MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2021 DAILY EXCELSIOR, Excelsiordaily Established 1965 Heritage Preservation : Strategic through tactical Founder Editor S.D. Rohmetra Kamal Singh Oberh and amenity to the communities to which they State revenues, business receipts, employment, Mubarak Mandi. belong. wages and salary. Various states including Madhya Pradesh, Centrally Sponsored Schemes n today's world, the status of kings, palaces When done well, adaptive reuse can restore Travellers, often opt to live in heritage hotels. , Punjab etc are converting the forts and royal families have been reduced to that and maintain the heritage significance of a build- The romance, nostalgia and the elegance of the and palaces into heritage Hotels to boost the of relics that belong to an era long gone past. f the stress is only on completing necessary for- I ing and help to ensure its survival, rather than past are some of the reasons. When Taj Lake potential of tourism. Madhya Pradesh Tourism In their time, even though the grandeur of these Department has given Tajmahal situated in malities in respect of various Centrally falling into disrepair through neglect or being ren- Palace, Udaipur first opened its doors to travellers places was for a selected few, it served the pur- dered unrecognisable. Heritage buildings that are in 1963. "There was no such thing as tourism in Bhopal on lease to be converted into a heritage ISponsored Schemes operating in Jammu and pose of both making a statement and preserving sympathetically recycled can continue to be used Rajasthan. The airport did not exist; there were no hotel, Moti Mahal of Gwalior and Mahendra Bha- just for getting the pending Central share the art of the land. In today's world, with every- and appreciated. flights and no tourism infrastructure to speak of. van of Panna are also in the race. RFP's have been released, then perhaps the focus would be less than thing else eliminated, palaces and heritage build- The Heritage hotel that is being proposed in Today Rajasthan is leading state in Indian issued for development of heritage hotel at Raj- ings remain the treasure trove of local arts and cul- the Mubarak Mandi seems to have stirred a con- Tourism. Among the first fort palace to be restored garh Palace, Datia. Kyoti Fort Rewa, required on ensuring the successful implementa- Vijayraghavgarh Fort,Katni. International char- tural traditions. Standing tall, they remain a testi- troversy where opinions are being rallied and hype into a hotel was Neemrana Fort Palace, once a tion of these schemes. Usually, it has been seen like ters on heritage management are emphasising on mony to the rich heritage associated with their is being created as it being against the public sen- grim ruin that merged into the dusty Aravalli hills, the sustainability of heritage management, The that which trend needs to be reversed . However, individual niches. With time frozen between rocks timents. It is only prudent to mention that the pro- The ruins were conserved and restored using tra- and bricks that lay under their plastered edifice, Burra Charter recommends Adaptation via arti- that aspect too being included in the fresh direc- posed hotel is only in a small part of the entire ditional materials, Local craftsmen were hired to cle 21, it states 'Adaptation is acceptable only they represent a past that we all remain in awe of; complex, the major portion of the complex is restore the fort-palace. The property was turned tions issued by the UT Government to all the that past is also something that we owe it to our where adaptation has minimal impact on the cul- Government departments is to ensure that the being designed for public use. The heritage hotel into a hotel to ensure that it earned enough to be tural significance of the place'. If we are to pass future generations. is being proposed in the zenana areas of the able to pay for its maintenance. The devastated revised procedures of such schemes were imple- Heritage buildings, like our elders, need very on our built heritage to future generations in a Mubarak Mandi complex- an area which was not gigantic complex around it were restored through better condition than we inherited it, liberaliza- mented in letter and spirit. That all departments careful handling and delicate management. It is a accessible for the normal public even in the era of minimum intervention. long-drawn slog that continues through the years tion of the cultural sector needs to be brought in should be strictly completing all formalities as per the dynastic rules. It lies in the rear portion of the World over the role of heritage and responsibility entrusted to private entities, and decades and there is no shortcut of faster alter- complex. So, the argument that the hotels would regeneration/development as a tool for sustain- universities, non-profit organizations and conser- the prescribed formats and ways so that the pend- native to this approach. Needless to say, that in ing Central share was released, was primarily to put the Mubarak Mandi out of the public domain able development is now recognized and vation efforts could ensure that the highest stan- addition to human care and attention, such struc- needs to be examined before forming an opinion. acknowledged- a fact underlined by inclusion of dards are met. bridge the gap of required funds and availability tures incur heavy financial burden and unless The revenue generated via the hotel complex heritage regeneration as a tool for sustainable Many of the Indian ruler commissioned forts, thereof in running such schemes quite satisfactorily. something is done to ensure an organic way of sus- would help to manage the facilities of the larger development in achieving 17 SDG set out by palaces and temples in times of drought as a life- The other part of the matter is to find ways to cause taining these jewels, deterioration and eventual complex. United Nations. As per the Niti Aayog Working saving economic incentive for the populace. obliteration happens without exception. Urban regular increase in revenue realisation along with The larger vision for Mubarak Mandi heritage Group report on Improving Making use of these heritage assets for the pub- development in a developing nation like that of lic good would keep the spirit alive of our ances- assessing performance in this respect. Such exer- complex is to rejuvenate it as a cultural centre Heritage Management in , (June 2020) ours, remains a huge grey area. Our borough reflecting the art and culture of Dogras and the The Centre and State Governments should lever- tors while simultaneously creating an economic cise needs to be done at regular intervals looking to expansions are not only unregulated, many of such Jammu region. It is envisaged that the cultural age India's massive network of heritage sites as asset that continues to pay rich dividends for the dire need of augmenting the revenues of and swellings happen to be unlawful. Yet a combo of centre would be a place of pride and would help a tool for development and employment genera- years to come. widening its base in the UT Government. well-oiled system of greased palms and a formi- in economic regeneration of the entire communi- tion by providing improved services to domestic Only a limited number of heritage buildings dable degree of lack of empathy, concern and own- ty of Jammu. and international tourists through public-private- are tourist attractions; for the rest, new functions We have to appreciate and imbibe in the working need to be incentivized and planned. To be mean- ership, willy-nilly results in bringing down Sustainability partnership. "Economic sustainability is a key ingful, conservation works need to be coupled culture, introduction of and more stress on the inevitable stress on to such structures. Despite The underlying philosophy for the Conserva- challenge in conservation and development of need to adopt transparency which can be possible many such buildings and monuments having been with urban improvements, improved transport tion and Restoration should be the 3 'R's being heritage sites for tourist/visitor interest, state infrastructure, providing economic opportuni- not merely by issuing formal circulars and instruc- declared as protected ones, neglect, vandalization 'Repair', 'Restore' and 'Reuse'. The objective of funding can get it going, but it is critical that a and encroachments keep happening as a matter of ties, and improving health, education and sanita- tions but changing and revising procedures and conservation should be to sustain the building self-sustaining economic cycle kicks in, this is tion infrastructure. Only then will heritage assets routine. and/or the traditional skill and knowledge system especially true for the major protected monu- even rules, that were more or less just confined to Such a poor state of preservation of a large part be valued by those living around them. Conser- of building. In this context, continuity of use must ments, and these have potential to generate rev- vationists have often expected local communities formal paper work only, to pave way for the same. of our national heritage is a result of the inability be seen as evolving over time. Conservation of enue that can help conserve, protect and develop of those entrusted with their care and management to contribute towards the conservation effort That, in other words, means that at Central levels, architectural heritage and sites must be integrat- the others." while not offering any incentives and imposing of such assets. Even in cases where some amount ed with the social development. Conservation- The working group on ''Improving Heritage heavy restrictions. Such an approach is not suc- procedures are now more tightened in respect of of care is being taken, lack of application on part releasing funds for implementing Centrally oriented development must be the preferred strat- Management in India'', was set up in the year 2019 cessful. of the planners whose responsibility is to ensure egy for social and economic progress. This neces- under the instruction of the Prime Minister's The CPWD Manual for historic buildings Sponsored Schemes which, therefore, will be only the sustenance of such complexes, results in a sit- sitates the formation of multi-disciplinary teams Office (PMO). The group in its report also pitched 2013, published in 2013 has a section on Adap- after satisfaction in respect of adherence to the uation where there may be a will but no means to to undertake integrated conservation projects. for adopting revenue generation model through tive reuse and cites the case study of Tijara Fort changed and revised procedures at Central level back up that will. Cost effectiveness, economic regeneration PPP (public private partnership) schemes. Con- Palace, Alwar a palace of Maharaja Balwant Change is a constant accordingly by all States and Union Territories . That and community based sustainable development is sidering the potential of Jammu in terms of its Singh built in 1845 which was in possession of While the heritage structures continue to ASI before being converted to a heritage Hotel. in short is what fresh instructions from the UT in terms of the intervention and future mainte- connectivity and location and proximity to Shri change, their existence has to be made timeless nance of the building. The test of its validity must Mata Vaishno Devi, the stay of the tourist could It refers to another case study of the Adaptive reuse Government to its all departments are all about. It and relevant for the present generation. It is only be the positive contribution it makes to the qual- be increased from a single day to minimum 2-3 of the Town Hall in Kolkata, where the public all follows the Union Government enforcing new when a degree of contemporariness is introduced ity of life of the local community. days. This would facilitate the city's trade and building built in 1813 was restored in 1990's and rules since March this year thereby changing the that the structures don't become redundant with Tourism commerce and boost its economy. is now a museum executed under the PPP mode. passing generations. Conservation and suste- Heritage is an ongoing dynamic process where operating procedure for all the schemes sponsored Tourism's importance as an instrument for The Heritage complex of Mubarak Mandi is nance, therefore are two of the most important pil- economic development and employment genera- a very large complex and has many layers of his- the past has to be continuously relevant for the by it through States and Union Territories. future. In the Central Vista project of New Delhi, lars when it comes to handling of such estates. It tion, has been well recognized the world over. It tory and is spread over a large area, the built up where renovation and reconstruction is being Now, a single point of monitoring at UT levels of is only through such an approach that such cre- is the largest service industry globally in terms of area of the historic buildings is to the tune of many ations can serve a long term interest of society. done right in the heart of the capital next to the the Central schemes is mooted to assess the posi- gross revenue as well as foreign exchange earn- thousand sq mts. It require a Multi-pronged Rashtrapati bhavan, an argument presented in This can be better understood if categorized under ings. Tourism plays an important and effective approach for sustainable heritage management. It tion of funds related to implementation of these 'economic', 'cultural', and 'environmental'. favour of the ongoing project was upheld in the schemes as to how much amount received, the role in achieving the growth with equity objec- needs to be developed in a manner where the site Supreme Court. Read as follows: "The present They are not mutually exclusive; they are often tives. can sustain itself through various revenue gener- amount unspent and how much balance amount interlocked. The time and money spent in conser- project represents not a radical break from the past When viewed in the context of J&K where no ating schemes. Conversion of every heritage so as to lean on the future, rather entails a judi- entitled to be received. Scrutiny of funds, end use vation efforts usually goes to waste if not put to a worthwhile raw material is produced, such an space into a museum and interpretation centre is suitable use. cious policy attempt to conserve the delicate her- and proper utilization, the three ingredients thereof, industry attains bigger significance. not very viable as the requisite foot fall for the itage and historical value of the area whilst allow- Most buildings are capable of beneficial use, The consumption demand, emanating from spaces is not very high and would barely cover ing room for growth and development for the are too important to be taken lightly hence regard whether for their original purpose or for some oth- tourist expenditure, also induces more employ- the cost of maintenance of a site like Mubarak future generations.." for revised procedures is now non-optional. er use. Buildings and their precincts need to be ment and generates a multiplier effect on the econ- Mandi which in itself would be a huge expendi- And thus I'd like to sum up - that the approach used in order to survive and such use can be made However, one single account and one Nodal Agency omy. As a result, additional income and employ- ture. The current museums and archives situated towards heritage preservation needs to be strate- into an economically viable enterprise. Adaptive in respect of every centrally sponsored scheme has ment opportunities are generated through such in Mubarak Mandi hardly have enough footfall. gic in nature - a long term approach - even though reuse of buildings has a major role to play in the linkages. Thus, the expansion of the tourism sec- Though it could be argued that improved muse- the tactical steps taken in that direction - in the become imperative and must be made functional. sustainable development. When adaptive reuse tor can lead to large-scale employment generation um facilities would create better returns. But the present day - at times - may or may not - appear Different accounts with nominal balances need to involves historic buildings, environmental bene- and poverty alleviation. The economic benefits declining trend of visitors to the museums world rational. Let's not forget, all is well - that ends be closed and balance transferred to the single fits are more significant, as these buildings offer that flow into the economy through growth of over is not very encouraging. Nostalgia alone well! so much to the environment, landscape, identity account which would obliterate maintaining of tourism in the shape of increased national and cannot sustain a heritage complex of the scale of The author is Group Captain (Retd) avoidable records and passing unnecessary entries. Whether on agency or treasury routes , this new practice needed to be adopted in respect of all the schemes . Instructions have now been given in Pahari languages plead for protection respect of maintaining of the accounts and their due reporting - all conforming to the revised procedures Sadaket Ali Malik Bhalesi is that it is spoken by all the communities Minority Affairs, Government of India. i.e both Hindus and Muslims so it is a link language between the - in order to make releasing of central share smooth, he Paharis are by no means the people living in the hilly easy , in time and assured. two communities. Bhalesi practice distinct Pahari Culture and are Poguli is an unparalled language. It is spoken in Pogal Paristan regions, but the people whose language is mountainous more closely related to the Pahari languages spoken in Himachal area of district Ramban and has a rich phonological and lexical fea- Completing the formalities and fulfilling of other Thave their unique culture and way of life. The Pahari is an Pradesh and Bhaderwahi. tures. It has similarities with and Kashmiri. A link requirements under 14th and 15th Finance umbrella term and under it there is a hierarchy of dialects. Pahari Bhaderwahi language of Pahari and Kashmiri. Several linguists termed it as Commissions made it possible to grant extension to was also listed in the 6th schedule of Constitution of Jammu and Bhaderwahi is another rich language and has a distinction of Pahari and comes under the offshoot of Western Pahari. Poguli has Kashmir. Whenever a Pahari is mentioned, most of the people being a Pahari Speaking Dialect of Bhaderwah and its adjoining a close lexical similarities with other Western Pahari dislects. It is all ongoing schemes till March 2021 or till the 15th argue that it means everyone who is living in a mountainous area, Finance Commission came into effect. To boost liq- villages. The language comes under western Pahari classification a Pahari speaking dialect and is spoken by most of the people in but this is not the case at all. Pahari is an ethnolinguistics way of as classified by first linguistic survey of India conducted in 1919. Tehsil . Poguli is intermediate between Kashmiri and uidity and to overcome the cash crunch with the UT folklore. This Pahari speaking dialects is spoken by all the communities. Western Pahari as per several surveys and studies. Besides its lexi- Government, additional borrowings of 1 percent as Linguists have divided the Pahari language into three major G.A. Grierson (1919) has elucidated Bhaderwahi and Bhalesi cal similarities with Kashmiri it is spoken by the people inhabiting catagories : morphology. the hilly areas of Pogal Paristan. It is sorrounded by area of Sarazi per entitlement too has rightly been decided which This branch of the Eastern Pahari language is spoken in a vast needs to be expedited for obvious reasons. Bhaderwahi has its own grammar and is spoken in Bhaderwah and Bhaderwahi (western Pahari offshoot of Indo Aryan family). region as far as Nepal. The locals call it "Khashura". tehsil of . Bhaderwah is a region popularly known as Deswali Dialect Utilization certificates and submitting them in time This branch of the Central Pahari language is spoken in the Chota Kashmir and is known for its beauty throughout the country. Spoken in Dessa area of Doda, it also termed as Pahari dialect. bound manner too has been found in many cases Garhwal area of Uttarakhand. The locals call it "Gurwali and Bhaderwahi songs, and literature is seen developing. Bhaderwahi is The dialect has close lexical similarities with Sarazi a child dialect not being followed meticulously resulting in blocking Komoni". a lingua fransca of Bhaderwah and is spoken in every household. of Western Pahari. This branch of the western Pahari language is spoken in the Tribal Dialect of Khasha (Khasas) of funds leading to a particular scheme or a project upper parts of , 's , getting adversely impacted , the practice needing to Among all the neighbouring The linguistic survey of India asserted it in its volume 9 Part 4. Bhaderwah, Paddar, Saraz, Ramban, Pogal Puristan, other areas of General introduction has a mention about the Khasa (Khasha) as be done away with. western pahari are Pakistan occupied Kashmir, Pothohar Plateau, languages, Sarazi shares the highest inhabitants of Banshala (Present day Banihal) since the claim of Murree, Jhelum, Hazara and Peshawar. Khah (Khasha) for giving it ST status or tribal language status is Telecom services in Central Pahari is a sub-dialect of , while per cent of its vocabulary with genuine historically. Grierson in his Volume 9 part 4 has elucidat- Eastern Pahari dialect is a mixture of Pothohari dialect due to its ed the passages of Rajtarangni and termed Khashas as inhabitants t is beyond comprehension that there should be similarity to Pothohari area, while Western Pahari dialect is a sub- Bhaderwahi. Sarazi being a Western of this area. It is to mention here that both the Poguli and Khasha telecom connectivity only up to 60 percent in dialect of Punjabi language due to its similarity to Dogri area. Pahari has a lexical similiarities with has a seprate mention and both are enjoying distinct place in histor- Ladakh as on date as against expected cent per- There are many pahari speaking people of Doda, Ramban and ical studies. Both are independent in nature and both need to be I districts who are yet to be identified, surveyed, legalised cent. It is, therefore, in the fitness of things for the Bhaderwahi, Bhalessi and Padri too. groomed. Khasas being a tribal dialect need to be brought under the under certain provisions of the Government like Inclusion in 8th Tribal status whereas the poguli having distinct literature need to be telecom service providers to do the rest of job in this schedule, majority of Pahari endangered dialects like Bhalesi, Sarazi revived under western pahari. Literature can't die, it has distinct strategically important Union Territory of the country, Bhaderwahi, Paddri, Sarazi, Pogali, Gaddi are mentioned in the A rich dialect and having palethora of words is spoken in Saraz features of its own and has no comparison. Since the tribal status at an early date. Lieutenant Governor Radha first linguistic survey of India conducted by G A Grierson. These region of Doda upto the Dhar of Ramban area. It is a wide area for khasha is genuine the Khasha is unparallel owing to its distinct dialects come under the manifold of Western Pahari classification where Sarazi is spoken. As per the First linguistic survey of India historical importance. Krishna Mathur having personally called upon the as elucidated by Grierson and other Linguists like Ghraham Belley telecom service providers in this regard in a meeting Sarazi too is a Pahari speaking dialect spoken by varying commu- Gaddi dialect :Gaddi and Patterhook. The Government of Jammu and kashmir docu- nities. The language has been a source of amity among the people Gaddi dialect comes under the western Pahari classification. It is expected to result in the facilities provided at an ments like [District Doda at a Glance 2016-17 Page 5] mentioned of all the communities. It has rich words and comes under Western is mainly spoken in Bharmour Chamba and the Bhaderwah, Bani early date . It is to be noted that neither temporary these dialects as Pahari. The Pahari Speaking people are a specific Pahari classification. Billawar area of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a pestoral dialect/ tribal nor any other alternative arrangement was going to class that has a distinct culture, way of life and customs, and the Grierson (1919) elucidated a clear sketch of Sarazi in dialect too. The UNESCO in its documents has kept the Gaddi most distinctive feature of this group is that it speaks a Pahari lan- Linguistic Survey of India (1903-1928), classified it as a dialect of dialect under definently endengered dialect. It hasn't got tribal or bring out any tangible results in respect of telephone guage. If I live in the mountains, it will be called Pahari. The iden- connectivity in Ladakh. Kashmiri admitting that it could equally be classified as a Western pahari status yet. is very beautiful, typical and tity of this class is similar to the way Gujarati speakers are called Pahari language. unique in itself. Gaddi is widely spoken and it's the mother-tongue Agreed, there were areas which were at a far Gujjar, Kashmiri speakers are called Kashmiri, Dogri speakers are Among all the neighbouring languages, Sarazi shares the high- of people of not only from Gaddi community but that of other distance from one another coupled with other minor called Dogra and Ladakhi speakers are called Ladakhi, Bhalessi est per cent of its vocabulary with Bhaderwahi. Sarazi being a castes including Sippi, Gaddi-Brahmin, and Rehaade living in speakers are called Bhalesi, Bhaderwahi speakers are called Western Pahari has a lexical similiarities with Bhaderwahi, Upper reaches of Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Doda and difficulties but in the present era, those factors Bhaderwahi, Padri speakers are called Paddri, the people inhibiting should cause no problem. There are, however, Bhalessi and Padri too. The other linguists also termed Sarazi as a Kishtwar Districts of Jammu region. It is spoken widely in in Saraz are Sarazi, and Paharis of Pogal Puristan and Ramban part of Western Pahari family. It is worthwhile to.mention here that Bhaderwah. Since its preservation is imperative either to grant it a many areas where mobile phones do not work at all District are speakers of Pogali, Gaddi (pastoral dialects are spea- Sarazi has been termed as definetly endangered dialect by Pahari or Tribal status. which in present day world looks as if something kees of Gaddi dialect) spoken in Bhaderwah and Bani Billawar UNESCO as there has been no literature development or non inclu- To conclude, it is said that the entire erstwhile Doda (Doda, important was missing besides causing inconven- areas. sion of this dialect under certain provisions vis a vis revival of its Ramban, Kishtwar) and even other districts like Udhampur, Kathua Bhalesi Dialect script. and Reasi are originally Paharis. Owing to the rich words idioms, ience and difficulties to such "have nots". Security Bhalesi has its own rich words and grammer. It is listed in the agencies on important assignments in the area too Padri dialect phrases, vowels, consonants, phonology these dialects are totally First linguistic survey of India volume IX. Bhalesi dialect has some Padri dialect is a part of dialect chain of Bhaderwahi-Bhalesi- ignored and it is evident from the history that the people speaking face problems due to which contacts with their similiarities with Bhaderwahi but has its own distinct phonology. Padri (Grierson 1919 in Linguistic survey of India). Padri is too a these dialects are Pahari speaking. These dialects are heading nears and dears are becoming few and far Bhalesi is widely mentioned in the studies conducted by P K Kaul, rich dialect spoken in saffron valley of Padder. It is a dialect spo- towards extinction and need Pahari status, and scheduled language between. To make the issue carry its importance Petterhook and Ghram Belley. The people belonging to Bhalessa ken by varying communities of Padder area of and status. Promotion and revival of their scripts and literature is need (Gandoh Bhalessa, Chilly Pingal, Jitota, Neeli, Bathri Changa, and urgency as well, it is commendable that the Lt. has rich words and grammer. Near Padder is an area called Nagseni of the hour. Government need to frame a committee to gauge the Khaljugasar, Alni Gingota, Basnota, and Kahara Tehsils speak where Ist World Peace conference was held. The area is producing legality of these dialects by assigning a fresh task to J&K Pahari Governor also met CEOs of several telecom com- Bhalesi and it is evident that its people are pahari speaking People rich quantity of saffron and is playing a pivotal role in advancement Speaking Board for the conduct for fresh census so as to do justice panies in New Delhi and discussed the matter with (PSP). of the economy.The number of speakers, as of the 1981 census, with the people. The Jammu and Kashmir reservation rules need to them. With his such personal intervention in the However, Bhalesi comes under the umbrella of Indo Aryan lan- stood at 10,000. Now the number is quite mushrooming. be amended at this juncture. guages and are enjoying the same right as provided to the Padri dialect as an offshoot of westen Pahari has been kept The author is Founder/ Secretary of Pahari Core Committee ( Centre for Study of matter, it is expected that not only will services Himachili, Pothwari, Kangri and others. The unique feature of improve but steps will be taken towards providing under vulnerable category of languages in 2014 by Ministry of indigenous Culture J&K) 100 percent connectivity as well. (The views expressed by the authors are their personal) [email protected]