'Preserve beliefs, contexts linked to heritage monuments'

Heritage is not just about monuments. It is also about beliefs associated with them and the contexts leading to their creation, say experts.

Hence, the circumstances under which the monuments were constructed and the cultural, religious and symbolic beliefs that form part of the monuments, should be documented, preserved and encouraged, asserts Sanjay Sridhar, a specialist in urban development planning, design and policy.

According to him, lakes and trees are part of our natural heritage and they play a significant role in our culture. The peepal tree, for instance, has a deeper meaning. “It is likely that when you see a peepal tree, there will be a water body close by either in the form of a lake or pond; there will be a temple or a shrine too as there are a number of beliefs associated with the purity of the peepal tree.”

Poornima Dasharathy of Unhurried, an offbeat travel company that specialises in heritage walks among other activities related to preserving our heritage, says, “The Plaza theatre was destroyed to make way for the Metro, and a fort in Chikkajala was destroyed for widening of the road. Nothing could be done to stop these, as there was not enough talk or momentum to preserve them."

“The structural heritage is the easiest to preserve as it is the first thing you see and when it is not there, the first thing you miss. But without local awareness about the structure itself, it loses its relevance; at least in the minds of the people, and efforts to save them become lenient,” she argues.

“Do you know something called occupational heritage,” asks Sridhar, head of heritage group, Agenda for Bengaluru Infrastructure and Development Task Force (ABIDe), almost as a counter-question. He answers himself, narrating the story of the milk-vending Gollu community near Tipu's Palace.

“The homes of the community are built to protect their heritage, with the cattlesheds on the ground floor, the living area on the first and the second floors being the work area. You cannot preserve the occupation of the Gollu community and the community itself, without preserving the way they work,” he says.

“The heritage of a city is the story of the city, while monuments are a part of it; they remain a part of it,” adds Ashwin Mahesh, member, ABIDe. 

Who knows why High Grounds is so called? Most people do not even know that Bangalore is on a ridge, which is also one of the reasons why the Britishers chose Bangalore as a retreat in the first place. Nobody knows the cultural significance of the Kadlekai parishe or groundnut fair that is held every year. “These are all part of our heritage and also need to be preserved,” he says.

While most authorities focus on “tourism” revenue when discussing the city's heritage, heritage is a lot more than this tangible thing. There may be stories behind a heritage structure which may have played an integral role in preserving it. These need to be talked about and preserved in order to protect the heritage of the city itself.