Circumscribing the Attributes of Cultural Heritage Mapping in the Colonial Hill Towns of India

Abstract

This study brings out the significance of cultural heritage mapping as a tool to identify, document, and conserve cultural heritage resources. Such identification holds significance because of a piecemeal approach adopted by the urban local bodies in India due to which there exists a gap in integrating heritage conservation within the urban planning and development frameworks. This research maps the cultural heritage resources in Shimla, a colonial hill town in India that is a testimony of the British power and rule in India. Based on an extant literature review, four attributes of cultural heritage mapping namely location, socio-cultural, physical, and community attributes were identified and mapped to identify the drivers for integration of the cultural heritage conservation with the local urban development processes. The present research is a narrative-driven study and includes interviews with various stakeholders and gathering data through a defined cultural inventory from oral and archival history. The findings of the study suggest that community attributes and physical attributes are significant attributes of cultural heritage mapping. This is because the community and physical attributes act as drivers for a heritage-inclusive and integrated urban development approach. Further, the sociocultural and locational attributes have high significance, yet are less considered in the urban development frameworks. The study will aid in creating awareness for promoting, conserving, and managing the cultural heritage of colonial hill towns in India so that their unique cultural identity is not endangered in the wake of contemporary development. Furthermore, the present research shall facilitate the urban local bodies to consider the identified and mapped cultural heritage resources while planning for sustainable urban development.