Photo credit: Ms. Arya S Pradeep, IHCNF

Newsletter of Indian Heritage

Cities Network Foundation (IHCNF)

In – Heritance For the Future of Our Cities

VOL.2 ISSUE NO.11 NOVEMBER. 2017

Greetings to all! Presenting to you In-Heritance IHCNF’s monthly newsletter for the month of November. Through our monthly newsletter we strive to keep our avid reader base updated about all our activities every month. On the 7th of November, Executive Director IHCNF visited Bhubaneshwar, Odisha regarding the conduct of 5th IHCNF Biennial. During this visit meetings were held with Shri Prem Kumar Jha (IFS), Special Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, Shri Sudhi Ranjan Mohanty, Planning Member, BDA, Shri Debi Misra, Section Officer, Housing and Urban Development Department and Shri Gurudutt Khuntia, Communications Expert, BDA. The IHCNF team also met Dr. SS Ray, Director of School of Architecture and Planning, KIIT University to discuss KIIT hosting the Student Design Competition, an outreach activity of the 5th Biennial Conference. For more information on the Student Competition visit Page 4! On 23rd of November, a meeting was held at the UNESCO New Delhi office to review the ongoing preparations for Biennial Conference to be held in Bhubaneswar in 2018. The Chairman IHCNF, ED IHCNF, and several trustees including Dr. Kulwant Singh, Prof KT Ravindran, Dr Rohit Jigyasu and Ms. Moe Chiba, Programme Specialist UNESCO New Delhi Culture Sector were present at the meeting.

Earlier on 30th October, IHCNF Chairman convened a meeting in Bidar which was attended by the two trustees Dr Kulwant Singh and Prof Ajay Khare and the Executive Director to discuss preparatory work for the Biennial Conference.

Starting on the 15th of November the IHCNF team working on the World Heritage Nomination of the ‘Monuments and Forts of the Deccan Sultanate’ embarked on 2-week site visit to the Bidar, Bijapur and Gulbarga. The IHCNF team was joined by Dr. Shikha Jain, IHCNF Advisor for the preparation of the nomination dossier.

The IHCNF team with Dr Shikha Jain

Feature Article Pg 2

A glimpse into the historically rich town of Banavasi, notified as a ‘heritage area’ by the Government of Karnataka in 2012-13.

Activity Report Pg 3

IHCNF teams visit to Bidar, Gulbarga and Vijayapura under world heritage dossier preparation for ‘Monuments and Forts of the Deccan Sultanate’ In Karnataka.

News and Information Pg 4

News from our Partners Events, conferences, seminars and lectures organized by our partners.

Events Information on upcoming Biennial Conference to be held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha in February 2018.

From IHCNF Desk in Bangalore Inside this Issue

1

IN-HERITANCE VOLUME 2 Issue No.1199

“It is a virtue to be born in Banavasi as ahuman. If not as a human then at least one

should be born as a bee or a cuckoo in thegarden of Banavasi”

- Aadi Kavi Pampa

Once the capital city of the Kadamba kings,Banavasi is one of the most ancient townslocated in Uttara Kannada district of Karnatakarenowned for its historicity, natural beauty andcraftsmanship.

HistoryKnown by names such as Vanavasika,Jayanthipura,Konkanapura,Nandanavana,Jaladurga, Banavasi has been featured in manyhistorical literatures including the epic,Mahabharata. Moreover, foreign travellers suchas Ptolemy, Huen Tsang, Al- Beruni have allmentioned Banavasi in their books. It is saidBanavasi’s natural beauty inspired Kalidasa’sfamous poem, Meghaduta. The famous Aiholeinscriptions of Pulakeshin II speaks of Jaladurgaor water fort which is another name ofBanavasi. Owing to successive reigningdynasties Uttara Kannada is not only ancientbut one of most culturally rich parts ofKarnataka.Banavasi has been under influence of Hinduism,Jainism, Buddhism. It is also believed KingAshoka sent missionaries to Banavasi.

Pampavana

One of the most famous temples in Banavasi isthe Madukeshwara temple. It was originallybuilt by the Kadambas but underwent additionsduring the Chalukyan period. This temple isdedicated to Lord Vishnu who according toPuranas, killed a demon, at request of LordShiva in Banavasi. The temple is a treasuretrove for sculptures and has the has the famousfive hooded Naga sculpture with inscription inPrakrit. Apart from the Madukeshwara temple,there are many other popular temples adorningthe Banavasi’s landscape such as theSithiKantheshwar, a Shiva temple situated nextto the Ratha of the Madhukeshwara temple;the Kadambeshwar Temple which holds thebiggest Shiva idol in Banavasi and theNeelkantheshwar Temple.

Pampavana, is a small grove dedicated to oneof the most famous Kannada writer, Aadi KaviPampa.There is also evidence of an old fort,though not much of it survives today.There have been other importantarchaeological findings in Banavasi such as- 3rdcentury pottery with Brahmi scripts, coins fromthe Satavahana period, 5th century coppercoins with Kannada script.

The Directorate of Archaeological Survey ofIndia, based on the evidence of this 5th centurycoin confirms existence of a mint in Banavasi.

Banavasi is also a town of festivals. Festivalssuch as Lakshadeepotsav, Ratha festival andMahashivrathri are celebrated with immensezeal and enthusiasm. However, the mainfestival of the town is a a three-day festivalcalled Kadambotsava held every yearhonouring Banavasi’s glorious past.

Renowned classical musicians, yakshaganaartistes, drama troupes, folk dancers andeminent literary personalities assemble forKadambotsava and make it a huge culturalfete.

Present Scenario

Banavasi even today is an important culturalcentre of the Yakshgana art form. Localartisans excel in the Yakshagana mask making.Apart from this Banavasi has a versatilecraftsman community specializing in artisticcarpentry, sandalwood carving, basket making,pottery, black smithy, shoe-mending, andRangoli.Traditional houses are still surviving inBanavasi, some as old as 150-200 years old withtraditional sloping roof, timber staircase withopen or semi open verandahs. Unfortunately,due to lack of awareness the vernacularlandscape of this ancient town is fastdisappearing.

Feature ArticleHeritage Village: Banavasi

In 2012-13, the Government ofKarnataka declared 20 new towns andvillages as Heritage areas in the Stateof Karnataka.

Every month one heritage town orvillage of Karnataka is featured inIHCNF’s newsletter focusing on thesignificance and various heritageaspects of the place with the aim toenrich our readers with knowledgeand bring awarenessabout the richheritage of Karnataka.

2

IN-HERITANCE VOLUME 2 Issue No.1199

“It is a virtue to be born in Banavasi as ahuman. If not as a human then at least one

should be born as a bee or a cuckoo in thegarden of Banavasi”

- Aadi Kavi Pampa

Once the capital city of the Kadamba kings,Banavasi is one of the most ancient townslocated in Uttara Kannada district of Karnatakarenowned for its historicity, natural beauty andcraftsmanship.

HistoryKnown by names such as Vanavasika,Jayanthipura,Konkanapura,Nandanavana,Jaladurga, Banavasi has been featured in manyhistorical literatures including the epic,Mahabharata. Moreover, foreign travellers suchas Ptolemy, Huen Tsang, Al- Beruni have allmentioned Banavasi in their books. It is saidBanavasi’s natural beauty inspired Kalidasa’sfamous poem, Meghaduta. The famous Aiholeinscriptions of Pulakeshin II speaks of Jaladurgaor water fort which is another name ofBanavasi. Owing to successive reigningdynasties Uttara Kannada is not only ancientbut one of most culturally rich parts ofKarnataka.Banavasi has been under influence of Hinduism,Jainism, Buddhism. It is also believed KingAshoka sent missionaries to Banavasi.

Pampavana

One of the most famous temples in Banavasi isthe Madukeshwara temple. It was originallybuilt by the Kadambas but underwent additionsduring the Chalukyan period. This temple isdedicated to Lord Vishnu who according toPuranas, killed a demon, at request of LordShiva in Banavasi. The temple is a treasuretrove for sculptures and has the has the famousfive hooded Naga sculpture with inscription inPrakrit. Apart from the Madukeshwara temple,there are many other popular temples adorningthe Banavasi’s landscape such as theSithiKantheshwar, a Shiva temple situated nextto the Ratha of the Madhukeshwara temple;the Kadambeshwar Temple which holds thebiggest Shiva idol in Banavasi and theNeelkantheshwar Temple.

Pampavana, is a small grove dedicated to oneof the most famous Kannada writer, Aadi KaviPampa.There is also evidence of an old fort,though not much of it survives today.There have been other importantarchaeological findings in Banavasi such as- 3rdcentury pottery with Brahmi scripts, coins fromthe Satavahana period, 5th century coppercoins with Kannada script.

The Directorate of Archaeological Survey ofIndia, based on the evidence of this 5th centurycoin confirms existence of a mint in Banavasi.

Banavasi is also a town of festivals. Festivalssuch as Lakshadeepotsav, Ratha festival andMahashivrathri are celebrated with immensezeal and enthusiasm. However, the mainfestival of the town is a a three-day festivalcalled Kadambotsava held every yearhonouring Banavasi’s glorious past.

Renowned classical musicians, yakshaganaartistes, drama troupes, folk dancers andeminent literary personalities assemble forKadambotsava and make it a huge culturalfete.

Present Scenario

Banavasi even today is an important culturalcentre of the Yakshgana art form. Localartisans excel in the Yakshagana mask making.Apart from this Banavasi has a versatilecraftsman community specializing in artisticcarpentry, sandalwood carving, basket making,pottery, black smithy, shoe-mending, andRangoli.Traditional houses are still surviving inBanavasi, some as old as 150-200 years old withtraditional sloping roof, timber staircase withopen or semi open verandahs. Unfortunately,due to lack of awareness the vernacularlandscape of this ancient town is fastdisappearing.

Feature ArticleHeritage Village: Banavasi

In 2012-13, the Government ofKarnataka declared 20 new towns andvillages as Heritage areas in the Stateof Karnataka.

Every month one heritage town orvillage of Karnataka is featured inIHCNF’s newsletter focusing on thesignificance and various heritageaspects of the place with the aim toenrich our readers with knowledgeand bring awarenessabout the richheritage of Karnataka.

2

IN-HERITANCE VOLUME 2 Issue No.1199

“It is a virtue to be born in Banavasi as ahuman. If not as a human then at least one

should be born as a bee or a cuckoo in thegarden of Banavasi”

- Aadi Kavi Pampa

Once the capital city of the Kadamba kings,Banavasi is one of the most ancient townslocated in Uttara Kannada district of Karnatakarenowned for its historicity, natural beauty andcraftsmanship.

HistoryKnown by names such as Vanavasika,Jayanthipura,Konkanapura,Nandanavana,Jaladurga, Banavasi has been featured in manyhistorical literatures including the epic,Mahabharata. Moreover, foreign travellers suchas Ptolemy, Huen Tsang, Al- Beruni have allmentioned Banavasi in their books. It is saidBanavasi’s natural beauty inspired Kalidasa’sfamous poem, Meghaduta. The famous Aiholeinscriptions of Pulakeshin II speaks of Jaladurgaor water fort which is another name ofBanavasi. Owing to successive reigningdynasties Uttara Kannada is not only ancientbut one of most culturally rich parts ofKarnataka.Banavasi has been under influence of Hinduism,Jainism, Buddhism. It is also believed KingAshoka sent missionaries to Banavasi.

Pampavana

One of the most famous temples in Banavasi isthe Madukeshwara temple. It was originallybuilt by the Kadambas but underwent additionsduring the Chalukyan period. This temple isdedicated to Lord Vishnu who according toPuranas, killed a demon, at request of LordShiva in Banavasi. The temple is a treasuretrove for sculptures and has the has the famousfive hooded Naga sculpture with inscription inPrakrit. Apart from the Madukeshwara temple,there are many other popular temples adorningthe Banavasi’s landscape such as theSithiKantheshwar, a Shiva temple situated nextto the Ratha of the Madhukeshwara temple;the Kadambeshwar Temple which holds thebiggest Shiva idol in Banavasi and theNeelkantheshwar Temple.

Pampavana, is a small grove dedicated to oneof the most famous Kannada writer, Aadi KaviPampa.There is also evidence of an old fort,though not much of it survives today.There have been other importantarchaeological findings in Banavasi such as- 3rdcentury pottery with Brahmi scripts, coins fromthe Satavahana period, 5th century coppercoins with Kannada script.

The Directorate of Archaeological Survey ofIndia, based on the evidence of this 5th centurycoin confirms existence of a mint in Banavasi.

Banavasi is also a town of festivals. Festivalssuch as Lakshadeepotsav, Ratha festival andMahashivrathri are celebrated with immensezeal and enthusiasm. However, the mainfestival of the town is a a three-day festivalcalled Kadambotsava held every yearhonouring Banavasi’s glorious past.

Renowned classical musicians, yakshaganaartistes, drama troupes, folk dancers andeminent literary personalities assemble forKadambotsava and make it a huge culturalfete.

Present Scenario

Banavasi even today is an important culturalcentre of the Yakshgana art form. Localartisans excel in the Yakshagana mask making.Apart from this Banavasi has a versatilecraftsman community specializing in artisticcarpentry, sandalwood carving, basket making,pottery, black smithy, shoe-mending, andRangoli.Traditional houses are still surviving inBanavasi, some as old as 150-200 years old withtraditional sloping roof, timber staircase withopen or semi open verandahs. Unfortunately,due to lack of awareness the vernacularlandscape of this ancient town is fastdisappearing.

Feature ArticleHeritage Village: Banavasi

In 2012-13, the Government ofKarnataka declared 20 new towns andvillages as Heritage areas in the Stateof Karnataka.

Every month one heritage town orvillage of Karnataka is featured inIHCNF’s newsletter focusing on thesignificance and various heritageaspects of the place with the aim toenrich our readers with knowledgeand bring awarenessabout the richheritage of Karnataka.

2

IN-HERITANCE VOLUME 2 Issue No. 11

“As most researchers believe that heritage islinked to the past and symbolizes some sort ofgift to be passed down to the current as well asfuture generations, both in terms of culturaltraditions and the physical object itself’’

As part of our Nomination Dossier preparationof “Monuments and Forts of Deccan Sultanate”IHCNF WHS Team visited Bijapur, Gubarga andBidar in the midweek of November, to facilitateour work on the most representative, authenticand best conserved examples of DeccaniSultanate monuments in India.

Located in the dry, semi - arid region of N-EastKarnataka these historical places gave anopportunity to explore them through their richcultural traditions, heritage, art and history.To name a few, the renowned Gol Gumbaz andIbrahim Rauza in Bijapur provides a picturesquesetting and a centre of attraction for the city.

Gol Gumbaz : The 17th century monument ofBijapur, Gol Gumbaz is the mausoleum ofMuhammad Adil Shah. It is said to be anastonishing feat of engineering with itsenormous 'Whispering dome', which is secondlargest in the world.

Ibrahim Rauza: This is the tomb of Ibrahim AdilShah II (ruled 1580-1627), the fifth king of thedynasty and known for religious tolerance.

Built on a single rock bed, it is noted for thesymmetry of its features. Henry Cousins calledthe building as “The Taj Mahal of the Deccan”.

While the Bidar Fort complex comprising ofPalaces and Ceremonial Structures, MahmudGawan’s Madrassa (partly damaged) areequally remarkable in context of art,architecture and cultural heritage.

Bidar Fort Complex: Sultan Alla-Ud DinBahman of the Bahmanid Dynasty shifted hiscapital from Gulbarga to Bidar in 1427 and builthis fort along with a number of Islamicmonuments. There are over 30 monumentsinside Bidar fort.

Madrassa of Mahmud Gawan : Founded by theprime-minister of the Bahamani empire in thelate 15th century. It functioned like a residentialUniversity which was built and maintained onthe lines of Madrasa of Khurasan.The imposingand spacious building of the institution isconsidered as an architectural gem and animportant landmark of Bidar.

On the other hand, the first Bahmani capitalcity of Gulbarga in the 14th CE showcasesimpressive fortifications, religious monumentslike the Jami Mosque, Dargah of HazratKhawaja Bande Nawaz etc. in living conditionsand preserved. The Haft Gumbaz tombsinclude that of Mujahid Shah, Daud Shah,Ghiyath al-Din Shah and Shams al-Din Shah ofthe Bahmani dynasty.

Jami Mosque: It is regarded as one of the bestexamples of mosque architecture in South Asia.The arches design of Jama Masjid Gulbargareflects in the interiors of Spanish Mosque ofHyderabad, India. These are only two mosquesin India which have interiors similar to theCathedral –Mosque of Córdoba in Spain.

The Deccan Sultanate sites are a visual treat fortourists, witnessing a union of past and presentwhile major part of the monuments is in ruinsnow. The protection, management,authenticity and integrity of the properties arealso important considerations that needs to befocussed on. It is disheartening to see thatsome people, forgetting that they are doing anirreparable damage to invaluablearchaeological masterpieces, inscribe theirinitials, names, places, addresses or messageson these national treasures. The conservationand protection of these monuments cannot beneglected any further.

The very reason why a property is chosen forinscription on the World Heritage List as WorldHeritage sites belong to everyone and shouldbe preserved for future generations, is the veryprinciple on which the World HeritageConvention is based. So how do we merge ourconvictions with our concerns over the impactof tourism on World Heritage sites? The answeris through sustainable tourism. Directinggovernments, citizens and visitors towardssustainable tourism practices is the only way toensure the safekeeping of our world’s naturaland cultural heritage.

ACTIVITY REPORT: SITE VISIT TO THE DECCAN SULTANATE SITES IN KARNATAKA

3

IN-HERITANCE VOLUME 2 Issue No. 11

Children’s Book Fair, 14th - 19th November2017, Maharana of Mewar CharitableFoundation, Udaipur

Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation,The City Palace, Udaipur organized aninteractive and creative Children’s Book Fairfrom 14th - 19th November 2017 at KhushMahal Chowk, The City Palace Museum,Udaipur. This Children’s Book Fair wasorganized in honour of Children's Day and willcovers a wide range of books to appeal tochildren of all ages. Many popular publishersincluding Amar Chitra Katha, Scholastic India,Kalpavriksha, Children’s Book Trust, RajasthanSahitya Academy, Eklavya, Pratham books,Vidya Bhawan society, Tara Books,Bloomsbury, Delhi Press Magazine and DreamWorld India, will display books in manylanguages.Reading for pleasure inside and outside ofschool has real and long-lasting benefits. Itunlocks the power of information andimagination and helps children discover whothey are. It also boosts self-esteem andcreativity. MMCF’s Children’s Book Fair aims toencourage young readers at a time whenpeople are reading less due to the impact ofsocial media and the internet.

Restoration of the Zenana Mahal, Maharanaof Mewar Charitable FoundationThe restoration project underway hascommenced with the replacement ofdecorating plaster on exterior walls of ZenanaDeodi, the Zenana Mahal, and the City Palace,Udaipur.

Ornamentation at the entrance gate is in theform of wall paintings which is a traditionalpractice of this region.

Panel Discussion, UNESCO New Delhi, 24th

November 2017

A panel discussion was organised incollaboration with Auroville, on the occasionof 50th year of Auroville at the UNESCOOffice in New Delhi.

As part of the event, a panel discussion on‘Learning to Live Together: Translating SDG4.7 into Practice’ was organised. SDG(Sustainable Development Goal) 4 deals withQuality Education and SDG 4.7 in particularrefers to ‘education for sustainabledevelopment, promotion of a culture of peaceand non-violence, and appreciation of culturaldiversity

and of culture’s contribution to sustainabledevelopment’. The Panel Discussion aimed totrigger a reflection on concrete ways to achievethis critical goal of the new UN 2030- Agenda forSustainable Development. One of the aspectsdiscussed included heritage education inschools.

NEWS AND INFORMATION

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

ANNOUNCEMENT

4

STUDENT DESIGN COMPETITIONOrganized by:

IHCNF, UNESCO, KIIT University

As part of the 5thIHCNF International BiennialConference, IHCNF is association with UNESCO,New Delhi, School of Architecture and Planning,KIIT University, Bhubaneswar and SPA Bhopalare organizing a Student Design Competition onthe theme: ‘’SMART strategies for maintainingthe Culture and Identity of Historic Cities’’

The objective of the Competition is to:1) Develop different imaginations of smart

city concept for cities by understanding itscultural heritage.

2) Develop an understanding of how AreaBased Development in city proposals canbe integrated with the city- functionally,socially and aesthetically.

3) Sensitize students to human aspects ofIndian cities development and smarturbanism.

Want to participate?Contact your institute’s Head ofDepartment/Director of Architecture andPlanning Department/ School or drop us anemail at info@ihcn.in orsudha.pandafar@kiit.ac.in for any queries.

The important deadlines to watch out for are:Last Date of Registration:20th December 2017Last Date of Submission:20th January 2018

4