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State of Built Heritage of India - Case of the Unprotected

August 12, 2021, 6:30:00 PM

The article was contributed by Dr. Benny Kuriakose in the book "State of the Built Heritage of India: Case of the Unprotected" published by INTACH SoBHI. It gives a glimpse into the journey of architectural conservation of built heritage by Benny Kuriakose. The relevance of heritage conservation and why conservation isn't a threat to development or why development should not be a threat to conservation takes shape via the discussions in this article about the state of built heritage in India.

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The article mainly encompasses excerpts from Benny's course of work in the field in South India since the founding years of INTACH. It also recalls the elements of traditional architecture as well as the history behind some of Kerala's most famous buildings, such as Padmanabhapuram Palace, Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium, Deshamangalam Mana, Poomulli Mana, etc.

The article also talks about the MuzirisHeritage Project (MHP), which encompasses a vast area around the ancient port of Muziris and includes numerous historically and culturally important monuments like India’s first mosque, one of the first synagogues, and the oldest surviving European monument in India. The article goes into great length about conservation resources, the role of legislation and government, the importance of craftsmanship, people's attitude toward conservation, and so on.