Welcome, we are today we will discuss about
the assessing heritage significance and values
part 1, remember last time in the last lecture
we talked about different types of values,
heritage values and significance.
So, today we will talk about how to assess
this values and significance and what is the
role of that, in management of the heritage
and the cultural properties.
If you remember, that last lecture we talk
about the, a temple in Japan in Kyoto, Kinkaku-ji
temple.
I said that, it is a beautiful temple, the
significance of it is that is beautiful.
At the same time, I talked about the Itsukushima
Shrine in Japan, which I told that it is inspiring,
I told that, but who am I to decide, that
whether which one is beautiful and which is
inspiring, it is, I can’t say that, this
is, somebody else can come up and say that,
no that is beautiful too.
So, that means, that we have to find out from
a larger audience through different objective,
technologies and objective measurement techniques,
that what is really beautiful and what is
inspiring and the degree may vary.
So, that means, that we have to objectively
assess the significance and values of the
cultural heritage just saying that, I like
it or I think it is beautiful or I think it
is inspiring is not enough.
So, let see today we will talk about that.
For example, in Santiniketan also, we said
that, I said that the, Upasana Griha or Mandir
is beautiful, whereas Shyamali is a different
because, it is inspiring and the same questions
happen that, who decides that which is inspiring
and which is beautiful and a how to what degree
because, these are very, very subjective parameters.
So, also, we must remember, that while we
are talking about the significance and the
values, the role of conservation in public
life there is a gradual shift, that because
just by the experts saying that, this is has
significance is not enough, even though there
is a shifting tendency from cultural heritage
and the heritage property as the social agents
and it should have an impact on the social
and economic realms of the society.
So, the people, the community, who are really
the stakeholders or the caretakers of the
heritage property is very important to consider
their values and significance and we must
remember that, if even if they are stakeholders
there are also different groups of stakeholders
and there may be conflicting issues.
So, that is why it is very important that,
we again I am saying that, it is objective
assessment of the significance and values
is very important.
So, also, we must remember, that the primary
aim of the conservation practice is to preserve
the values attributed to the heritage and
these aspects, that give significance to the
objects, buildings, sites, landscape and tradition
in I am saying that the, which are the aspects,
which are the parameters, which contribute
to the value of either buildings or sites
or landscape is very important to understand
that.
Now, what are the values, values basically
are the qualities and characteristics in things,
which are actually the attributes, a quantitative
or qualitative factor or variable, that provides
a simple and reliable means to measure how
well a desired outcome, value or criterion
has been achieved or fulfilled.
We must remember that, these assessment of
the significance and values happens at 2 stage,
first of all for identification of the cultural
property and later on that, for monitoring
purpose that, how well the values have been
preserved.
So, the value assessment is very important
and as is saying that, they can be qualitative
and there can be quantitative aspects.
So, that means, if we have to go for an objective
assessment, not being totally subjective,
we have to develop instruments for assessing
the values and or performance of the conservation
actions of complex assets such as structures,
urban sites, cultural territories, landscape
and collections of many types of objects,
because they are vary types of objects and
the scale also changes.
So, we must understand that, what are these
instruments.
So, let us talk about some of these.
So, first of all there is an task and there
are certain things, which are called tool.
What are the task?
The task are first of all identification and
this identification of the typology of the
values, we have talked about different types
of values and significance, it also should
happen through the stakeholder’s consultation,
that is very, very important and that is what
at the present that is a very important role
play, the community plays in that identification
of the typology and the values and significance,
along with the experts of course.
Now, after the identification of these different
types of values and significance of different
types of properties and cultural properties
and heritage properties or sites and areas,
we also have to find out that, what are the
task.
The task is elicitation and elaboration of
the, and there are many, many cultural and
economic tools and methods to do that.
Following that, what is done is that though
I have said that, it has to be objective,
but is not always possible to like quantitatively
say this is number 5 or this has got 8 out
of 10 or 9 out of 10, actually it does not
mean much.
So, what is very important in case of the
cultural sites and it is to prepare a statement
of significance, and that is absolutely important
and these statement of significant is a group
processes, it is can’t be done with individually
as I said that, I thought that is beautiful
and the other one is inspiring is not enough.
It has to be done through a systematic process
or transparent process involving all the stakeholders
into the process and then finding out the
statement of significance and the types, the
degrees, the degrees as I say that, it cannot
be always quantitative.
So, there are ways of saying that, high, very
high, moderate and other thing, but as I said
that it has to be through a consultative process
and there has to be a sort of a very transparent
process to see that, what is there.
So, that is there are various tools and techniques
available.
Now, what comes out of that is integration
of the assessment and establishing a policy
correlation between the values and the physical
significance.
Now as I said that, conservation is actually
a process, what we see there as a structure
that is the product, but we must understand,
that it has gone through a process and this
process is very important and the values are
actually intangible aspects and the physical
objects, the structural size and other, they
embody those sort of intangible aspects and
that is where, we have to understand the multiple
types of value and view through the different
people or different types of stakeholders.
So, these brings us into 2 very important
aspect, one is the physical condition assessment,
because also, because we are talking about
structures, which probably have been there
through ages through centuries or sometimes
it may be relatively new, but we have to understand
the physical condition assessment of the structures.
And then followed by that, is also very important
is the management context assessment, because
it is not only important to know the value
and prepare the statement of significance,
also what is important is to understand that,
how it will be managed for posterity for future
generation and also for the present time.
So, these 2 actually should be integrated,
which we call the assessment of significance
and establishing a policy co-relationship.
So, that means, there has to be the indicators,
that indicators, what is the indicators do?
The one is the aims of conservation, we must
through the indicators actually they dictate
what is the aims of conservation or vice versa,
the aims of conservation and decided by the
indicators.
And also interrelated aspect is the values
link to the cultural heritage that we are
trying to protect.
So, these aims of conservation, the values
link to the cultural heritage that we are
trying to protect and the indicators, they
actually are interrelated and one depends
on the other.
So, we must understand this aspect or this
interrelationship.
Let us take one example, we have talked about
Shyamali and Santiniketan, okay which I said
is an adobe structure.
Now, at the moment if one goes to Santiniketan,
they will see that it is covered under a tarpaulin,
why?
Because yes, Archeological Survey of India
is doing for 2 or 3 years, it is doing the
restoration of that, and it is an adobe structure.
So, it is actually liable to be get washed
away by the rain, because when Rabindranath
Thakur sort of designed it, he sort of thought
it as an adobe structure.
Over the years and he actually there is a
writing that, where he said that is not supposed
to be a permanent structure, it will dissolve
over the time, but over the years it has attributed,
it has got some other values, which we will
discuss and people want to preserve it.
Now, preserving it means that, what we do?
How do you preserve the adobe structure, the
roof and other things and also over the years
there have been some sort of repair works,
which have been carried out on that site.
So, at the moment because there is a lot of
controversy and people are taking time, there
at cautious and so, it is covered with the
tarpaulin to protect it from the rain water.
Now, let us see while we talked about this,
we must understand what is the value?
It is possible there are so many approaches
possible that, it can be covered, it can eternally
be covered like that, or it can be covered
or the roof can replace the adobe structure,
sort of can be replaced with some other permanent
material.
So, there are various ways of doing it various
approaches.
Now, let us see what are the values, because
as I said the values actually decides what
should be the management technique.
Now, Tagore has really, one value is the Tagore
has experimented, whether a permanent mud
roof could be built instead of the fire proof
and the then common thatched roof, because
he was actually getting inspirations from
the tribal huts and he wanted to experiment
with that.
So, it was a product, which shows his experimentation
with the adobe structure.
At the same time, it is also the place where,
Tagore’s summer retreat, he actually has
adopted a lot of sustainable things, because
the walls within the walls, hollow pitchers,
which keep the place cool, there is a vacuum
and it is what is a very, very good technique
to keep the inside cool and also as I said
this is an association with Tagore and also
Mahatma Gandhi had stayed with his wife twice
when he visited that.
So, that means, that if the value of that
if you try to do, one is the association,
because it is association with Tagore and
also association with Mahatma Gandhi and association
because, it is an example of an architecture
or construction technique.
So, these are the values of that, its association
is not only because it is a Tagore summer
retreat or Mahatma Gandhi’s, also association
because, artist of Santiniketan on the Gurudev’s
guidance also had done a lot of really work
and art work on his wall.
So, there is an association with those artist
also.
So, we can say that, if you talk about values
of Shyamali, one is association, then the
other is the architecture, aesthetics definitely
because, though he got his inspiration from
the tribal structure, but it is very unique,
it is very different.
It has got the remarkable contribution of
Tagore’s thought and aesthetic ideas and
because, is taken the inspiration, as you
can see from Ajanta and Ellora and our classical
architecture, and also because it is a history
and there can be some more values attributed
to this structure.
Then, when we sort of assess these values
then, actually these actually decide that
what should be the way to preserve that.
Should be really cover it to protect to keep
the original fabric or should be replace that,
with the other type of structure, because
if we replace that we talked on other type
of permanent modern material, that will actually
intervene with Gurudev’s idea of the adobe
structure and his experimentation, because
the value is the experimentation.
And also, we must understand another thing,
the cultural significance of each place or
site is constantly being reformulated due
to the changing nature of the values.
For example, Shyamali, when Gurudev built
it, he had some other idea for building or
experimenting this house, but over the years
it has changed and we can see from some of
the old photographs, that this window is there
which is actually has changed and now, some
windows have been rebuilt, some doors have
been rebuilt, they have been replaced and
other things.
So, there have been some sort of a minor changing.
Now, the question comes because it has been
changing.
So, to which date if we want to sort of repair
it to which day, we should take it back and
their lies a very, very controversial issue
and a very challenging issue, that when we
are talking about the history of a structure,
we must recognize that history means that
it has spanned over a different periods and
we can’t go back to only one particular
time or day, we must respect all periods of
history and we have to see.
So, these are great decision or very challenging
decision, which has to be taken while restoring
or preserving a structure.
Now, so what we have seen in Shyamali is the
multiple types of value and then, that actually
is decides that how it should be managed and
the aim indicators and the management are
interrelated to each other.
Now, let us talk about that we talked about
that, this structure that evaluation of the
parameters and the criteria, the values does
structural stakeholders confer, the values
also we have established by these time, that
it is a multidimensional and multi objectives.
So, it is actually multiple criteria, which
is difficult to capture with a single index
and also, we must understand the types of
indicator, some are quantifiable, some are
objective and some are standardized.
So, with these type of multiple criteria and
complex situation we must decide, that what
should be done to the structures.
So, as we talked about that, the we have to
elaborate and there are many, many cultural
methods.
The major things what we must remember that,
the area of assessment, the conservation of
cultural significance including both the fabric
and the values.
So, we must understand that, one side we are
talking about the fabric for example, the
Shyamali which is an adobe structure and the
one, on the other hand we are talking about
the values, association value, construction,
architecture, aesthetics and artistic values.
So, we must talk about the fabric and the
values ascribed to the cultural heritage,
and also by this time we must also understand
the economic impact, what are the economic
impact?
What are the social impact?
And what are the environmental impact?
These actually are very important and that
is why, while talking about that, we will
talk in detail later on the heritage impact
assessment.
Now, each of these areas requires different
indicators and methodologies for assessment.
So, if we try to sought of say that, like
the conservation of cultural significance
we talked about the fabric and the values.
So, both the fabric, the materials and the
non-tangible values related to it like, I
said in case of Shyamali the architecture,
association, these are actually intangible
aspects both at important interrelated, for
example as I said the fabric in case of Shyamali
is adobe, the non-tangible values are association
with Tagore Gandhiji and the artists and architecture
the construction technique.
So, we must understand that, how these sort
of a product of Shyamali has a structure,
how they sought of continue or they sort of
embody the different values and that, actually
will decide what should be, should decide
what should be done with this structure.
So, the assessing the conservation of the
fabric.
So, first let us talk about the assessing
the conservation of the fabric.
This is still relatively easier and a lot
of work already have been done in this.
So, when we talk about the assessing the conservation
of the fabric, we must take these 2 aspects
into consideration, one is the appropriateness
of the conservation materials, because each
material has it is own challenges, own type
of decay depending on which type of climate
they are in and the methods of intervention,
again these 2 are very interrelated aspects,
because as I said there are variety of the
materials, there types of decay and there
are different types of conservation process,
which we will talk about later, when we will
go into the detail of the decay of the different
types of materials.
But, also, we must understand that, while
we are talking about the interrelated aspects
of the fabric and the intangible aspects of
the value and significance, we must also understand
that these relevance of conserving the fabric,
varies across the cultures, it is not same,
not uniform in different cultures.
Some culture give more priority to the nonmaterial
values over the conservation of the fabric
and some cultures give a lot of importance
to the conservation of fabric.
So, let us take some of the examples, one
of the very well-known example in these aspect
are the Shinto Shrines of Japan.
The Shinto Shrines of Japan actually, there
is a tradition where, the buildings are demolished
and reconstructed every 20 years, one would
have sort of shudder at this thought that,
these old structures are demolished over 20
years and exactly reproduced on the same site.
Now why?
And that is the way they continue.
So, the fabric is not continuing, what is
continuing is something else, what is continuing?
They are maintaining the tradition and construction
know how rather than the material itself.
So, it is a very inbuilt cultural tradition
of Japan of this Shinto Shrines and while
they do that, while they sought of every 20
years, they sought of reconstruct the temple
according to the old practice on one hand,
they continue to preserve the know-how and
the skill, on the other hand while these rebuilding
process there is a lot of sort of rituals,
processions, the play and other things which
happen and these are integral part, these
intangible aspects are integral part of this
conservation process of the Shinto Shrine.
So, we must understand that, this Shinto belief
about the renewal of nature and living religious
heritage is more important in their culture,
than preserving the fabric itself.
So, that is why we say the culture to culture
there are different sort of values and the
value they confer to a particular aspect of
conservation or significance.
So, these brings us to the question of as
I said one is the fabric, another is the intangible
heritage.
While the fabric or the product is tangible,
but the values and significance and these
practices are intangible heritage.
So, while talking about the intangible heritage
we must understand that, this non-tangible
values are related to it.
And so, that what is the recommendation, the
recommendation should be the use of a combination
of identifiable and measurable elements and
accurate documentation techniques.
So that, the evaluation can be repeated over
time.
So, if we try to summarize that we have seen
that, assessing the value is very important,
number one.
There are different types of values and there
are different types of way to find about the
value, the involvement of the stakeholders,
all type of stakeholders and community are
very important to understand what are the
values and significance and values and significance
can be varied, there can be various ways of
finding out the values and significance, there
can be tools and techniques, some are quantifiable,
some are qualitative aspects and then also
we must understand the values and significance
change over a time.
Because even a product is continuously changing
and when it is changing we must understand
what are the changes?
How it has changed?
What are the new values attributed to it?
We must take that into consideration at the
same time as we have shown, that in case of
Japan Shinto Shrines that, the significance
and value is not of something universal.
Because it changes from culture to culture,
each culture has its own way of looking at
the heritage and the significant.
Some may give a lot of importance to the fabric
itself, some may give more importance to the
intangible aspect of the renewing it or the
associated rituals, beliefs and practices.
And, these actually make it so interesting
and we have to see that in combination and
that actually decides that what should be
the management techniques of that.
So, in our next lecture we will talk about
that, we today we have talked about in this
lecture, these aspects, next lecture we will
talk about more of the intangible aspects
of the heritage significance and how it sort
of decides the management practice.
Thank you.
