Khajuraho Heritage Region :
Conservation and Sustainable Development Strategy
Khajuraho
- Was it the last
blossoming of Hindu architecture and temple iconography? Or was it an epitome
of tantric cult worship? Or was it the product of an age of
joyous abandon and permissiveness, or a display of uninhibited sexual behavior
in both literature and arts, as is evident from the temples of Khajuraho?
The debate goes on...but...more
importantly, a new debate is also taking place today - will these
structures last long? Can these exquisite temples bear the ravages of rampant
development? This is the paramount concern in the minds of conservationists
and people concerned about Khajuraho.
The famous Khajuraho temples were
built in the period 950 to 1000 AD and it was rediscovered in 1838, when T.S.
Burt, an East India Company military officer, chanced upon these beautiful
temples and wrote about it in the Asiatic Journal in 1839.
In the year 1986, UNESCO recognised
Khajuraho as a World Heritage Site for its "human creativity", and
it became one of the 22 world heritage sites.
Khajuraho is famous the world over for its temples
and that is what draws many people to this mystic and beautiful complex. The
explicit and enthralling friezes at Khajuraho’s temples have been something
of an enigma to historians. Since no definite pointers could be found about
the symbolism and sexual imagery characterising this El Dorado of
architectural and sculptural excellence, they have more or less maintained
a sagacious silence- and as a result,
Khajuraho has over the years sadly been relegated to the sex-tourism industry
and a one-day stopover on the tourist circuit.
But what is disheartening is the degenerating
condition of these monuments of national pride. The forces of nature,
unplanned growth, rampant pace of development and the resulting pollution, and
years of exploitation for petty gains like more tourists and more money, have
taken their toll on these monuments. Besides the monuments, the environs
nearby also show evidence of degeneration. Khajuraho site once boasted of
beautiful lakes, which are now on the verge of extinction. Simultaneously, the
scarcity of water in Khajuraho town is gradually being felt by local people
and tourists alike.
History talks about dense forests in
the temple complex, which have now vanished into the blue.
The temples may suffer due to the
presence of the airport in close proximity. There is heavy traffic next to the
temple. Right at the doorstep, one can see a ghetto of shopping complexes,
parking lots, garbage dumps and all other signs of unplanned urbanization.
Thus, the processes of weathering, vandalism, pollution due to rapid
urbanisation and unregulated development of tourism have left their scars on
Khajuraho.
The social fabric and the local
economy have also undergone forced unnatural changes. All though the economy
of Khajuraho has grown significantly over the years, the local communities are
more alienated than before. All this will have fatal implications on the
long-term sustainability of tourism and urbanisation in Khajuraho.
As with many other heritage sites in
India, Khajuraho presents a fundamental dilemma. On the one hand there exists
the splendour of the temples and on the other, unregulated urbanisation
threatening itself and the temples.
An analysis of all conservation
efforts taken up in India has proved that piecemeal, isolated restoration work
does not deliver results and must be replaced by holistic preservation
programmes, borne out of interaction with historians, city-planners, local
people, environmentalists and conservationists.
To arrest the above mentioned
degeneration of the environs in Khajuraho, in December 1997, the Indian
National Trust for Art, Culture and Heritage (INTACH) in collaboration with
Development Alternatives submitted a proposal to the Government of Madhya
Pradesh. The proposal was to prepare a Conservation and Sustainable
Development Strategy for the Khajuraho Heritage Region. This was approved
by the Government of Madhya Pradesh with an initial grant. An equivalent
amount was provided by Lady Helen Hamlyn, United Kingdom and supplementary
contributions have been made by the INTACH-UK Trust and Development
Alternatives. The project was initiated in January 1998 and completed within a
period of one year.
This report was presented to the Hon.
President of India, Shri K.R. Narayanan, on 7 March,1999 at Khajuraho during
the millennium celebrations. The President praised the work of the Khajuraho
Planning Team and remarked that this report was one of the best examples of
micro-level planning he had seen and that every district in India should
benefit from this methodology, whether it had temples or not.
The Khajuraho Planning Team consisted of
professionals with expertise in environmental and landscape planning, heritage
conservation, infrastructure development and tourism planning, within an
overall perspective of sustainable development. This team
was supported by advisors and a Technical Review Committee was set up by
INTACH.
The Khajuraho Planning Team adopted a
consultative approach with a series of focus group discussions and
participatory rural appraisal meetings to formulate a comprehensive strategy.
Various resource persons, with expertise in constituent issues from within and
outside Khajuraho were also consulted.
This strategy attempted to rejuvenate
the conceptual and physical environment of Khajuraho, with its numerous
temples and tanks set amidst verdant villages, without losing sight of the
realities of the present and future: the needs and aspirations of the people,
the growing demands of tourism and the resultant impact on the region.
The area around the World Heritage
Site was surveyed to map all relevant physical characteristics and a detailed
inventory of all the heritage components was prepared. Satellite imagery
interpretation coupled with ground-truth verification and rigorous
consultations enabled a detailed assessment of the natural resource condition
in the whole region.
The Report
The Conservation and Sustainable
Development Strategy document for the Khajuraho Heritage Region consists of
the following aspects:
It provides a background to the
project and explores the broader historical cultural region of Khajuraho which
extends over a large portion of Central India. Delineation for this study
consisted of :
· The
Khajuraho Heritage Region comprising approximately 38,000 hectares spanning
42 villages with approximately 65,000 people.
· Within
this region, the inter-dependence between the activities resulted in the
definition of the Khajuraho Heritage Zone which includes 14,000 hectares
spanning 12 villages with approximately 30,000 people where all the prime
heritage components identified are located.
· The
immediate environs around the World Heritage Site were also delineated for
detailed action proposals.
It also presents a detailed
analysis of the current situation in the Khajuraho Heritage Region
keeping the following parameters in view:
The Land
The problems and potentials of the
natural resource base was analyzed. Nearly half the total land in the region
has, over the years, degenerated into a wasteland. Most of these areas have
to be carefully nurtured back into productive use through appropriate soil
conservation measures. Similarly, prudent management measures will also
enable about one-third of the total land to generate higher yields than are
available from the present single-crop agricultural systems.
The Water
Water is probably the singular
limiting factor that will determine the development pattern of the region.
Scarcity of water is already being felt due to the inequitable distribution
and misuse by some. It is absolutely essential that the two bulk consumers -
the farmers in the region and the tourism related activities in Khajuraho
town - use water more prudently. At the same time, water availability can be
enhanced by desalting existing tanks and ponds, lining canals and recharging
ground water using water harvesting structures like gully plugs, check-dams,
reforestation and other soil conservation measures.
Rich Cultural Heritage
The cultural resource entity of
Khajuraho extends to a far broader area than the well known heritage
monuments in and around Khajuraho town. Several layers of heritage
components belonging to various historical periods were carefully surveyed,
documented and analyzed.
Local Economy
Agriculture is the predominant
occupation for most people in the region. However, it does not gainfully
absorb even the present dependent population. Unemployed youth are gradually
moving towards non-farm activities. Supply of processed and semi-processed
farm products to the tourist industry in Khajuraho, in addition to travel
and tourism related services, has been suggested. Potential also exists for
income-generating opportunities based on traditional skills and crafts such
as bamboo crafts, pottery, carpentry, leather craft, gold smithy and
vegetable growing.
Visitor Facilities
Tourism is the next important contributor to the
local economy. Careful assessment indicates that over the next six years, the Khajuraho Heritage
Region (not merely the town of Khajuraho) can host approximately double the
current 2,30,000 visitors, especially the domestic ones. However, it is
essential that visitors extend their stay in Khajuraho Region beyond the
present one or two day period, such that the people of Khajuraho Region and
also the tourists benefit more from the visit. Regional air, rail and road
transportation systems will have to be significantly improved to aid the
local population and visitors. Other tourism facilities need improvement and
it is essential to have customized packages for ensuring that different
categories of visitors increase their stay.
The Landscape
Within the immediate environs of
the World Heritage Site, several activities over the years have fragmented
the unique character of the Khajuraho landscape. After tracing the evolution
of the landscape, some of the traditional and urban landscape elements were
carefully analysed. Important views that need to be restored and preserved
are highlighted. Temple settings are also examined in detail to ascertain
the action required for conservation and appropriate interpretation of the
invaluable heritage of the region.
Management Systems
Urban management in Khajuraho over
the last two decades has undergone considerable changes with the
establishment and dissolution of the Special Area Development Authority (SADA)
and also changes in the SADA boundaries. Within this Region, very few
important monuments are protected by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI).
Current development processes have also resulted in a situation where most
stakeholders do not really have a sense of ownership in vital activities
within the Khajuraho Heritage Region. Effective decentralised governance
systems will have to be set in place to ensure that the conservation and
sustainable development processes are nurtured.
Action Programme
The next section of the report
presents the action programme consisting of three integrated
components with their action proposals:
- Integrated Heritage Management
- Sustainable Tourism Development
- Integrated Community Development
The Integrated Heritage
Management Programme proposes the establishment of development control
and regulatory mechanisms to significantly improve the immediate environs
around the World Heritage Site. As a means of restoring respect and status
to the heritage, specific recommendations have been made to conserve the
unique landscape character and view the corridors of Khajuraho. Landscape
improvement projects for the Western Group of Temples and other monuments
are outlined. Specific proposals are also drawn up for tree planting,
improvements in circulation patterns, new parking areas, shops and
amenities in all important locations. Suggestions are also provided for
revitalising and managing various heritage components, including
archeological mounds, eighteenth century gardens, temples, traditional
settlements, vernacular architecture, water bodies and other natural
landscape features. The protection and interpretation measures are to be
implemented with the participation of the local communities. The proposal
for a Khajuraho Heritage Resource Center has also been provided.
The Sustainable Tourism
Development component of the action programme provides specific
suggestions for improvement of air, rail and road transport systems such
that it becomes more convenient to visitors and also benefits the local
communities. Proposals for up gradation of tourism facilities including signage's, tourist information
centers, rest houses, refreshment stalls,
toilet facilities and drinking water facilities are also provided. For
enriching the experience of the visitor to Khajuraho and enhancing
benefits to the local communities by increasing the number of stay-days,
a variety of tourist circuits in and around Khajuraho Region are outlined.
These include heritage walks in the Khajuraho area, heritage trails in the
heritage zone and broader regional circuits.
The Integrated Community Development
component
provides detailed proposals on land and water management. These include
regeneration of wastelands, introduction of agro-forestry practices,
nurseries for forest and fruit trees, desalting of ponds and tanks,
seepage control measures and soil and water conservation systems. A range
of livelihood options, including leaf cup production, ber
churan production, pisciculture, papad and badi production,
biomass energy briquette production and vegetable farming are also
profiled. Local crafts like basket-making, carpentry and pottery that can
be revived are also outlined. Measures to improve the availability and
access to community and infrastructure facilities are then proposed. These
include improvement of village roads, up gradation of health
infrastructure, community health care systems, up gradation of educational
infrastructure, augmentation of drinking water systems, solid waste
management and improvement of sanitation facilities. The hierarchy of
settlements visualised is also provided.
The concluding section describes
the implementation mechanism that is needed to be set in place to ensure
that the proposals outlined in the action programme are effectively
executed. The action programme is visualised in three phases of six years,
including the millennium launch (one year), the growth phase (two years)
and the sustenance phase (three years). The strategy also suggests the
setting up of a professionally managed Khajuraho Heritage Trust Fund to
finance the action programme in a transparent, accountable and sustained
manner over a long term.
Based on the 73rd and 74th
Constitutional Amendments, the strategy recommends the setting up of the
Khajuraho Virasat Samiti as a coordinating institution to ensure that
inputs of all the agencies operating in the Khajuraho Region are
efficiently dovetailed. Finally, the life cycle of a typical project is
described to understand the steps involved to ensure that a project is
implemented with the full involvement and ownership of the local agencies
and communities.
About Khajuraho, a lot of
unanswered questions still exist - Did it exist in an unpopulated vacuum?
Were there houses, palaces, schools, and other secular buildings at the
sight ? Why were they abandoned, how did the society function, was it a
highly epicurean and indulgent society or simply were followers of a pious
school of tantric cults?
But, the answer to the question- Which
path should Khajuraho follow to retain its place in the annals of history-
can be found in the report.
q
Reported by Aparajita Gogoi
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