Heritage buildings should be treated as assets, not liabilities, says expert

Older areas of the city should be looked upon as assets rather than a liability, as they represent the history of communities while embodying their tradition, heritage and culture through architecture and urban mores. Debashish, a firm believer of this philosophy, has been working since 1996 as advisor to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, devising strategic interventions to conserve the historic ‘Walled City’. 

The first step, said the expert in urban conservation in historic cities, is to make residents realise the value of the ancient quarters of their cities. “While I was working in Ahmedabad, I realised that Sabarmati Ashram was famous, but many of the locals hadn’t visited it yet. They had taken this heritage for granted. The initial endeavour was to involve the local communities to document the heritage and then, focus on creating sustained activities around the ancient locality,” said Debashish, the recipient of the Ashoka Fellowship, who was in the city recently. 

In Chennai, the ancient quarter near the Kapaleeswarar and Adi Kesava Perumal temples, which predate the British era, still follows the rituals practices thousands of years ago. This unique characteristic had prompted Mylapore Institute of Policy Research (MIPR) to pitch it as a strong contender for UNESCO’s Living Heritage status. Citing this example, Debashish said, Mylapore and its old temples have their own unique practices, legends and rituals, which are well-documented. While the temple festivals happen, there is a need to create a sustained effort, involving the citizens. Here, a heritage walk can be conducted every week to engage the citizens. That’s what we did in Ahmedabad. We have heritage walks conducted by citizens every single day for the last 20 years. This continuity is important. Communities need to be connected and culture is the best way to do that.” 

In a bid to reinforce the importance of such ancient quarters, these histories should be a part of the school curriculum, felt the expert. “Children should be aware of the rich history behind the localities like these, which are a part of their daily lives. Mylapore has many old shops, ancient residential buildings and elderly people, who have lived in this locality for decades. A story-telling session by these people can help bring alive the history for school children and make them take pride in their heritage structures,” concluded Debashish.