Ongoing – Listing of Built Heritage, Diu

The Diu Island is marked by its massive Portuguese structures, its beaches and its cluster of old residential colonies. The island was first captured by many Hindu and Muslims dynasties till 1535 A.D and then was finally seized by the Portuguese in 1935 A.D: a turning point in Diu Architecture. From a glance Diu would appear as a landmark of dominating fortress and the catholic churches. To witness the real Diu one has to meditate through the intertwining lanes of the walled city. The residences of theses lanes speak aloud of themselves, the finest carving, the modest facades with mesmerizing interiors and the hung glass lamps portrays the aura of the people residing here since hundreds of years. It’s the only place where one could find the perfect amalgamation of Portuguese architecture in pure Indigenous style.

The Diu administration and INTACH has taken initiative to list these built heritage structures of Diu. A team of conservation architects and architects visited the town twice and did a comprehensive on-field survey to discover, geo-locate and document the structures. The listing is under finalization stage and will be submitted to the Diu Administration in near future.

Identification, Listing And Documentation Of Heritage Sites Associated With Swami Vivekananda

INTACH has been approached by the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India to list and document the buildings/sites associated with Swami Vivekananda, especially the buildings which are not under the ownership or care of the Ramakrishna Mission. A list of buildings has been prepared across 31 towns including Delhi, Alwar, Ajmer, Mount Abu, Hrishikesh, Nainital, Srinagar (Uttarakhand), Varanasi, Ayodhya, Bhuj, Girnar, Palitana, Dwarka, Mahabaleshwar, Panaji, Rameswaram, Pondicherry and others. A team of architects from the AH division with support of INTACH chapters and local resource persons have been engaged in the survey work. A detailed inventory format has been prepared for site survey. Assistance from the RK mission centers has also been sought for identification and access to the buildings. While most of the buildings are found to have been altered, some very significant buildings have been demolished in the last decade, such as the Seth Shyamaldas Haveli in Roshanara Garden, Delhi.

Cultural Resource Mapping In North And South Sikkim

A MoU has been signed between the Govt. of Sikkim (Cultural Affairs & Heritage Development) and INTACH to survey and update the old listing in North and South Sikkim. Architectural Heritage Division has surveyed about 160 heritage sites including built heritage, natural landscapes, settlements, villages etc spanning from a height of 600 feet to 18000 feet. The survey included study and documentation of settlement patterns and houses of all three predominant communities: Lepcha, Bhutia and Nepalese. The Bhutia heartland in the north Sikkim (Chungthang, Lachen, Lachung, Yumthang and Thanggu) being the main epicenter of 2011 of earthquake, suffered the maximum damage. While many mani Lakhangs, Gompas and houses in this area featured in the old list were damaged, some of them have been rebuilt and the others are in the process of rebuilding. One of the most significant monasteries Thanggu at 14000 feet above sea was destroyed in the earthquake and has been rebuilt. The survey data is presently being compiled in form a listing document.

Cultural Heritage Mapping In Braj Corridor And Buddhist Circuit

Architectural Heritage Division of INTACH has been entrusted by the world bank to undertake cultural resources mapping in the Braj corridor comprising 9 towns (Agra, Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandgaon, Barsana, Govardhan, Gokul, Mahavan and Baldeo) and the Buddhist circuit covering 3 towns (Sarnath, Kushinagar and Shravasti). The mapping involved identification, comprehensive listing, and mapping of the heritage assets both tangible and intangible using Geographical Information System (GIS).

Buddhist Circuit

Known as the ‘Cradle of Buddhism’, the Buddhist Circuit is dotted with monuments, relics, and Jataka tales and so has been a major centre for rich architectural and cultural heritage for centuries. The survey was undertaken in Sarnath – where Buddha delivered his first sermon, Sravasti – where he retreated every monsoon for more than 25 years and Kushinagar – where Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana covering 40 sites in Sarnath, 39 sites in Kushinagar and 59 sites in Sravasti comprising temples, monasteries, Stupas, Viharas, meditation centres, archaeological ruins and open spaces of immense historic significance.

Agra – Braj Corridor

The towns identified for survey in the Braj Corridor are highly significant and due to their association with the legends of Lord Krishna and his life. Braj has been the subject of poetry and paintings in medieval and late medieval India. The living traditions of Braj are encompassed in its unique dialect, folk dances and songs, and folk arts and crafts.

The survey covered 56 sites in Mathura, 61 sites in Vrindavan, 34 sites in Gokul, 24 sites in Mahavan, 11 sites in Baldeo, 37 sites in Barsana, 38 sites in Nandgaon and 42 sites in Govardhan of immense historic significance and are located along various parikrama routes and include architectural, natural and intangible heritage of various typologies.