Bhuj Heritage Considerations
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KACHCHH MAP Beyond BHUJ HERITAGE CONSIDERATIONS: BEFORE 1900 According to the “Heritage Grades” specified by the conservation boundaries committee of the Gujarat Town Planning and Urban Development Act 1976, the precinct selected in this case has buildings that are Heritage Beyond Grade II structures. barriers DEFINITION: i) comprise of buildings and precincts of local or regional importance BHUJ Little Rann possessing special architectural or aesthetic merit or cultural, social or ARABIAN SEA Lie some historical significance though of less significance than Grade I. extra- I)They are local landmarks and contribute to image and identity of region. ordinary Ii)They maybe works of master craftsmen, models of proportion and ornamentation or designed to suit particular climate. Styles OBJECTIVE: INDIA MAP Temperatures in Bhuj range from 11.7 to 39.45 degree celsius they require intelligent conservation Rainfall varies from 0.0 to 624.0mm/ month with the SCOPE FOR CHANGES: GUJARAT MAP Broken yet maximum rainfall in the months of June and July continuing i)Internal changes and adaptive reuse and external changes maybe till november enchanting allowed, subject to strict scrutiny with care taken of proper conservation. AERIAL VIEW OF BHUJ’S FORTIFIED CITY STREET NETWORKS ii)Building in the same plot or compound ,be allowed provided that the Stolen yet extension is in harmony with existing heritage building(s) or precincts AROUND1925 standing MAP SHOWING PROPOSED BHUJ HERITAGE WALK especially in terms of height and facade. THE HERITAGE WALK PATH AND ITS RELEVANCE: Modified The Heritage Walk Designed For Bhuj By The Bhuj Authority Development Authority, Bhuj Heritage Society And Bhuj Nagarpalika In Accordance but still To The Ahmedabad Heritage Walk Is An Enthusiastic Project That Intends To Bring Back The Lost Interst In The Heritage Of The Old Walled City. existing The Walk Commences From The Vaniawad Gate, Passing Through Almost All The Important Customized Houses Of A Golden Period Of Kutch History , To The Royal Complex Of Palaces And Ends At The Ramkund That Is Outside The Walled Area Of The City But Is Of Historical Relevance. Survived nature’s The walk is of particular interest to this project as it has a commencing point at the Patwadi gate and also the Naniba Paathshala and the Fateh wrath time Mohammed khordo both important structures in the working of the kutch dynasty. AERIAL VIEW 1999 STREET NETWORK 1999 The hamirsar lake is surrounded by the walled city on two sides and the Chhatedi lake on the other side. The fourth is linked by a recent and again yet development of the main Bhuj ring road which goes on to the Sharad baug. The major part covered by the walled city includes numerous masjids, Anticipating dargahs and temples which have claimed land near the lake and developed it accordingly to their needs and doings. Considering these aspects only one part ,i.e. Near the Patwadi gate does there exist any chance of redeveloping the area as an institutional and 2010 cultural zone with the already existing heritage buildings. PATWADI PRECINCT-BHUJ-GUJARAT-INDIA The historical precinct of Patwadi, is located in Bhuj city in the Kutch district of Gujarat state(India). The Patwadi precinct as it is called lies in the north west center of the old walled city of Bhuj and is earmarkedCOPY for future development. The limits of the precinct considered in the study and design proposal are from the Patwadi gate to the AERIAL VIEW 2001 STREET NETWORK 2001 crossroads leading to the Aina mahal and to the Ashapura temple. The precinct includes 1)site for insertion: with an area of 2395sq.mts 2) Fateh mohammed no khordo with no annexes remaining: total site area : 1000 sq. Mts and the main building including a ground coverage of 165sq.mts. 3)Naniba Sanskrut Pathshala: area of 250sq. Mts and main building of ground coverage120sq.mts The Patwadi precinct is where the Maharao’s servants were supposed to live in the turn of the 19th century and is also considered to be the residence of other prominent people. The gate is supposed to be of great historical and social CURRENT BHUJ LIMITS AERIAL VIEW 2008 STREET NETWORK 2008 NOTimportance to the city. BEFORE/TILL 1500’S 1585-1623 1715-1729-1740 SKILLS- NAKSHI KAAM,MEENA KAAM, 1813-1860 Started documenting history through written Small lake d u g by shephe rd Ham i r for cattle Rao Khengarji I dies, Rao Bharmal takes over, Urban growth sp arked af t er a 100y r s af t e r BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, HUNNAR KALA Bharmaji II’s five year reign witnessed growing works / photography,Increased number of and family signaling an end to the state’s relative Bhar mal by Maharao Go dji, who sponsore d ma nySHALA presence of the British exactly outside the city processions to keep people engaged in the royal independence from the Mughal sultanate, the city tow n devel opments in kutch, succeeded by Rao Godji succeeded Lakhpatji but walls through friendly and negotiating terms of family 1945 ONWARDS limits were expanded westwards to accommodate Deshalji I who is cred i ted for ha vi ng built mainly destabilized the government, instigated wars Kutchi people got more involved with the the royal vegetable gardens and north bound to Bhuj, dev eloping agriculture, establishing a amongst Sindhis and kutch matters of the Indian state as they believed it inculcate the business brought in by immigrating central go v ernment syste m and pol itical ly 1778-1813 would bring them freedom from the British as vaniyas and sonis, economy thrived consolid at i ng all the bh ayadsi in the regio n, Like his predecessor Rao Raidhanji was equally well, plunging head straight into politics; build ing another water ta nk towar ds the eas t unsuccessful in handling the matters of the Indian independence in 1947 lead to then king 1740-1760 DO kutch state leading to his imprisonment, Maharao Vijayraji to give in to be part of India bringing prince Bharmal II still a child to throne, due to stagnant state of economy of kutch, hence Deshalji’s successor, MaharaoLakhpatji, patron appointed JAMADAR FATEH MOHAMMED by 1500-1585 for arts, cities institutional and architectural merging the kutch state with India and the Sindh the regency council to take over the affairs of the district with Pakistan Rao Khengarji I, buys the lake naming development, under his rule shipping state it Hamirsar, establishes it as central 1729-CITY’S OUTER FORTIFICATION BY handicrafts, performing arts, foreign trade THOUGH BRIGHT AND ASPIRING, A PLAGUE district of kutch state, builds royal DESHALJI I, EXTENSION OF WATER CHANNELS flourished; development of new kutchi style of THAT STRUCK IN 19813-1814, CLAIMED THE complex, digs lake boundaries further AND RESERVOIRS architecture JAMADAR AND RAIDHANJI, AFTER THE establishes first market-saraf bazar CHHATEDIS BUILT IN HIS HONOR AND LATER FOR ALL KINGS ADDITIONS WERE MADE JAMADAR DEVELOPED AND ESTABILISHED 1819 -Earthquake changed the route of the THE PATWADI GATE AND HIS HOUSE IN THE Sindh river cutting off Bhuj’s water supply 1860-1945 DIWAN AREA,WEST TO THE DARBARGARH 1844 -earthquake did less but add to the woes of By this time the British had an upper hand over the the already broken city making it dependent on matters of the state and Maharao Dehalji II tried the British ways of life and its terms, breaking hard to fight but was just a puppet working orders , any architectural history earlier to 1819 Pragmalji ii brought about development beyond city Giving the British a stronger hold over the kutch walls, built schools and hospitals especially state and opening the Mandvi port to their gain Praghmahal palace, INTRODUCTION WITH THE HISTORY Insertion in a historical precinct Studied by Swapna Kothari THE FATEH MOHAMMED NO KHORDO: The khordo is an imposing two storey stone building which is a rare example of the Kachchhi baroque which characterized the mid-to-late 18th century architectural boom sponsored by Maharao Lakhpathi. The main building was constructed sometime in the early 19th century to house Jamadar Fateh Mohamed, a very distinguished soldier statesman of the region and SITE was flanked by two similarly styled structures of the same vintage till recently. In the early years after Kachchh’s union with India, it was used as the offices of the district collector. A wealth of ornamental detail summarizes all the features common to high style and vernacular Kachchhi architecture of the period, including ornamental jahrokhas, the characteristic Kachchhi door complete with gokhalas, projecting balconies on the roof, medallions and gargoyles, and fenestration with elaborate lintels and window surrounds. The building is reminiscent of the royal period of Mandvi, which has also barely survived. The Khordo’s interiors are of elaborately carved teakwood, and quaint doors and fenestration that are rare to see in today’s Bhuj. The jharokhas and upper elements have been partially destroyed in the 2001 earthquake and even to lack of care taken by authorities. GROUND, FIRST AND SECOND FLOOR HAMIRSAR LAKE First floor ornamentation and material indicates, usage of floor as semi private but for family, the southern rooms have niches 1 measuring 0.6 by 0.6 meters and a meter above the ground but not 2 much ornamentation except for the teakwood ceiling and beams 8 THE EXISTING BUILDINGS WITH THE SITE FOR INSERTION AND CONTEXT THE NANIBA SANSKRUT PATHSHALA: 3 The Pathshala is a publicly administered building and is significant both in terms 5 of its history and its current status. A late 19th century one storey structure The second floor’s heavy made of red sandstone, the Naniba Sanskrut Pathshala was commissioned by Entrance through middle as it ornamentation and KhengarjIII’s queen, affectionately known as naniba, sometime in the late 19th century, and is an example of the use of high style Kachchhi architectural is the ordo of the building and 6 material indicates, usage of connects both south and north floor as private for the ornamentation without any reference to the British colonial.