CRUTA eventually emerged as a milestone in the history of
urban conservation efforts in the context of Indian cities. The AMC
became the first municipal corporation to set up a heritage cell. Till
http://www.india-seminar.com/2003/530/530%20debashish%20nayak.htm 3/11
11/8/2017 530 Debashish Nayak, Revitalising our walled cities

then, the various efforts in different cities had failed to achieve a

mainstream, institutional status.

However, the problems continue commercial activity attracts large

volumes of traffic; lack of parking space and regular traffic jams;
subdivision of housing units and increasing pressure on infrastructure
systems; change in land use resulting in the breakdown of the
traditional social fabric; a lack of awareness and appreciation of
traditional architecture with its inherent advantages, and breakdown of
the traditional local governance system (panch). Involving the
community, spreading awareness about the need for urban conservation
and, more importantly, putting a check on the demolition of heritage
properties in the walled city to build commercial centres, remain
important and challenging tasks facing the AMC heritage programme.

The heritage cell at AMC succeeded in introducing a byelaw in the

General Development Control Regulations prohibiting any heritage
property from being pulled down without prior permission from the
heritage cell. This eventually saved many structures in and around the
walled city.

Community participation was recognised as a major method to convey

the entire idea at a much larger scale and ensure a much better rapport.
A series of activities were organized to elicit community participation
and ensure that people take pride in their surroundings and are involved
in conservation efforts. Meetings were held in the walled city Khadia
to discuss strategies for conservation and development of the area bring
ing together many citizens groups, renowned personalities and AMC
officials to discuss the matter on a common platform.

Following this, citizens groups and the municipal authority jointly

organized the first public programme, Preservation of the Past and
Glimpses of History at Desai-ni-Pol in Khadia on 19 November 1996.
The residents of Desai-ni-Pol (its rebellious past during British rule
gave it a place in history), released a booklet to mark heritage day,
listing the historical homes and personalities who lived in the area as
also a chronicle of important events.

On 14 August 1997, a freedom walk, Krantidarshan Padyatra was

organized around several houses connected with the history of Indian
freedom struggle. Twenty-eight important houses were identified and
the citizens under the leadership of elected and government officials
visited them. The birthday of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was
celebrated on 23 January 1998 at Bengal Home in Dhobi-ni-Pol,
established in 1905 as a centre where revolutionaries from Bengal
trained local people during the freedom struggle.

A kavi sammelan (poets meet) was organized on Kavi Dalpatrams

death anniversary on 25 March 1998 in the pol where he used to live.
Organizations like the Gujarat Sahitya Parishad also worked to make it
http://www.india-seminar.com/2003/530/530%20debashish%20nayak.htm 4/11
11/8/2017 530 Debashish Nayak, Revitalising our walled cities

a success. The enthusiastic response to the kavi sammelan resulted in a

unique memorial at the site of his house, designed with the help of the
AMC in collaboration with the Swami Narayan Mandir, Kalupur. The
memorial serves as a site where plays, recitations and other features
linked with Dalpatram are enthusiastically performed.

A heritage walk was initiated which passes through the old

neighbourhoods. The programme was well publicized through
brochures and posters. The community itself came forward to help .
This eventually led to the establishment of a heritage cell within the
municipal authority. A street signage programme was launched where
street plates bearing the name of the area and municipal symbols were
displayed at the entrance of each pol, providing recognition and
identity.

A project to revive local self-governance in the walled city with the

help of public participation was started in collaboration with the
Ahmedabad Community Foundation. The project aims at recognizing
the panch, the key persons for information dissemination, as formal
representatives and thus help improve living conditions in the pol.

Street plays with participation of the local community and eminent

personalities from the area were organized, bringing people together on
a common platform to understand the issues.

Various efforts were also under taken to conserve the architectural

heritage in the walled city area through inter-departmental and public-
private partnerships to carry out actual restoration projects, which can
serve as examples for people who want to restore their old properties
and structures.

The AMC in association with ASI began a beautification process

focusing on the fort wall and city gates. While the ASI concentrates on
physical restoration, the AMC handles landscape and lighting around
the gates. The AMC with the assistance of the state government and the
Gujarat Archaeological Department provides a 50% grant for faade
restoration. This programme includes citizen groups and NGOs. The
Kanubhai Dayabhai Mehta Chetna Pravruti Kendra serves as a training
centre in an old restored building in the walled city.

The AMC identified an old building near Panchkuwa Gate for

conservation. This building was restored and used as a ward office.
Inspired by the heritage initiative, the Collector of Ahmedabad
requested AMC to help design a heritage gate for their complex and
initiate renovation of their buildings.

Alongside the interdepartmental and public-private partnerships,

collaborations with international agencies are also important in order to
acquire a wider perspective and awareness of methods and approaches.
The AMC has collaborated with many such international agencies that
are now working for the benefit of the walled city of Ahmedabad.

On 14 January 2001, under the 74th amendment to the Constitution, the

AMC signed a MoU with the French government for a scientific study
http://www.india-seminar.com/2003/530/530%20debashish%20nayak.htm 5/11
11/8/2017 530 Debashish Nayak, Revitalising our walled cities

of the walled city resulting in a survey of the walled city area. On 18

February 2003, another MoU was signed under which a French team,
jointly with AMC staff, is working to actually restore heritage
properties in the walled city. The team is providing free consultancy for
the restoration of properties.

The AMC has also initiated collaboration with the Dutch who had a
small presence in Ahmedabad in earlier days through trade and
commerce. A Dutch factory and graveyard is a reminder of their past
presence in the city. Both restoration projects and an interpretation
booklet exploring the related history are under preparation.

The walled city of Ahmedabad was included in the list of endangered

heritage sites by the World Monument Fund. This helped attract
international attention and intensify the conservation activities in the
walled city.

Crucial to the above is the financial aspect which governs a major part
of the entire exercise of urban conservation. The AMC heritage
programme has come up with many alternatives: on 31 January 2000,
the HUDCO board approved an investment programme of heritage
exploration in a septennial cycle. On the occasion of World Heritage
Day a MoU was signed between AMC and HUDCO detailing the
financial implication in this sector, making for the first time properties
older than 15-20 years eligible for loans at low interest.

The AMC and French government collaboration has involved local

banks to fund restoration projects. For example, the SEWA Bank gives
loans for house restoration in case the property is in the name of a
woman. Many local trusts like the Swami Narayan Temple Trust also
provide loans for restoration and renovation.

The response has been overwhelming. Changes in the heritage byelaw

has had a visible effect and many buildings have been saved from being
pulled down. Further changes in the heritage byelaw are in the offing.

Inspired by the successful initiatives of the AMC in the field of urban

conservation, the Rajasthan government requested the heritage cell to
assist in the process of urban conservation for the walled city of Jaipur.
A full programme of slide shows and lecture series was conducted by
the heritage cell and a heritage walk was designed and launched for the
walled city Jaipur.

Jaipur is a remarkable city from the point of view of planning, design

and the exquisite craftsmanship displayed in its built form. It was
constructed in 1728. Based on ancient Indian principles of town
planning, the city is gridiron with wide straight streets intersecting at
right angles. This is rather uncommon for Indian cities, which are
mostly organic in character with a branching pattern of streets. Almost

http://www.india-seminar.com/2003/530/530%20debashish%20nayak.htm 6/11
11/8/2017 530 Debashish Nayak, Revitalising our walled cities

squarish in plan, the city is divided into nine sectors, corresponding to

the nine treasures of Kubera, the lord of wealth.

There are three categories of streets; the primary streets form sectors
that are subdivided into smaller blocks by secondary and tertiary
streets. Each street makes a context within a sector. There is a clear
hierarchy, both functional and visual with each street generating
different activities, which change when the order of the street changes.
Each dwelling is a part of a broad system organized within a parallel
framework akin to row housing with houses having common sidewalls
with the adjoining houses.

The walled city of Jaipur suffers from an enormous pressure on its

traditional urban fabric, which is constantly getting transformed to
accommodate and adjust to the new land use, materials and transport
systems. The major problems include traffic congestion, inadequate
public facilities, lack of awareness of the value of local heritage, lack of
proper signage, and improper solid waste management.

Since the economy is weak and people are struggling to earn a basic
living, conservation cannot be reduced to repair and restoration of
monuments. To be sustainable and successful, the process has to
improve peoples lives. At the local level we need to facilitate peoples
participation in management and urban governance and technical
capacity building alongside raising awareness of the value of local
heritage to ensure socio-economic development. At the institutional
level there is need to improve tourism facilities, ensure compatible land
use, regulate development and improve the infrastructure facilities.

The lifestyle and culture of the people of Jaipur is quite different from
that of Ahmedabad. The walled city of Jaipur also had a different
dimension than that of the walled city of Ahmedabad. Consequently the
efforts have to follow a different format.

Public participation was seen as crucial and fortunately it turned out to

be successful. Today, conservation activities have gained the status of
citizens initiatives, which is an achievement in itself.

The launching of the heritage walk of Jaipur in 2001 became a

milestone which in turn initiated many efforts. The heritage walk of
Jaipur goes through the inner lanes and streets of the Modikhana
Chowkri of the walled city area. This became very popular, as the
shopkeepers could now attract foreign customers, who earlier never
visited the inner areas. The heritage walk is a process whereby
conservation and restoration can happen at a pace set by the local
inhabitants, the real owners of the city.

Another important component of the heritage conservation effort was

the initiation of an annual Jaipur Heritage Week. This became popular
and provided a common platform to all the artists, craftsmen, residents
http://www.india-seminar.com/2003/530/530%20debashish%20nayak.htm 7/11
11/8/2017 530 Debashish Nayak, Revitalising our walled cities

of the walled city, municipal officers, NGOs and other institutions to

come together to experience the richness of the tradition and culture.
The event also achieved international recognition and appreciation.

INTACH (a national NGO, with a local chapter in Jaipur) has been

involved in raising awareness of heritage conservation. It has been
actively involved in building projects related to heritage and bringing
the different stake-holders and partners on a common platform. It has
been working with and through the JMC while coordinating the efforts
of the Jaipur Municipal Corporation, the state government, the tourism
department among others.

Further, Intach has facilitated the formation of a citizens forum

Jaipur Virasat Foundation which is a joint initiative with the
government to conserve and revitalize the city. A forum of citizens
committed to build community awareness and participation, it has
initiated programmes such as introducing heritage conservation into the
regular school curriculum.

An Asia-Urbs Programme is also in action at Jaipur, for which the

European Union provides grants for capacity building to the Jaipur
Municipal Corporation for urban conservation. The overall objective of
the Asia-Urbs project is to contribute to socio-economic development
of Jaipur based on tourism through an enhancement of the walled city,
improving the capacity of local authorities and increasing awareness of
the community on specific urban issues.

The Rajasthan government has also borrowed a large sum of money

from the Asian Development Bank to improve the urban environment
of several cities in the state. For Jaipur, 10% of the total budget of Rs
500 crore has been allotted to the restoration of the citys heritage.

In addition, the state government has drafted a notification to protect

heritage sites and buildings to control haphazard development. A
heritage cell has been constituted as part of the JMC to initiate basic
documentation of the walled city and conduct meetings for information
gathering and sharing. Finally, a living history of Jaipur programme
as part of daily attraction for visitors to the city is being prepared
alongside attempts to create a common platform for different
stakeholder groups and key citizens to financially assist the process.

The response to these different initiatives in heritage conservation has

been overwhelming. The efforts have been able to reach down to the
school level, instilling the message of heritage conservation in the
minds of young students. Ignorance has given way to understanding
and consciousness. People are now supporting the idea of urban
conservation, which initially was seen primarily as an excuse to impose
fresh restrictions on development activity.

The efforts in Ahmedabad and Jaipur have generated valuable

experience for other cities that too wish to conserve their heritage. Both
examples foreground different aspects and initiatives to achieve a
similar goal. In Ahmedabad, the work began with the setting up of a
heritage cell within the Municipal Corporation while in Jaipur it was
community participation that served as the major entry point to success.

The City Managers Association of Gujarat has recognized the

Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation for best practices in the field of
heritage conservation. Subsequently, the Ahmedabad model was
http://www.india-seminar.com/2003/530/530%20debashish%20nayak.htm 8/11
11/8/2017 530 Debashish Nayak, Revitalising our walled cities

replicated in other cities of Gujarat under the Best Practice Transfer

Programme of the City Managers Association. Similar steps in
heritage conservation have now been taken up in the municipalities of
Siddhpur and Bhuj in association with NGOs.

Various other cities like Amritsar, Delhi, Patiala and Pondicherry have
also invited CRUTA to help begin similar efforts/initiatives in their
own cities. Already heritage walks have been planned for many of
these cities. The organizational set-up at Ahmedabad Municipal
Corporation is shown below.

INTACH is already active at the national level to develop the field of

heritage and natural resource conservation. It has assisted CRUTA
Foundation and other heritage conservation bodies to achieve the
holistic goal of urban conservation.

The salient features of the methodology adopted include: An effort to

understand the history and urban character of the old city; building on
past experiences of Ahmedabad, other parts of the country and abroad;
http://www.india-seminar.com/2003/530/530%20debashish%20nayak.htm 9/11
11/8/2017 530 Debashish Nayak, Revitalising our walled cities

identifying and sharing the concerns of the old city; building strategic
partnerships with communities, various departments and agencies,
elected representatives and others; establishing a sustainable process of
transformation; sharing experiences; and documenting the process and
lessons learnt.

The effort in Jaipur was, however, more focused on community

participation and public involvement. It was successful in reaching out
to the schools and through it to the students and children who will be
future heritage mangers. Students have been encouraged to write for the
special issue Gobar Times on various issues affecting the city of Jaipur.
The children were also taken for walks to instill in them an attachment
to their past heritage.

Another noteworthy achievement was that many organizations came

together to advance this concern and effort Jaipur Virasat Foundation,
INTACH, Asia-Urbs team, among others. Figure I explains the
connections between the various authorities to achieve urban
conservation for the city of Jaipur by using the strategy of heritage
walks. Figure II shows the methodology adopted by the authorities to
achieve the holistic aim of making Jaipur a world heritage city.

Urban conservation as an issue needs utmost attention and care. It

cannot be reduced to individual buildings or monuments of historic
interest, nor can it be interpreted simply as a totality of the built parts.
For effective conservation of historic towns, the interventions should
from an integral part of a coherent policy of economic and social
development and urban planning.

http://www.india-seminar.com/2003/530/530%20debashish%20nayak.htm 10/11
11/8/2017 530 Debashish Nayak, Revitalising our walled cities

Footnotes:

1. Martin Bibble, The Experiences of the Past: Archaeology and History in

Conservation and Development.

2. V. Ramaswamy, August 1999; Rebuilding Our Cities: Reflections from a journey in

civic activism.

3. V. Ramaswamy, August 1999; ibid.

http://www.india-seminar.com/2003/530/530%20debashish%20nayak.htm 11/11