Registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under R.N.I 53640/91
Vol. XXVI No. 24, April 1-15, 2017
INTACH seeks more information
Building Crafts
The Heritage Craft & Community Division [HCCD] of the Indian National Trust for Art and Culture Heritage is compiling a Directory of Building Crafts to serve as a documentation of the crafts that have been traditionally used in India’s architecture, including the various techniques and materials. The Directory will contain examples and illustrations of buildings and structures using these crafts; and will also document artisans and craftsmen still engaged in these craft forms.
The listing and documentation of traditional and vernacular building crafts of the Saurashtra region in Gujarat and the Chettinad region in Tamil Nadu has been completed.
The documentation report of the Saurasthra region covers history and culture, building craft communities, resource mapping and the building craft of the region such as Patu-Pidiya roof, stone masonry, carving, metal casting, adobe brick construction, structural woodwork, wood carving, oxide flooring and terrazzo flooring technique.
Similarly, documentation on the Chettinad region covers the history of the Chettinad community, urban planning, architecture and building crafts in Chettinad which are Athangudi tiles, Chettinad lime plaster, wood and stone craft, and clay roof tiles.
The Chettinad region, a small area in Tamil Nadu, is known for its rich architectural heritage and the crafts applied, during the 18th-20th centuries. It flourished due to the international trade of some of the local families.
The Building Craft Heritage of Chettinad is both diverse and difficult to keep alive due to the pressures of modern mass production. There are some distinctive and unique crafts that makes Chettinad unique. The application of these crafts to the palatial houses of local wealthy families has turned this small region into a museum of architectural jewels.
There are different architectural elements, local and imported, that are characteristic of Chettinad mansions: the flooring tiles made in Athangudi area; the terracotta roof tiles to send rainwater to the courtyards; the exclusive lime plaster (made out of sea shell, nutmeg, egg white, etc.) for covering the walls; the wood and granite columns; door frames, brackets and beams with rich and elegant carving; the stucco and stone figures on the facade of houses; the rich ornamented balustrades, cornices and frescoes resembling Thanjavur paintings.
Industrial Heritage
The Architecture Heritage of INTACH embarked on identification of Industrial Heritage in India, for which secondary data collection from various sources has been initiated:
The typologies of buildings and including Railway Station / Power Station/ Ports/ Aqueducts, Bridges. Mills: Places where raw materials are ground for making different substances e.g. food products/ chemicals/ textiles/ wind & water mills/ paper/ cotton. Factories: Places with big machines or plants for producing machinery or goods, e.g. printing/ manufacturing firecrackers/ matchboxes/ shipbuilding/ electronic goods. Mines: Iron ore/ Coal/ Gold/ Diamond/ etc. Warehouses and Stores: For apparels/ footwear/ accessories/ cold storage, etc.
State of Built Heritage
The State of Built Heritage of India is collating information on cases of ‘unprotected’ buildings. This comprises information on the plight and issues concerning built heritage, collated State-wise as well as under ten thematic sections. It is being processed for publication.
The initiative from the recommendations of this project, Mission Municipalika, i.e. communication with Municipal Commissioners and INTACH Convenors, has commenced in selected cities. The objective is to set out the notification process for built heritage in the cities. (Courtesy: Virasat, the INTACT Journal)
