“Delhi has more layers of culture, civilization, history and built fabric than any other city in the world.” (DDA website)
When thinking about the heritage of Delhi, the first images that comes to the mind, are those of Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Qutub Minar or the Humayun’s Tomb. The other smaller monuments, like the ones in Mehraulli or amongst the “Historical Villages of Delhi’”seem to get lost amongst the shine of these “lavishly maintained monuments.” (C. Lewis, 1997)
Hence the question is asked by the researcher,
“Can the historic villages of Delhi form an image for the city?”
A qualitative and descriptive research was taken to find the answers of the above mentioned questions within the primary studies of the Begumpur, Khirki and Hauz Khas villages of Delhi, and the secondary studies of the Historic City Centre of Rome.
Along the journey towards finding the answer, various aspects that could affect it were studied; such as the residents of the villages and their impact of heritage, the government policies affecting the conservation of the built heritage, as well as the various monument protection agencies like the ASI and INTACH. Various suggestive measures are suggested towards developing a more socially interactive space within the Urban Scenario of Delhi, whilst continuously comparing it to the best examples from around the globe.
The research work leads to a finding that every built heritage behaves differently, and no two situations may have the same solution. Hence each Historic village would require a different type as well as level of intervention. It has also been found out that like the Historic City Centre of Rome, which forms the “image” of a historic city; it is also possible for the “Historic Villages of Delhi” to do the same. It is still a long way to go but definitely possible! It requires a combined effort from the people, government and agencies together which could lead towards the historic villages, not only attaining the status of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but proving that status by creating an “image” for the city of Delhi and its roughly 1200 monuments as “The Historic City of the World.”
When thinking about the heritage of Delhi, the first images that comes to the mind, are those of Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Qutub Minar or the Humayun’s Tomb. The other smaller monuments, like the ones in Mehraulli or amongst the “Historical Villages of Delhi’”seem to get lost amongst the shine of these “lavishly maintained monuments.” (C. Lewis, 1997)
Hence the question is asked by the researcher,
“Can the historic villages of Delhi form an image for the city?”
A qualitative and descriptive research was taken to find the answers of the above mentioned questions within the primary studies of the Begumpur, Khirki and Hauz Khas villages of Delhi, and the secondary studies of the Historic City Centre of Rome.
Along the journey towards finding the answer, various aspects that could affect it were studied; such as the residents of the villages and their impact of heritage, the government policies affecting the conservation of the built heritage, as well as the various monument protection agencies like the ASI and INTACH. Various suggestive measures are suggested towards developing a more socially interactive space within the Urban Scenario of Delhi, whilst continuously comparing it to the best examples from around the globe.
The research work leads to a finding that every built heritage behaves differently, and no two situations may have the same solution. Hence each Historic village would require a different type as well as level of intervention. It has also been found out that like the Historic City Centre of Rome, which forms the “image” of a historic city; it is also possible for the “Historic Villages of Delhi” to do the same. It is still a long way to go but definitely possible! It requires a combined effort from the people, government and agencies together which could lead towards the historic villages, not only attaining the status of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but proving that status by creating an “image” for the city of Delhi and its roughly 1200 monuments as “The Historic City of the World.”
