Changing heritage imageability of an ancient Indian sacred city – a case of Puri
Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development
ISSN: 2044-1266
Article publication date: 1 November 2024
Abstract
Purpose
India is an abode of several ancient heritage and sacred cities. However, limited heritage sites have been appropriately documented to date. Hence, limited information is available on the historical development, existing settings and challenges of ancient heritage cities. Puri, a prime sacred and heritage city, is selected to demonstrate the historical and spatial development and current issues of ancient Indian heritage cities.
Design/methodology/approach
Site visits, documentation of the existing settings and interviews with stakeholders and historians were conducted to understand this city's evolution and existing issues. Also, content analysis is administered to rank the stakeholders’ perceptions of the current challenges in the town.
Findings
The results reveal that the scarcity of resources, encroachment of public spaces, insufficient infrastructure and lack of maintenance of heritage structures are the major challenges for Puri. Also, the absence of collaboration between the involved agencies and heritage site-specific guidelines hinders the city’s redevelopment.
Practical implications
This research discusses the development phases and current issues of a prime heritage city in India. This knowledge will help urban planners and policymakers formulate policies for Puri's holistic development.
Originality/value
This is the first comprehensive research on historical development, current issues, and the reasons for any heritage city in Odisha state of India. This paper will help the academic literature to understand the chronological growth pattern in ancient, medieval, colonial, and post-colonial periods, as well as current issues and changing heritage imageability of Indian heritage sites of a similar nature.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research is funded by the Indian Knowledge Systems Division, All India Council For Technical Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India (File number: AICTE/IKS/REP1/2021-22/03).
Citation
Mohanty, R.N., Mohanta, A. and Chani, P.S. (2024), "Changing heritage imageability of an ancient Indian sacred city – a case of Puri", Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCHMSD-02-2023-0015
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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