Heritage Conservation for Poverty Alleviation. INTACH s Initiatives in Raghurajpur, Orissa. SK Misra. Chairman, INTACH, New Delhi

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1 Heritage Conservation for Poverty Alleviation INTACH s Initiatives in Raghurajpur, Orissa SK Misra Chairman, INTACH, New Delhi

2 INTACH Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage It shall be the duty of every citizen of India to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture - Fundamental Duties, 51 A, Constitution of India

3 INTACH Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage Committed to this cause, INTACH was established in 1984 as an Autonomous body with the mandate to identify and catalyse the protection of India s unprotected built, natural and art heritage. INTACH has 140 chapters in the country.

4 Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage OUR MISSION TO PROTECT INDIA s TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE HERITAGE, INCLUDING OUR VAST NUMBERS OF UNPROTECTED MONUMENTS AND HISTORIC SITES, OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, OUR MATERIAL CULTURE, AND OUR LIVING TRADITIONS TO SENSITISE THE PUBLIC THROUGH AWARENESS PROGRAMMES, WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS,PUBLICATIONS, AND COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO INTEGRATE THE CONSERVATION OF OUR HERITAGE WITH SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION, PARTICULARLY IN RURAL AREAS

5 Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage OUR MISSION TO ACT AS ADVISORY BODY ON POLICY FORMULATION REGARDING OUR ARCHITECTURAL, NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION PROJECTS CONSERVATION OF WATER RESOURCES, AWARENESS EDUCATION PROGRAMMES, RURAL HERITAGE PROGRAMMES TO UNDERTAKE EMERGENCY RESPONSE MEASURES DURING NATURAL OR MAN-MADE DISASTERS

6 INTACH has now launched.. SUSTAINABLE HERITAGE: VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS TO INTEGRATE HERITAGE PRESERVATION WITH SOCIAL CONCERNS AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION, INTACH HAS DEVELOPED TWO PILOT PROJECTS IN VILLAGES WITH RICH CULTURAL TRADITIONS, WITH THE GOAL OF PROVIDING SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT AND A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE, WHILE PRESERVING THE UNIQUE CHARACTER AND HERITAGE OF EACH VILLAGE. THE PROJECTS ARE UNDERWAY IN: RAGHURAJPUR, ORISSA AND PRAGPUR, HIMACHAL PRADESH

7 RAGHURAJPUR VILLAGE In the eastern coastal state of Orissa, Raghurajpur is about 50 kms. from the capital city of Bhubaneshwar, and 10 kms, from the pilgrimage center of Puri. POPULATION: APPROX. 700 PERSONS PLAN: LINEAR,WITH 2 ROWS OF HOUSES AND 1 ROW OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS PROFESSIONS: ALMOST THE ENTIRE POPULATION IS INVOLVED IN THE VISUAL OR PERFORMING ARTS Fig. Above: A view of the village; Fig. below: Details of a row of houses

8 VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE STONE AND THATCH ROOF CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM MOST HOUSES FACE THE VILLAGE STREET PUBLIC STRUCTURES (SUCH AS TEMPLES) ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE VILLAGE Fig. Above: Row of houses; Fig. below: Temple structure in the middle of the vllage

9 NATURAL FEATURES THE NATURAL RESOURCES INCLUDE: BETEL LEAF PLANTATION; WATER BODIES; COCONUT GROVES Fig. Above: Betel leaf plantation; Fig. below: Water body within coconut grove

10 A day in the life of the villagers

11 Regular village meetings..

12 Meetings of village women..

13 Fairs and festivals..

14 Ritual feeding of village children..

15 Arts and Crafts.. The village has 108 households. A majority of them are craftspersons belonging to the Chitrakara caste, a depressed community, living well below the poverty line The village is rich in intangible living heritage art, crafts and dance traditions but they had all lost viability in recent years This small village boasts a number of artists who have been honored with national awards, including the Padma Vibhushana (second highest civilian award in the country), the Padma Shree, and 6 National Craftsman Awards.

16 Arts and Crafts.. A variety of crafts are practiced in the village, including papiermache, pattachitra paintings, palm-leaf manuscripts, and stone and wooden sculptures. Almost every house, in fact, is an artist s studio Performing arts are also represented, most notably with Gotipua, the dance tradition still followed in the typical Guru-Shishya Parampara

17 Pattachitra Paintings..

18 Palm leaf manuscripts..

19 Papier-mache..

20 Wooden religious figures..

21 Paintings on coconut kernel..

22 Stone sculptures..

23 Extension of the artist s studio..

24 Gotipua Dance Tradition..

25 INTACH s initiatives in Raghurajpur.. Wall Paintings revival programme Integrated Development Plan

26 Wall Painting Revival Programme Traditionally, much of the livelihood of the village was based on mural painting and crafts skills, but these traditions had lost viability. Many painters had turned to agriculture and were living in poverty. The Revival Programme is: Reviving the tradition; Providing training for artists and masons; Encouraging artists to re-learn traditional forms of paintings as well as to experiment with creative adaptation; Preparing a comprehensive documentation of the programme

27 Mural Paintings Programme Through publication and widespread distribution of an attractive brochure, as well as other marketing techniques, INTACH encourages business houses, hotels and private individuals to commission artists for wall painting projects.

28 Results to Date: Employment opportunities have increased. Craftsmen enjoy improved working conditions and increased opportunities. Craftsmen receive commissions on a year-round basis, thus providing income during the months when tourist traffic is low Women are full participants. Many craftsmen who had stopped practicing their traditional professions have now returned to them.

29 Research into wall painting iconography..

30 Preparation of lime mortar using traditional methods..

31 Plastering walls with lime in preparation for painting..

32 Preparation of colour pigments..

33 Village elders painting on lime plastered walls..

34 Training the village youth..

35 Village girls participating in the revival programme..

36 Examples of wall paintings..

37 Catching the attention of the media..

38 Dissemination of the knowledge (Training programmes)..

39 Integrated Development Plan: The objective is to generate additional employment opportunities through increased tourism, by strengthening infrastructure and other facilities and by marketing local products. The main initiatives are: Sustenance and Development of the crafts traditions of the village by providing a Women s Craft Centre; training programmes for revival and design innovations in each crafts category; creating self help groups; establishing marketing infrastructure; and generating new employment opportunities for both men and women

40 Raghurajpur is in the process of becoming a model for sensitive development of rural and heritage tourism, for both domestic and foreign tourists. There is also potential for further growth. Facilities created include: Heritage Interpretation Centre Small restaurant to be managed by the local community Tourist Lodge to be managed by local community Street Signage Open Air Theatre Nature walks All construction is done in the local vernacular tradition

41 Improvement of infrastructure within the village includes widening of roads, paving village streets, supplying drinking water supply to each household, providing toilets for each household (with UNICEF), developing village storm water and waste water drainage, and encouraging rain water harvesting, all in partnership with various government agencies An architectural vocabulary is being developed that blends with the local environment and traditions and revolves around rural imagery Guidelines are being suggested for new construction, to protect the natural environment. Community participation is ensured at all levels. Employment Opportunities: are being developed through marketing and coordination with outlets outside the village

42 Improvement of village streets..

43 Restaurant block..

44 Open Air Theatre..

45 Tourist Lodge

46 Gurukul

47 Establishing a Crafts Centre

48 . A recent report assessing the Raghurajpur Project notes that it has brought about socio-economic changes, and revived traditional visual and performing art forms, transforming them into lucrative economic options

49 The key elements in this accomplishment have been: Close partnerships with national and local government bodies as well as with international funding agencies; Complete participation of the community at all stages; And, perhaps most important, INTACH s unwavering belief that our heritage is not only our past, but the foundation upon which we can build a meaningful and sustainable future.

50 Thank you..