Analysis of Cultural Landscape for Sustainable Tourism Development of Kanpur Region Ratnesh Shukla 1 & Kashif Imdad2 Abstract Kanpur city was well known as the “Manchester of the East” and is also known as a growing commercial and trade centre as well as an educational hub of Uttar Pradesh at present. The present paper is an attempt to explore the cultural heritage of an industrial town Kanpur and to ascertain probability of tourism development. To analyzed cultural landscape for sustainable tourism development of Kanpur region is particular objective of the present paper. The image of Kanpur projected today is a highly polluted and highly crowed city, a metropolitan that has almost lost all its beauty, leisure and glorious history. The Intensity of distracting factors of the city is the most effective than attracting factors of the city. The present study is based on field survey of culturally renowned sites of Kanpur city. Multistage random sampling technique was used for selecting 80 tourists from various tourists’ places of Kanpur region for determining attracting and distracting factors of the tourism of Kanpur region and secondary data was also used. When one enters the city, unbearable smell of leather and other industries welcomes. Unorganized slums and deplorable condition of Ganga speaks of its plight but it is not all. The poor road surface quality, dust and dirt speak volumes. It is challenging task for policy makers and town planners to establish Kanpur as a tourist centre which can come at par with cities like Agra, Varanasi etc, and attract maximum foreign and Indian tourists. The fast pace of industrialization and unplanned growth has created unavoidable problems for the architects, civil engineers, conservation scientists and restorers. Some problems are found after micro-level survey. Thus planning strategies should be undertaken to develop Kanpur city as a reputed tourist place of Uttar Pradesh. © 2014 GSS Journals. All rights reserved. Keywords: Cultural Landscape, Tourism, Sustainable Development. 1. Introduction opportunities to man to interact with The changing relationship between dynamic environment through his creative or man and unstable earth gives innumerable distractive activities in process of uplifting 1 Department of Geography, S.R.K.P.G. College, Kurara (Hameerpur), Bundelkhand University, U.P., India. Email: [email protected] (Corresponding Author) 2 Department of Geography, PPN PG College, Kanpur, UP. India, Email: [email protected] 42 Analysis of Cultural Landscape … his life style. Human intervention over Schluter (Martins, 1989, p 27).But the physical environment or natural settings is fundamental concept of cultural landscape called cultural landscape. As cited by O’Hare in geography was defined as landscape (1997 p 33-54), the cultural landscape is the modified by human activity by the German, environment as modified, classified, and father of human geographer, Friedrich Ratzel interpreted by mankind. Recreation trough in 1890s (Jones, 2003, p 33). Carl O. Sauer tourism is one of the most characteristics was the great progenitor geographer who socio-economic phenomena in this era was probably the most effective in (Tzonev, 1975, p 101-115). After recognizing promoting and developing concept of tourism as an industry Sustainable cultural landscape (Mitchell, 2000, p 27). development refers economic change and Tuvan (1979) also tried to explain the growth which leads concept of conservation differences and similarities between culture without compromising the environmental and landscape. The literature by Butler issues. Tourism as a new growing industry is (1991) on cultural landscape tourism a recent fascinating approach of the present development were beneficial to this study times to develop Kanpur metropolitan with which advocate advocate tourism as an sustainability. instrument of development and change like any other industry. As state by Christensen 2. Aims and Objectives (1995, p. 63-68), tourism is possible option The prime aim of the present paper is for community development which leads analyzed phases of evolution of Cultural sustainable economic development landscape in context of sustainable tourism without compromising the environmental development of Kanpur region. This paper issues. Recent research work of Collins and has following two objectives: first, others (1995) is also present description of identifying the emerging status of tourism in cultural landscape of tourism in South Wales Kanpur region and secondly, ascertaining and Victoria. O’ Hare also interprets cultural the issues and concerns of tourism landscape for tourism development. As an development in Kanpur. Finally, planning Indian cultural geographer Singh Rana P. B. strategies are recommended to sustainable (1993 & 2011) has valuable research work on tourism development. This paper intends to sustainable tourism development planning answer of following questions. The prime of the world heritage city, Varanasi and rural research questions are:- landscape of Asia. Majumdar (1960) studies 1. What is present status of tourism in social contours of Kanpur as an industrial city Kanpur region? and Singh (1990) presents planning for 2. What are the emerging issues and development this industrial city. concerns of tourism development in Kanpur region? 4. Methodology 3. Which push or pull determinants are 4.1 Study area: responsible for female migration? This paper focuses on all cultural heritage 4. What can be done to develop Kanpur as sites of the Kanpur region. In Kanpur region a significant tourist place? the periphery area of Kanpur city i.e. Bithoor, 3. Review of the Literature Ghatampur,Musanagar, Makanpur, Kannuaj Cultural landscape as an academic term is and NawabGanj (Unnao) along with Kanpur first used by the German geographer Otto city are included for wide scope field study of 43 Ratnesh Shukla & Kashif Imdad tourism industry. Actually Kanpur tourism scores of individual factors were added. region is a buffer of 45 kilometers around Added total value was divided by the total Kanpur city boundaries. number of respondents who ranked the particular factor. In this way these means 4.2 Research Design and Tool Used: scores for the factors were calculated and the Descriptive type of survey design was used major issues and concerns for tourism were to collect data with the help of interview identified. schedule, observation and focus group discussions and historical approach is also 5. Interpretation of the present research used to elaborate evolution of Cultural paper landscape. 5.1 Phases of evolution of Cultural 4.3 Sample Collection and Data Collection: landscape Multistage random sampling technique was Kanpur City is situated between the parallels 0 0 0 used for selecting 80 tourists from various of 25 26' and 26 58' north latitude and 79 31' 0 tourists’ places of Kanpur region. Secondary and 80 34' east longitude. It is situated on data was also collected from the Department the most important national highways no. 2 of Tourism, Government of Uttar Pradesh. and 25 and state highway and on the main Delhi-Howrah railway trunk line. It is situated 4.4 Data Analysis: on the bank of holy river Ganga and is about Frequencies, percentages and mean were 126 meters above the sea level. There are used for analysis of descriptive data. The three phases of evolution of cultural emerging image of Kanpur region is carved landscape which are given below:- out by respondents’ answer. A list of positive 1. Period of first revolt from origin to 1857. and negative factors which are determining issues and concerns of tourism development 2. Period of post first revolt from 1857 to in Kanpur region was prepared after 1947. exhaustive review of literature and 3. Period of After Independence. discussion with the experts in the field. The respondents were ranked these 1. Period of first revolt from origin to determinants in order of preference which 1857 are responsible for future of tourism. Given Legend culture of Kanpur concerns to Sita, ranked in order of the respondents’ the wife of Lord Rama came to live at preference were converted into scores by the ashram of sage Valmiki, after Rama using the following formula: expelled her from Ayodhya which is situated at the bank of Ganga and known as Bithoor Percent position = 100 (R - 0.5)/N (Brahmavarta). It is 25 km far from Kanpur. It Where, was here that she gave birth to the R = Rank of the individual factors in the twins Lava (Ramayana) and Kusha series ranked by an individual. (Ramayana), and disappeared back into the earth (from where she was born). N = Number of factors ranked by an Kanpur was founded by king Hindu Singh of individual. the erstwhile state of Sachendi and was According to Garrett and Woodworth (1981) known as ‘Kanhpur’. Upto the 1st half of the ranking table the percent position of each 18th century Kanpur was an insignificant rank obtained was converted into scores. The 44 Analysis of Cultural Landscape … village. In May, 1765, Shuja-ud-daula the known as North India’s major industrial Nawab Wazir of Awadh was defeated by the centres.In spite of its own historical, religious British near Jajmau. The Britishers relized the and commercial importance it faded into importance of this place and. European oblivious as true passed. At present scenario businessman had gradually started Kanpur is such 11th biggest metropolitan establishing themselves in Kanpur. Kanpur city of India, sprawling over an area of 260 sq was passed into the British hands under the km and also known as educational and treaty of 1801 with Nawab Saadat Ali Khan of commercial capital of Uttar Pradesh. Awadh. This was a turning point in the According to the census 2011, Kanpur has a history of Kanpur as it soon became one of population of 29.20 lakhs, administratively the most important military stations of divided into 6 zones and 110 wards with an British India. It was declared a district on 24th average ward population range of 19000 to March 1803.