Listing of Tangible and Intangible Heritage- Objectives, Benefits, Issues and Approach

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?Listing of Tangible and Intangible Heritage- Objectives, Benefits, Issues and Approach

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??????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????? ?*Jit Kumar Gupta

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Heritage, because of? its? numerous dimensions and connotations, has been defined differently and distinctly? by? agencies, institutions, organizations and communities, engaged in identifying, preserving and managing heritage. Expressed? and distinguished as tangible and intangible, heritage? is defined as? an expression of the ways of living, developed by a community and passed on from generations to generations, including customs, practices, places, objects, artistic expressions and values. (ICOMOS, 2002). Considering its values displayed, role played and importance demonstrated? in? showcasing and understanding the way of life, culture and glorious past of any community, region and nation,? it has been considered prudent that available heritage must be identified, documented and listed so as to create a? valuable heritage resource database.

?Listing, in the words of Srinivas, besides providing a clear way of documenting items for archaeological, cultural or historical purposes, also helps in raising awareness and appreciation of the heritage value of such places. This awareness , enables planners, researchers and communities to consider these values while making? their decisions about planning and development of the area. Accordingly, objects which find place in the heritage listing, have a better chance of being preserved, conserved, safeguarded, promoted and valued.

Heritage Listings, is documentation of assets that have cultural, natural or historical value. Such listings are predominantly buildings, or groups of buildings, but can also include other assets as well. Many countries have a well-defined legal framework and formalized system for heritage listings. 32nd session of the General Conference? of UNESCO also supported the principle of establishing the database of available heritage by all member nations, in order to protect and preserve?? the available heritage and? to save it from loss,? possible damage/destruction.

England , as nation, is known be the leader in? the domain of listing of buildings and heritage conservation. There are around 400,000?listed buildings?in England. Listed buildings are classified into?three distinct grades: Grade-I buildings, are buildings of exceptional interest. Just 2.5% of listed buildings are Grade- I .Grade- II buildings?are particularly important buildings of more than special interest. 5.8% of listed buildings are Grade-II. Grade-III buildings?are of special interest warranting every effort to preserve them. Over 90% of all listed buildings are in this grade.

Objectives of listing;

The main purpose of heritage listings can be enumerated to;

·?????? encourage the conservation and sensitive development of heritage sites, while promoting areas of cultural significance.

·?????? develop a comprehensive and accurate inventory of buildings / structures / sites and precincts of heritage significance.

·?????? ?provide a? valuable data base? to the local authorities regarding heritage resource/ buildings existing in the given area for granting? permissions for development.

·?????? protect the cultural heritage, as a whole, by combating the theft, illegal export/import and illicit trafficking of cultural property.

·?????? ?protect the cultural heritage from all forms of degradation and deterioration.

·?????? ?promote safeguarding and protection of all cultural heritage existing in the city, state and country? irrespective of their religious/ethnic identity.

·?????? recognize that all forms of cultural heritage are valued with equal? importance.

·?????? promote understanding across diverse communities of the universal value of heritage.

·?????? recognize that the holdings of cultural repositories are also locations of the tangible expressions of human history.

·?????? ?document and preserve knowledge of the cultural heritage

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Benefits of listing and? preparing data base of Heritage resource; can be summed up in terms of ?helping in? promoting identification, preserving, conserving and managing heritage; promoting tourism; promoting research in the art and science of heritage; making heritage a people- led mission; generating employment; improving economy ; making value addition to the city and area; creating a sense of pride, sense of place? and? sense of belonging among communities. Globally , it has been recognized that; Heritage lists provide a starting point in highlighting the relative importance of historical assets, and ?guide more detailed follow-up on preservation and conservation efforts. In many cases, historical preservation and conservation management plans are developed using preliminary data from listings. Heritage listing has been recognized as the first step in preserving conserving, valuing, safeguarding and? promoting valuable heritage management

Scope of? Listings heritage; Considering the length, breadth and depth of heritage,??? Heritage?? listing /documentation must involve and revolve around looking at the? entire context and fabric of heritage in terms of ; place's significance,? regulation and management; heritage values of building from an architectural perspective, as well as broader cultural fabric of the area and community, to which it belongs.(Srinivas)

Criteria used for? evaluation of an object of heritage; Criteria generally used for evaluation of heritage listing include; age, time span of existence of heritage object; siting of the object; techniques and technologies used in creating? and defining its uniqueness; specific style used in planning, designing and construction; elements of structural and architectural importance; historical? and cultural importance of the asset/its creator; existence of similar objects elsewhere, having rare/unique features; connectivity with? particular region or country of the origin; state of preservation of the asset and current status, in terms of damage/deterioration; potential date of its origin; reason and purpose of area’s founding; history of area ; relationship with other identifiable areas; typology and forms of buildings; design and materials used; architectural styles; landscape features and design e.g. boulevards, trees, green spaces, rock walls, inventory of trees etc.

Delhi Master plans suggests?? that Listing of Heritage Buildings? should be based on the well-defined criteria, which should include; the age of the building; Its special value for architectural or cultural reasons or historical periods; its relevance to history; its association with a well-known character or event; its value as part of a group of buildings and uniqueness of the building or any object or structures fixed to the building or forming part of the land and comprised within the curtilage of the building.

Approach to Heritage listing;? Based on a study? made and analysis carried out of the heritage listing process? at global and local levels;? a generic process of, how listing is done? has been? illustrated in? the Figure given below. .

Figure : Heritage listing process( Srinivas)

Though there are many variants available for listing and creating database,? but? the process? followed? for mapping and? Heritage listing is generally based on;

·?????? Defining and? developing , first a criterion which is proposed to be used in? assessing and evaluating the heritage historical assets;

·?????? ?Evolving? proforma, which is made available? for data collection and used by the researches and staff deployed ,to identify potential historical assets, as outlined in the proforma, by actually going and visiting the area/site.

·?????? ?Data collection/ compilation/evaluation; Based on the field data collected/complied, evaluation of assets is done? and the heritage listing proforma is filled out for inclusion in the official listing.

·?????? Review; The listing is then reviewed by experts and authority responsible for heritage management.

·?????? Draft Notification for involving communities/citizens ; List finalized is then released to the public for their consideration, inviting objections and? suggestions? on the list prepared.

·?????? Finalisation;? Based on the consideration, analysis and evaluation made of the public suggestions/objections received , list of heritage buildings is finalized

·?????? Final Notification;? Final list of heritage is then? issued in the form of notification in the official gazette and local newspapers, for public information

Methodology used for preparing? valuable Heritage Resource Data? Base, through the process of listing , remains valuable and constitutes an important and? very first step in? conservation and management of heritage. Authenticity and credibility of the heritage listed, largely depend upon? the manner and methodology used for carrying out the listing and preparing the heritage list.

?Central Public Works Department(CPWD), of Government of India has defined in detail, the process of carrying out listing of buildings in its handbook. Listing work, as per CPWD handbook, shall? comprises of two distinct phases involving; Background Research ; then followed by the detailed? Field Work as detailed below.

1.Background Research; Background research remains critical and most valuable for analyzing and evaluating any object/area for listing.? Before listing and qualifying any object as heritage, it would require the support of an authentic database, which needs to be? prepared based on detailed study and sourcing relevant information. Data base has to be created? by collecting information from different sources including district gazetteers, travel books, and several other specialized books available on the history of the area/object. The information collected is then documented, processed and analysed for reaching a logical conclusion about the quality and worth of the object to be listed as? heritage.

?Data base has to be prepared? before actually commencing the fieldwork. This data? besides sources defined above can also be sourced from the libraries and archives of various universities and other institutions of the central government, the state government and private individuals or trusts. Many of the museums established by the central government or state governments or even private museums can provide valuable information. Local experts, professionals and scholars could also be good source for providing the valuable information, guidance and help. This would ensure that no important structure or representative style of building is left out.

?Municipal records are known for their value, as reservoir of historical data, about the buildings/area. Educational institutions , existing in the area, could also be tapped for providing the desired information. Research work done? by the research scholars and paper published by eminent scholars can throw valuable light on the object/area under study. Town planning department, existing at state/local level and development agencies like Improvement Trusts/Development Authorities can also generate valuable information.

Background research essentially helps in looking at the historicity of the area in terms of? identifying historic? context; mapping historic developments and significance of the events, that may have taken place at different time; important persons who may have shaped historical developments, cultural developments, and similar features that may be unique to the area. In some well documented areas, distinctive physical characteristics of design, construction, materials, and forms of existing? buildings can also be identified.

2. Field Work; ?The second step in heritage listing, after doing the? background research, will be the field work to be carried in respect of the identified area/object. Carrying out an effective field work , would require the support of number of documents and involving different stake holders for having a realistic and authentic information about the object/area being studied, as detailed below;

i. Using Maps; Before launching into field work, a reliable map of the area and its various constituents should be collected. Survey of India maps and those available with the state department of Town and Country Planning and local government, should prove useful.

?However, at the field level, ward maps available with the municipal committees ?/ corporations/ cantonment/ panchayat authorities may be of greater help. In some cities, transport network maps (such as by Eicher in Delhi) may be equally useful. Google maps have also emerged as the valuable resource for study and evaluation of the area. Base maps/ GIS based maps prepared for different cities, under various missions launched by Government of India like Smart Cities, AMRUT and Satellite imagery prepared by the National Remote Sensing Agency, Hyderabad, can also be good source for listing.

ii. Undertaking ?Physical inspection; Field work requires lot of? basic work to scan the heritage properties and recording information for each property in the prescribed format. This comprises of physically inspecting the property as well as meeting local people, such as owners of the property, talking to other residents and local ward or panchayat members, ?knowledgeable residents and representatives of institutions. By physically inspecting the property, it is easy to gather facts such as physical characteristics of the property, the date of construction, style of construction, design characteristics etc. ?that are relevant for recording in the format prescribed for listing.

iii. Involving Communities; By conducting a dialogue with the residents, one can authentically? map/ determine the changes? made to the property over time, ownership details, historic function and activities, association with events, persons and the role of the property in local, regional or national history.

iv. Using Photography ;? Photography needs to be made and valued as an important component of the listing. A photograph freezes the building and its setting to the time when it is taken. In this context, old photographs, if available, can constitute a very important record in the listing. A comparison would show the changes that have occurred over time to the building and, in particular, to its embellishments

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Methodology used in Mumbai for listing of heritage buildings; by Abha Narain Lambah Associates;-? Strategy for Listing adopted? in case of Mumbai for listing of heritage properties revolved around/ was based on the premise that; methodology adopted for conducting comprehensive listing exercise should begin with macro-level issues and then zoom in on individual structures. This approach enabled better integration of individual sites to the urban fabric, The work? of mapping and preparing heritage resource based data was carried out in three different? and distinct stages, as detailed below.

Stage 1.- Sourcing the Preliminary Data;? Preliminary data related? to the heritage was sourced from number of sources including the Maharashtra State Archives and The Bombay State Gazetteer etc. besides historical Inputs? received from noted historian Ms. Sharada Dwivedi? Data sourced included; Preliminary Historical and Archival research; Research on history and evolution of building/structure/site; Compilation of historical data on building and its surrounding;? Research on old name; Compilation of archival photographs of site/structure? and Compilation of historic construction/ preservation/maintenance records .

2. Study of Municipal Records/Ward Maps/Development Control Rules/ MMRDA and other sources ; Number of studies were also conducted for retrieving/compiling data related to heritage? in terms of ; Searching Municipal records about land ownership/cadastral survey numbers, plot area etc. ;Study of applicable DC Rules ; Study of DCR? and applicable regulation of Heritage Regulations for Greater Bombay 1995; Study of other applicable regulations such as cess reconstruction; Study of existing precinct; studies and documentations undertaken by UDRI, MMR-HCS etc, The above mentioned tasks/data were? compiled/sourced from the Ward Offices of the BMC offices and? ward maps and ?D.P. sheets.

3. Preparation of inventory format; For conducting the detailed? study and documenting the property, a proforma was prepared, the inventory format was based on ; Making comparative assessment of international inventory proformas; Looking at research made on existing listing criteria and formulation of new grading/condition assessment criteria; Establishment of new grading and listing criteria;? Establishment of objective strategies for proforma data sheets; Creation of a cross referencing system with proforma, photographs, site maps, serial numbers; Creation of a standard inventory format for each typology of heritage ; Application of? formats for key samples to check for applicability and efficacy of proformas and Establishing criteria for assessment of values.

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?STAGE 2;

4. Surveys and? Documentation ; This stage included actual documentation of properties through carrying out; Field surveys and reconnaissance trips of wards and project areas ;Survey and identification of potential sites/ structures/precincts/ urban groups for listing; Selection of site/structure/precinct/urban group for listing; Filling in of inventory record as per new proforma; Architectural surveys and inspection; Field surveys and reconnaissance surveys/photographs of wards and project areas; Re-checking of inventory by senior specialists; Collation and rationalization of inventories for consistency.

?5..Historical and Archival research; Research on history and evolution of building/structure/site; Compilation of historical data on building and its surrounding ; Research on old names; Compilation of archival photographs of site/structure ; Compilation of historic construction/ preservation/maintenance records;

?The above mentioned tasks were compiled from the? various sources namely, the Maharashtra State Archives, The Bombay State Gazetteer, Historical Inputs from noted historian Ms. Sharada Dwivedi and various secondary sources;

?6. Re-checking of inventory by senior specialists ;

?7.Collation and rationalization of inventories for consistency

?8.; Photo documentation; involving photographing /identifying pictures of structures to be listed; Photographs indicating urban setting and characters defining features; and? Photographs indicating threats and major building issues, besides Photographs indicating condition of structure/site and perceived threats

9. Assessment of Fabric Status; Assessment of structural integrity; Assessment of architectural integrity; Assessment of surrounding area and urban context ;Study of maintenance standards; Assessment of building additions, digitization of BMC maps and area maps

?STAGE 3 ;

10 Preparing data base of heritage; by; Assessment made of Listing Criteria of1995 list; Assessment of Precinct Boundaries in 1995 list ; Assessment of Classification and Grading Criteria in existing list; Correction of aberrations in present list; Additional information on listed structures; Inclusion of Maps, photographs etc. of present listed buildings; Creation of? typology and related classifications within present list and Inclusion of revised assessment of State of Preservation/Condition etc.

Limitations in creating database;? Based on the work carried out for creating database by the consultant, the limitations? which were identified included; large number of listed properties were with the State government and permission to survey such buildings was denied; Some privately owned and trust marinated properties also denied permission to access and survey. It remained outside the scope of the study to provide detailed conservation recommendations for each of the listed buildings. However, general recommendations were included within the report. In the case of a few structures, property cards and city survey sheets were missing from the Collectors office.

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