Socio-Cultural and Physical Aspects of Place-Making in Three Streets of Puri, India
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ITU A|Z • Vol 17 No 3 • November 2020 • 47-59 Socio-cultural and physical aspects of place-making in three streets of Puri, India Meeta TANDON1, Vandana SEHGAL2 1 [email protected] • Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Planning, Integral University, Lucknow, India 2 [email protected] • Faculty of Architecture and Planning, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow, India Received: April 2019 • Final Acceptance: May 2020 Abstract The aim of this paper is to understand the impact of physical and socio-cultural aspects of streets on sense of place in the streets of Puri, a pilgrimage and a reli- gious city. The three major streets of Puri leading to Jagannath temple, consist of the Bada Danda, Temple and Swargdwara streets. Each of these streets have their own unique spatial quality resulting from their cultural, historical and religious importance, serving as both spiritual and social places for the people. Because of their religious and functional significance, scale and diverse activities, these streets have a strong sense of place. The sense of place on streets of religious cit- ies, which is visited by number of pilgrims on daily basis, thus needs to be as- sessed not only for physical but also for the fact that these streets be perceptible as a ‘place’. The research adopts a mixed method approach: visual survey and a structured questionnaire survey of both pilgrims and residents to achieve at its objective. The result indicates the dominance of socio-cultural aspects more than the physical aspects on sense of place thereby indicating that the improvements in physical characteristics can further enhance their perception about street identity and sense of place in Indian religious cities. Keywords doi: 10.5505/itujfa.2020.85579 doi: Sense of place, Religious cities, Physical aspects, Socio-cultural aspects. 48 1. Introduction meanings and associations become a Indian streets are open public spaces place. It is thus related to people’s per- that are not only used for movement or ceptions about the place and the way commuting but also for various other they feel about it. Montgomery (1998) activities like interaction with others, stated three basic principles of place sleeping, eating, roaming around or making- activity, image and form. simply watching people. Edensor in his Sense of place can thus be easily study on Indian streets states that, “The understood as how people relate to a multifunctional structure of the street place. Various other concepts like place provides an admixture of overlapping attachment and place identity also de- spaces that merge public and private, fine this relationship. Steele (1981) de- work and leisure, and holy and pro- fined sense of place as “an experience fane activities” (1998, p.202). In India, created by the setting combined with it has also been shown that all tradi- what a person brings to it. In other tional built environments are basically words, to some degree we create our related to have (as in that of most tra- own places; they do not exist indepen- ditional cultures) a sacred connotation dent of us. There are, however, certain (Rapoport, 1990). Special events like settings that have such a strong ‘spirit processions and festivals give a strong of place’ that they will tend to have a sense of identity to the street and peo- similar impact on many different peo- ple associate the street with those spe- ple” (p. 9). He also added that there are cific uses and events. The streets of sa- various factors that influence the rela- cred cities leading to the main religious tionship of people with places: history, complex comprise of activities and memory, identity, safety, vitality, live- uses that are related to the rituals as- ability, mystery, surprise, fantasy and sociated with the deity like the proces- pleasure. Apart from these, the physi- sional rituals. Though these streets are cal attributes, size of the setting, scale, a route to the religious complex, they proportion, distance, texture, diversity, seem to enhance the spiritual feelings smell, sound, visual variety, colour and of people due to distinct happenings temperature also add to sense of place. and religious activities and provide Steele (1981) suggested physical and a sense of place. These streets apart social settings in addition to a person’s from being active during the entire psychological factors that contribute to day are busier and lively in the morn- create a sense of place. ings and evenings with more people Lynch (1960) also stated that “a place moving towards the temple complex. affects us directly through our senses Rapoport (1990) points out that the - by sight, hearing, touch, and smell” very first experience we get of Indian (p.9). He identified five features paths, streets is generally through the smells edges, nodes, districts and landmarks, of food and incense, both non-visual which make an environment legible. characteristics. Sivam and Karuppan- Relph (1976) claimed settings, ac- nan (2013) suggest that, “It is the ex- tivities, meanings and ‘genius loci’ or perience one has within the street that spirit of place as components defin- creates a strong connection rather than ing sense of place. According to him, the aesthetic value of the street itself” symbols, traditions, rituals and myths (p.2). The physical, social and cultural too enforce sense of place. Rapoport aspects have a strong impact on attach- (1990) suggested that places not only ment to the place. The research thus fo- comprise of physical features but also cusses on the impact these aspects have include messages and meanings that on sense of place in the streets of Puri, people perceive and based on their a religious and sacred city. experiences, expectation and inspira- tions, decode them. Similarly, Shamai 2. Literature study (1991) recognized sense of place as a According to Relph, “places are fu- result of location, landscape and per- sions of human and natural order and sonal involvement. It is felt through all are the significant centres of our imme- the human senses i.e. sight, hearing, diate experiences of the world” (1976, smell, taste and touch. He also argued p.141). Space when characterized with that sense of place comprised of three ITU A|Z • Vol 17 No 3 • November 2020 • M. Tandon, V. Sehgal 49 levels: belonging to a place, place at- Low (1992) asserts six types of tachment and commitment to a place. bonding that people have: genealogical He further classified it into seven lev- linkage through family or history, link- els: not having any sense of place (val- age through loss of land or destruction, ue of 0), knowledge of being located in economic bonding through ownership, a place, belonging to a place, attach- inheritance and politics, cosmological ment to a place, identifying with the bonding, linkage through religious and place goals, involvement in a place and secular pilgrimage and narrative con- sacrifice for a place (value of 6). nection through storytelling and place Bott (2000) through her research meaning. The causes of bonding with identified four domains that describe the sacred places are different for dif- sense of place: physical, cultural, affec- ferent individuals based on whether tive and functional. She also developed they are pilgrims, tourists or residents psychometric scales to evaluate sense of these cities. Religious cities thus of place. Najafi and Shariff (2011) in have strong associations with people their review of literature found various due to symbolic ties with these places. factors influencing place attachment, The review indicates that tangible socio-demographic characteristics, and intangible attributes are significant environmental experience, culture, for a space to qualify as a place. place satisfaction, preference and at- Physical settings, as suggested by tachment, activity and the place itself. many scholars and theorists, are an Ja’afar et.al. (2012) stated that in tradi- important element of a place since tional context, combination between they attach meaning to a place. It is the physical and social aspects that is in- physical setting with its characteristics herited creates its own environment and attributes that defines whether or and that can be felt by all types of us- not people develop an attachment for ers. the place since it is the first visual fea- Mazumdar and Mazumdar (1993) ture. Steadman (2003) identified the in their studies of place attachment to physical environment and its charac- sacred space found that the presence of teristics constituting sense of place. sacred settings evoke a sense of emo- Hidalgo and Hernendez (2001) too tional attachment to the place. People suggested both physical and social di- feel connected both at individual and mensions to be important for place collective level since these places have attachment. Mehta (2013) in his stud- symbolic meanings expressed through ies identified street characteristics like its physical location, architectural de- density, size, character that too support sign, layout, aesthetics and also its his- social behaviour. Bott (2000) recog- tory (Mazumdar & Mazumdar, 2004). nized characteristics related to natural They also stated that, “Place and place setting, built environment and charac- characteristics are significant in reli- ter as components that have an impact gious place attachment. People devel- on sense of place. op attachment to sacred cities and sa- The tangible attributes of physical cred structures, in addition to natural aspects identified for this study include places” (p.394). Unlike Shamai (1991) presence of trees and landscape fea- who described sense of place as an in- tures, light, material, colour and aes- dividual perception and experience, thetics of buildings located on either Mazumdar and Mazumdar highlight- side of the street and intangible factors ed the collective involvements of peo- include cleanliness and maintenance of ple related to strong cultural influence street, and its liveliness.