Conservation

South Asia
South Asian Network of Young Conservation Professionals

S A N E Y O C O P N e w s l e t t e r
Vo l . 2 / N o . 3 Sept.- Dec. 2010

Contents Editorial

Reflections on Heritage Values - 2

Dr. Kapila D. Silva

From the Moderator’s Desk - 3

Neel Kamal Chapagain

Industrial Planning Heritage of South Asia:

An Early Example of Landscape Urbanism in Jamshedpur, India - 4
Dr. Amita Sinha

Revisiting the Traditional Practices of Conservation of Timber Heritage of Travancore in Kerala,

India - 6
Dr. Binumol Tom

Khoksar Excavation in 2061/62 B.S (2004/2005 A.D.), Nepal- 9

Prakash Darnal

Impact of Ancient & Modern Building Technologies on Environment- 12

Mohammad Farhan Fazli & Khan Amadur Rahman

SANEYOCOP Panel @ 39th Annual Conference on South Asia - 17

Neel Kamal Chapagain

International Conference on Disaster Management and Cultural Heritage in Bhutan - 18

Dorji Yangki & Dr. Rohit Jigyasu

Book Review - 19
Annie Varma

Editor Editorial
Jhilmil Kishore Welcome to the third and final issue of CSA Newsletter for the year 2010. I would like to take this
opportunity to thank all the members whose contributions to the newsletter have made its revival a real
success., members who have constantly encouraged, supported and applauded the hard work that has
Contributors gone on behind the scenes and members who have actively networked to promote SANEYOCOP and its
Amita Sinha mission.
Annie Varma
In this issue of CSA, we start with Reflections on Heritage Values by Kapila wherein he explores value
Binumol Tom based management in heritage conservation and whether it is an appropriate approach to follow. Amita
Dorji Yangki presents us an interesting case study of Industrial Planning heritage of Soth Asia with example of steel city
Kapila D. Silva of Jamshedpur and its Urban Landscape. Binu revisits the traditional practices of conservation of timber
Khan Amadur Rahman heritage using the case study of the palace of Padmanabhapuram in Travancore, Kerela.
Mohammad Farhan Fazli
Neel Kamal Chapagain Continuing the the theme of traditional construction practices, Farhan and Amadur discuss the impact
Prakash Darnal of ancient and modern building technologies on Environment. Prakash brings us his study of Khoksar
Rohit Jigyasu excavations in Nepal- reinforcing the importance of archeaology within the spectrum of conservation in
South Asia.

Dorji and Rohit bring us the report on International conference on Disaster Management and Cultural
Heritage in Bhutan. At this point, on behalf of the SANEYOCOP membership, I would like to congratulate
Dorji for receiving the prestigious National Royal Award 2010. This award is given to individuals on
the National Day of Bhutan 17th December for “Outstanding and exemplary contribution in the field
Moderator of culture and value system to the society. Given “To recognize deserving individuals who have made
Neel Kamal Chapagain extraordinary contribution through their selfless service and initiatives to benefit one’s community and
country at large”- Royal Civil Service Commission of Bhutan. Heartiest Congratulations Dorji.

Neel presents a report on SANEYOCOP’s panel at the 39th Annual Conference on South Asia held at
Wisconsin, and finally, we have a book review by Annie, Landscapes in India- written by one of our very
Disclaimer: own members- Dr. Amita Sinha. In Annie’s words- ‘The book offers substantial perspectives on heritage
The contents of and opinions expressed
in the articles are those of authors and
conservation in India than purely discussing the vocabulary of landscapes’.
not necessarily shared by the publisher
of this publication.
- Jhilmil Kishore
All Rights Reserved
© 2010. SANEYOCOP 
Conservation
S o u t h Asia
Reflections on Heritage Values
By Dr. Kapila D. Silva
Value-based management is in vogue in heritage conservation.
Historic places and practices are declared part of a nation’s
heritage that is worthy of preservation based on outstanding
values the places and practices hold. For example, in order to
receive universal recognition, cultural and natural places should
have aesthetic, archaeological, anthropological, educational, and
similar values in historical, artistic or scientific point of view.When
places and practices are selected as significant heritage elements, a
critical step is to clearly articulate how above values are embodied
in such elements. Task of heritage management is then to sustain
those values of heritage elements. Value-based management thus
provides a useful framework for heritage conservation.
For effective use of this framework, it is necessary to critically
evaluate its underlying assumptions, however. These values are
laid out as a set of objective, rational, and fixed criteria that is
universally applicable across space and time.This assumed universal
fit of the value framework facilitates the equal appreciation of
diverse heritage places and practices. However, the question is
whether values can be so objective constants.Values are inherently
normative, subjective, and ephemeral. Definition of values
depends upon the worldview of the evaluator. The often cited
heritage values, such as aesthetic, archaeological, anthropological
and the like, are clearly academic discipline-based, delineated by
professionals, and agreed upon within an institutional culture
of heritage management. Obviously local communities do not
attribute similar values to their heritage places and practices.
Even within a single community, there may be different sub-groups
who may place rather different values upon the same heritage
element. These community values are rarely understood and
hardly connected with the institutionalized values attributed to
heritage elements. In addition, institutional values such as aesthetic,
archaeological, and anthropological are often narrowly defined in
relation to heritage elements with no associative reference to
its wider socio-economic context. Furthermore, as values are
part of cultural normative system, they transform synchronously
with cultural change. This questions the assumed objective and
invariable nature of heritage values and the very conservation
practices that endeavor to sustain them.
If places and practices are heritages of local community,
shouldn’t its own heritage values be the basis for managing their
cultural heritage? Shouldn’t engaging the community in heritage
management be started from identifying community heritage
values? Why don’t we see heritage values defined in community
terms in heritage conservation documents or case studies instead
of institutional values? One reason is the uncritical acceptance of
the institutional value framework by heritage practitioners at local
level. Another reason is the problematic conception of heritage
elements as physical entities devoid of intangible dimensions.
Labeling cultural practices intangible heritage and cultural spaces
tangible heritage completely disregards the fact that cultural places
and practices have both tangible and intangible dimensions. Such
misnomers also ignore the fact that real intangible dimensions of
heritage are the values people attribute to places and practices in
appropriating those as part of their heritage and this very process
of value attribution in constructing heritage. Places, practices and
objects have no intrinsic heritage value unless someone make that
claim by attributing certain value to these. Heritage professionals
attach their institutionalized value set; community assigns their own
values; and, other stakeholders associate heritage elements with
values that may be contrary to the former. Same heritage element
could be associated with multiple set of values based on divergent
criteria by different groups. This is why many heritage places
become contested landscapes. This complexity of ‘constructing
heritage’ becomes incomprehensible when we uncritically follow a
universal framework of heritage values. Heritage elements should
not be perceived mere historic physical things to be preserved,
but as entities attributed with meanings and values, which are
constantly being negotiated by different societal constituents.
In a study involving residents of the World Heritage City of Kandy
in Sri Lanka, I found that the residents conceive the city in terms
of interrelated set of four core-values. These are the sacrality,
historic solemnity, scenic serenity, and sense of well-being of the
City. These values were based upon historic and contemporary
situations of the city as well as its social, cultural, economic, political,
and environmental dimensions. Residents were not thinking about
the heritage of Kandy in terms of its aesthetic or anthropological
values. The quintessential sense of place of Kandy was these four
intricately connected core dimensions. For residents, value of
Kandy and its heritage is based upon these. Residents considered
the growing physical congestion, loss of natural landscape,
ineffective local governance, and ethno-religious tensions in the
society detrimental to these quintessential value of Kandy. Careful
analysis of tourism and real estate industries in the city indicated
that these industries are based upon these four core values of the
city. That is what was sold to tourists and to home-buyers. Values
of Kandy were thus intricately connected to socio-economic
progress of the city. Unfortunately, the heritage conservation in
Kandy was stuck within the received institutionalized framework
SANEYOCOP Newsletter Vol.2 No. 3. 2010 
Conservation
S o u t h Asia
Reflections on Heritage Values (contd.)
By Dr. Kapila D. Silva
of heritage values and restoration of historic temples. It could
not see the broader context of Kandyan heritage as it is seen by
its own community and how Kandyan heritage is connected to
the socio-economic future of the city. The values the community
associated with their city could have been a larger conceptual
framework that guides both conservation and development of
the city, establishing the crucial connection between heritage
conservation and socio-economic development.
There is value in value-based management of heritage. What
makes a place or practice a heritage element is the values we
attributed to it. Thus, value-based management is an appropriate
From the Moderator’s Desk
2010 to 2011: From the revival of the newsletter towards a
possibility of a journal
2010 has been an exciting year with the revival of the CSA
newsletter after being idle for four years. We all must thank
Jhilmil Kishore for taking up the challenge of putting together all
three pre-scheduled editions of the newsletter this year. More
importantly, she has continued to offer to coordinate this effort
further in 2011. Thank you, Jhilmil!!!
As we excitedly look forward to a new year, we are currently
overwhelmed by another encouraging suggestion that has come
from different groups simultaneously. That is the need and
prospect of turning the newsletter into a journal. The need has
been pointed for the fact that some of the published articles
in the CSA newsletter has been of a journal quality, and that
publishing them in a “newsletter” is actually undermining the
individual article’s merit. Well, that may be a valid concern but
at the same time I would like to share that the circulation and
acknowledgement of the newsletter at different fronts have
also been encouraging and promising. For example – book
reviews published in the past issues of newsletter have been
acknowledged by author/editor of the respective books by citing
the book reviews published in the CSA newsletter and sharing the
newsletter in other forums, as well as growing acknowledgement
of the newsletter by national and international organizations.
However, the rejoice of current work should not preclude us
from thinking forward towards a potential journal.
approach to follow. It should not, however, merely be dependent
upon the institutional framework widely adhered to by heritage
practitioners.Values associated with places and practices are multi-
dimensional and transitory.This complexity should be understood
and be effectively integrated into the conservation practice and
economic development. Managing each heritage element should
be undertaken for its own worth without adopting universal,
objective assumptions. What values are attributed, by whom, and
how should be examined for each given scenario. This requires
critical thinking from heritage managers.
Dr. Kapila D. Silva is an Assistant Professor at the School of Architecture,
Design & Planning at the University of Kansas.
One suggestion – that I personally consider as an honor for
our efforts – has been to consider collaborating with a reputed
professional journal so that some of the contents of the CSA
newsletter can systematically be fed into the well established
journal. This is suggested with a good intention of practically
complimenting the limited resources at our disposal. We
greatly appreciate such suggestions, and are open for further
discussion regarding such collaboration. Our common interest
and concern for heritage conservation is what brings us
together and motivates for any potential collaboration. So, we
remain open and will work towards exploring the potential of
a journal publication. Obviously, that will be an overwhelming
task that requires a dedicated group of peer-reviewers and
a consistent management system. Please feel free to email
me your interest/suggestion regarding this, or to share your
thoughts among the SANEYOCOP members through our
group email forum.
In any case, we are committed to continue the newsletter
while exploring other avenues of meaningful conversation on
heritage conservation. May our endeavors and collaborations
continue to bear fruit in the New Year 2011 – HAPPY NEW
YEAR!!!
- Neel Kamal Chapagain
SANEYOCOP Newsletter Vol.2 No. 3. 2010 
Conservation
S o u t h Asia

Industrial Planning Heritage of South Asia:

An Early Example of Landscape Urbanism in Jamshedpur, India
By Dr. Amita Sinha

The steel city of Jamshedpur originated in a small company
town in the backwaters of eastern India as a new experiment in
urbanism in 1907. It celebrated its 100 years of existence in 2008
having won the UN Global Compact City Award. It is considered
to be a remarkable success story in the face of the decline of
company towns elsewhere in the world. Jamshedpur represents
a regional variation of the universal garden city prototype. The
garden city image is resonant with many aspects of Jamshedpur—
its low density, plentiful greenery, and well-designed bungalows—
although the city is the inverse of the prototype with industry
instead of a garden at the center. The flexibility of the original idea
allowed its application in widely different cultural, institutional and
economic contexts including one of a company town that grew to
be the first industrial city in South Asia.
While New Delhi and Chandigarh were designed by star
architects and conceived in totality, Jamshedpur was incrementally
planned not by well-known designers but by engineers and an
architect from 1911-1945. Each plan had to respond to the one
before it and to the new requirements created by a rapidly
expanding industry and burgeoning work force. Originating as a
small company town it became a full-fledged industrial township
in the Temple Planning Report.1 The close attention given by F.C.
Temple to landscape in planning the urban infrastructure went far
beyond the conservancy approach practiced by civic improvement
trusts of nineteenth century colonial India. Temple, a sanitary
engineer for Orissa and Bihar states was appointed in 1918 as the
Chief Engineer of Jamshedpur to plan the growing township. The
Temple Plan was innovative, an exercise in ecological urbanism
and sensitive to the lie of the land and the culture of indigenous
communities. Undoubtedly influenced by the garden city planning
principles and perhaps also by Patrick Geddes’ work in India on
civic improvement (although Temple never acknowledges either in
his publication and report) it was ahead of its time in its approach
to environmental and community planning.
in building their huts and cart-tracks influenced his proposal for
extending the street system. Using the cart-tracks on the ridge
line as the basis, he designed an inner circle that connected the
already developed core to areas on the north, east and west
through ‘loops’. To protect the riverfront from industrial pollution
and the town waste and to preserve its scenic quality, he designed
a low level outer circle road with an intercepting sewer, connected
to the inner circle road by ‘links’. The street and drainage systems,
along the ridges and gullies, resulted in an open space system
of parks and parkways distributed throughout the town. Dry
weather flow was carried in the surface drains along the contours
while the overflow storm water irrigated the parkways in swales.
Water-borne sewerage system was introduced with sewage,
instead of emptying into the rivers, collected from underground
gravity sewers, pumped into the purification plant and the manure
used as fertilizer in a sewage farm.
In accordance with the prevalent garden city ideals of
low density, Temple proposed a housing density of 12 units per
acre, balancing the generous 1-1½ acres of bungalows with
¼ acre plots of new quarters that he designed in three blocks
with the fourth block kept as open space. He recognized that
the intractable problem of housing shortage could be best solved
by improving the drainage and sanitation of squatter settlements
and preservation of old tribal villages. Innovative for the times

Like the garden city of Letchworth and the model

industrial village of New Earswick designed by Barry Parker and
Raymond Unwin in UK,Temple’s Plan was adapted to the contours
of the site but unlike them it had to contend with the fact that
township already existed around the steel plant. Industry at the
center, not at the periphery, flanked by housing interspersed with
squatter settlements (bustees) was the prevailing spatial pattern
that could not be effaced. Temple’s close and insightful reading
Image Courtsey Tata Steel Archives, Russi Mody Centre for
of how the earlier tribal settlements had utilized the topography Excellence, Jamshedpur

SANEYOCOP Newsletter Vol.2 No. 3. 2010 

Conservation
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Industrial Planning Heritage of South Asia:
An Early Example of Landscape Urbanism in Jamshedpur, India (contd.)
By Dr. Amita Sinha
was Temple’s insightful understanding of tribal ways of life and its
translation in hexagonal settlement pattern inspired by Rudolf
Miller’s work in Vienna. This pattern allowed small clusters of 12
huts surrounding a central open space, all enclosed by hexagonal
roads 500’ apart. He believed that the adivasis (tribal communities)
should have the freedom to build their huts in any manner they
liked, with the water tank and bathing platforms in the center
similar to the tanks in old settlements.
Temple’s plan was largely implemented. It expanded
the town considerably by constructing 62 miles of roads, 2,315
dwellings, improving markets in Bistupur, Dhatkidih and Sakchi,
along with a functioning waterworks and sewer system.Two villages
for adivasis were laid out in Sonari and Kasidih. Other industries
associated with Tata Steel--Tinplate, Indian Cable Company, Indian
Steel Wires Products Ltd.--were given land and the street system
was extended eastward on ridges parallel to the central ridge,
with bungalows built on the crest and quarters on the slopes.
Temple’s planning principles such as the gravitational sewerage
system, street system adapted to the contours, and the parkway
system in natural drains, were sound and have withstood the
passage of time, lending the older parts of Jamshedpur a spacious
feel. Temple’s sensitivity to topography in developing the street
and sewerage system and open space network ensured generous
parkways, good public sanitation, and cohesive circulation. His
community design for tribal workers although low-cost and
using local resources and skills did not live up to its promise of
sustainability.
If one were to abide by the maxim that the lessons
from the past contain the seeds of future, Jamshedpur’s chronicle
tells us that planning in South Asia works best when coupled
with a regulatory framework and sound management practices
of the kind that Tata Steel was able to provide through its Town
Planning Department. Failures of company towns such as Pullman
in the US have been explained in terms of restrictive policies of
management but the success of Tata Steel in Jamshedpur shows
it to be not a general rule. Public sanitation issues continue to
plague Indian urbanism even today as much as they had done in
the early 20th century. The woefully inadequate and ill-designed
urban infrastructure of most Indian cities throws into sharp relief
the success of Temple Plan in creating a well-functioning landscape
based infrastructure adapted to local site conditions.
Upon completing 100 years of its existence, it is time for
Jamshedpur to take stock of its planning heritage. The new avatar
of the garden city is the green city characterized by greenbelts
and preserved open space accessible from population centers.
Jamshedpur can build upon the symbolic capital bequeathed by
the international garden city movement taking root in the remote
eastern corner of colonial India in early twentieth century by
refurbishing its image as a green city of the twenty first century.
Investment in green technologies, innovative environmental
remediation programs, and greenways will build its reputation as
the green city and a model for new development in South Asia.
1 Temple, F.C. Report on Town Planning. Jamshedpur Social
Welfare Series, November 1919.
Amita Sinha is a Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture
at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, USA. She has worked
extensively on heritage sites and is the author of Landscapes in India:
Forms and Meanings (University Press of Colorado, 2006)
SANEYOCOP Newsletter Vol.2 No. 3. 2010 
Conservation
S o u t h Asia

Revisiting the Traditional Practices of Conservation of Timber Heritage of Travancore in Kerela, India
By Dr. Binumol Tom

Men have been building with wood from time immemorial.
In some cases, historic buildings are built completely of wood so that
wood constitutes the structure as well as the architectural form.The
regional and local variations of timber architecture make it all the
more fascinating. Under proper conditions, wood gives centuries
of service.Timber preserves traces of history of our tradition and
through traditional timber structures we have the opportunity to
understand history in a way that can never be verbalized or told
by books, if one develops the capacity to interpret such traces. No
timber structure is immune to deterioration and disintegration if
exposed to the natural environment for a sufficiently long period.
But the service life of individual components depends on factors
such as the species of wood used in construction, the use to which
the timber is put, whether it is the heartwood or sapwood that is
used and the context and the environmental conditions to which
it is exposed. Timber in historic structures provides specialized
ecological niches and many organisms have evolved to use it as
a food and hence timber structures are susceptible to biological
attack and needs preservation treatments.The ultimate aim in any
preservation and repair of historic structure should be to use
compatible materials and technology that are less harmful to the
environment and mankind. The science of wood preservation is
essentially, the treatment of wood to give it longer span of service
life. This involves the placement within the wood microstructure,
of preservative chemicals that are antagonistic to wood destroying
agencies, which may not be always a sustainable practice.This calls
for an urgent necessity of documenting the traditional knowledge
in timber tradition and is highly necessary in contemporary
conservation and preservation practices.
Knowledge of tradition becomes the gateway to gather
information buried in the vast files of our rich cultural heritage.
The region of Travancore, the erstwhile princely kingdom which
lie in the geographical regions that extended from the present
day Marthandom (Tamil Nadu) in the South, to Cochin (Kerala) in
the North, is blessed with a legacy of rich traditional architectural
heritage in timber.Timber buildings of Travancore were constructed
in a way that they never carried the seeds of their own decline
by the carpenters (thachans) who were excellent designers who
had a deep understanding of the uses and limitations of timber as
a building material.
Traditional wisdom of Travancore is not just confined to excellent
timber construction but begins with the right selection of the day
when the tree from which timber would be processed, is felled.
Moon is said to have a profound influence on all living things. The
waxing moon sends powerful impulses of `growth’ energy to earth,
and this affects all things that grow, causing them to increase in
size and strength. As the moon wanes or declines in size, growing
things similarly decrease in energy. On the basis of this theory, it is
thought that the best time for felling trees for timber is when the
moon is on the decline as trees are weaker and yield more easily
to the axe during the moon’s wane. Plutarch instructed that the
full moon caused such an increase in moisture that it made timber,
which was cut at this time more likely to become decayed and
rotten, and if cut at the new moon; they would be dry and brittle.
According to the traditional science of carpentry (Thachusastra),
followed in Travancore there are nine days (padahari) with stars
viz. Aswini (Aswati), Bharani, Swati (Chothi),Vishakha, (Vishakam),

Padmanabhapuram Palace, in erstwhile Travancore (Present TamilNadu), former Kerala- timber structure built in late sixteenth century.

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Conservation
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Revisiting the Traditional Practices of Conservation of Timber Heritage of Travancore in Kerela. (contd.)
By Dr. Binumol Tom

Anuradha (Aniyam), Jyeshta (Triketta), Moola (Moolam), Sravana
(Thiruvonam), and Satabisha (Cathayam) in a lunar month when
tree felling is prohibited. When this was calibrated according to
a calendar year, it was found that during the utharayana period
more no: of days when tree felling was allowed fell after amavasya
(waxing moon period), while during dakshinayana period it is after
poornima (waning moon period).When this incidence was related
to the apogee and perigee of moon, it was found that former
was during the perigee of moon and latter during the apogee
which clearly suggests the influence of moon in timber felling
and in the associated processing and the previous generations
awareness about it. It is evident from various scientific theories
that the apogee and perigee of moon has profound influence on
the gravitational pull experienced by earth. It is also proved that
tremendous amount of stress is released from wood after it is cut.
The stresses along with moisture content of wood have a strong
bearing on the influence of moon and timber might split and wrap
during seasoning.
Only in unavoidable situation male & female timber is joined as
they impart difference in their physical properties. But male or
female piece is never found fixed to a neutral piece.Timber pieces
of same length are not joined together. When a wall plate is fixed
with timber pieces of different lengths then the longer timber
piece is kept to the right & the smaller one to the left. If there are
three pieces, the longest one is kept at the center, next one at the
right & the smallest one at the left. The joints were never above
doors and windows and also the joints never were found on the
opposite sides of one single line. The timber pieces kept in East
– West direction were always with their heads towards east & the
ones in North – South direction with heads towards North.

There was a tradition of offering prayers to the tree chosen for

cutting. At a superficial level this tradition of taking permission to
be cut through prayers looks quite idiotic but when seen from
the environmental context, one understands the extent to which
our ancestors respected life in all forms. This could be viewed as
letting all the life forms (birds, animals and insects) living on the
tree know that the tree is going to be cut, so that they could shift
themselves comfortably to a safe location.

To ensure durability of structures a set of canons were followed

strictly in timber construction according to Thachusastra of Kerala.
A few are listed here to help in understanding the traditional
thachans’ (carpenters’) knowledge base. The top portion of each
timber component is joined to the bottom of the other in timber
joinery. For pillars the bottom portion of timber is kept down and
the head held up in vertical position acknowledging the growth
direction. Same type of joinery detail is used in one construction
to give uniformity to the construction style of a building. New Exquisite wood carving on a single piece of Jack (Artocarpus
timber is joined to new and old to old without fail. Only in very integrifolia)- from Padmanabhapuram Palace

rare cases old timber is fixed to new ones.Wooden pins once used
for construction are not reused as per traditional texts. Timber
according to Thaccusastra is classified into male, female and neutral
categories (classification is based on the diameter variation of the
tree trunk) depending on their physical characteristics. In every
case a male member is fixed to another male piece, and female-
to-female.
Timber surfaces were finished to get a mirror finish with the
dried leaves of Therakam (Ficus Aspirina) in Kerala before
the introduction of sand papers. These smooth surfaces repel
moisture and thereby prevent decay. Such traditional practices
were developed from the understanding of the logic and nature of
wood by the thachans.
There existed a traditional practice of preparing timber

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Conservation
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Revisiting the Traditional Practices of Conservation of Timber Heritage of Travancore in Kerela. (contd.)
By Dr. Binumol Tom

preservative oil from locally available herbs, waxes, rhizomes and

roots. This preservative has a pungent smell, which keeps away
all organisms promoting bio deterioration of wood, which would
otherwise occur in the humid climatic zone of Travancore. Dried
and powdered Katukka (seed of Terminalia chebula/ Chebulic
Myrobalan), Vayambu (root of Acoras Calamus), Manjal (Curcuma
longa / Indian Saffron/ Turmeric), Kuntirikkam (Frankincense, gum
from Benjamin tree), Kolarakku (wax from Zyzyphus Jujuba)
and Cenchalyam (Resin of Pinus Dammas) are added to boiling
gingely oil in specific proportion and stirred well. To this, dried
and powdered tuber of Neelakotuveli herb (Blue Plumbago, Blue
Leadwort) is added till the oil begins to froth. The preservative
is then allowed to cool and applied over timber pieces to keep
it safe from the attack of termites, fungus and insects. Among
the ingredients, Terminalia Chebula, Blue Plumbago, wax from
Zyzyphus Jujuba, resin from Pinus Dammas, Curcuma Longa and
Acoras Calamus have anti fungal and antibacterial properties. The
pungent smell repels beetles, bugs and worms. This oil protects
the timber when it is moist, from fungal and bacterial infections.
Dried leaf of Ficus Aspirina

we need is to develop new and sustainable approach to the

Leaf of Ficus Aspirina (Therakam) used in dried form, instead of sand
paper to provide mirror finish to timber components.
The very existence, of such an autonomous, immortal knowledge
of timber construction is there, for us, to use and modify for our
contemporary needs. Thus the understanding of the traditional
timber structures, their construction methods and are important
not only for the sake of those structures, but also as a guide for
contemporary construction and conservation processes. What
conservation of historic timber structures. Definitely the past
has power; tradition and traditional knowledge has been found
ecologically viable, economically feasible and socially desirable.
We must be able to interpret the traces left by the tools of
our ancestors on the existing buildings and elevate them to
today’s scientific realm. It is, not only aiming at the possibility of
preserving or repairing a traditional structure using techniques
and construction technology which correspond to those used
originally, but also, at the revival of the knowledge system of the
use of traditional dressing tools, machinery and preservation
materials, which are otherwise in the verge of oblivion.This comes
from the understanding that, continuous research and practice are
the only ways to preserve traditional knowledge. It follows from
this, that the knowledge of the intangible traditional techniques of
craftsmanship is itself, as worthy of preservation, as the material
or tangible resources. This understanding of the traditional
knowledge of materials, construction as well as preservation and
techniques will help our timber monuments to survive. It is not
just the historic buildings that are important, but the historic ways
of building too are worthy of preservation.
Dr. Binumol Tom is a Conservation Architect and an Assistant Professor
in the Department of Architecture at College of Engineering, Trivandrum,
India.

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Khoksar Excavations in 2061/62 B.S (2004-2005 A.D.) Nepal
By Prakash Darnal
Prelude
Archaeological activities began in Nepal after the finding of Ashoka
pillar in 1896 A.D. by Khadga Samsher and A . Fuherer. Since then
Lumbini, Kapilvastu, Gotihawa, Ramgram, Bhediyari ,Simraungadh,
Salyantar ,Kichakvadh ,Sinja, Kohla ,Kathmandu Valley ( Manm
aneswori,Dhumvarahi,Satya Narayan Temple, Deopatan, Patan
archaeological garden ) Mustang have been excavated .Late
Gudrun Corvinus is credited to discover prehistoric site like Patu
(Mahottari) and Dang in Nepal .
Photo 1 Chure Hill
Exploration of Khoksar
Khoksar site is located in Sagarmatha zone, Saptari district, Khoksar
Parbaha village development committee, ward no. 6 of Kanakpatti
village. It is bounded by: Udayapur district on North, Siraha district
on West, Sunsari district on East and Naredigar Praganna of the
Saharsa district of Bihar (India) on South. There is a river named
Banawari and Khando, originated from Chure hill and flowing from
north towards south .It enters India passing through Tilathi village
of Nepal.
Chandrabhaga is located 2 km away from Khoksar site on the
north west of Chure . It is believed to be tutelary deity established
by the king named Chandraketu in 15th century. Saphalya Amatya
had mentioned about Kancha Khoriya (Gadhi) and Chandrabhaga
ruins.
After a decade Rajesh Mathema had an opportunity to explore
this site. In his report “Yekagadh (Chandrabhaga), he explains
about the remains of walls, mounds and temple’s ruins. He also
reported that stone artifacts seemed to belong to the period of
Sen Dynasty but the remains underneath the mound could be the
evidence of Kusan and Gupta period.
Kumar Lal Joshi published the report in “Prachin Bhagnabaseshko
Purattatwik Anwesan” in Kantipur Koseli in 2054 Chaitra 22.
He wrote that the mound was spread over five /seven Bigha.
The mound appeared slender slope toward south west. There is
Yekagadhi dry stream between southwest mound and exterior
wall. Due to incessant rain in Asar of 2054 B.S. Yekagadhi got
flooded and it washed away the southwest structure, exposing
a beautiful carved brickwork. The exposed brick wall was 31’
8” long and its height was nearly 10’. It was accidental finding
evidence, which could possibly be a sanctum of an ancient temple.
The exposed carved bricks, which contained motif of flora and
geometric design, reminiscent of the carved bricks of Lori Kudan
of Kapilvastu dated 8th -9th cent. A.D. Finding of brick well, ruin of
palace, pottery and terracotta animal figurine on surface, proved
the mound to be an ancient settlement. He finally suggested
excavating the mound to know what exactly it is.
Activities
In 2054/55 B.S. Department of Archaeology constructed a Gabion
wall for the protection of ancient carved structure.
Department of Archaeology sent a team in 2058 (Magh) for survey
and trial excavation. The team found the mound spread over 30
Bigha . They also surveyed the exposed mound.
After studying the previous work and surveying the site, two main
objectives were set for excavation in 2061.The first objective was to
find the alignment of the southwest corner of the exposed structure.
It would show evidence what actually the structure was constructed
for. The second was to excavate at the highest point to know the
stratigraphy of the site.
Findings from Excavation of KKR
KKR archaeology site is a huge mound spread over 30 Bigha on
the lap of Chure hill (P.No. 1) . About half kilometer long outer
wall runs parallel to the mound which leads to speculation that
the ruin of the settlement is in a rectangular pattern. The mound
contains wall alignment on north west, four ruin of monument and
two ancient well. Chandrabhaga is the most important ruin whose
nomenclature is mentioned in the ancient text. But whether it
correlates with Chenab of India or not, hasn’t been studied yet.
It seems that KKR and Chandrabhaga are main hub of cultural
activities and other surrounding sites like Agni Sair, Shambhunath,
Rajdevi, Boria katti, Lalapatti, Manraja, Kusmar village of Saswor
SANEYOCOP Newsletter Vol.2 No. 3. 2010 
Conservation
S o u t h Asia

Khoksar Excavations in 2061/62 B.S (2004-2005 A.D.) Nepal (contd.)

By Prakash Darnal

V.D.C. Balawa and Rupnagar grew as satellite towns in Saptari.

Exploration of archaeological sites and sculptures in Saptari
has shown strong affinity with Chandrabhaga and KKR. The G3
(P.No.2) and H3 (P.No.3) square was found covered by stone
pavement with different letters, signs and motifs.

Photo 4 Head of Narayan Photo 5 Buddha

shell and lime was also collected for the study and C4 dating.
The evidence of the alignment of the south west exposed main
structure was found in G6 (1) (P.No.7) and G5 (4) (P.No.8). The
section showed that the main structure still ran through it on the
Photo 2 G3 Square north side. There were two chamber in G6 (1), each with rammed
mud floor and two openings on west main structure and one
entrance between two chamber. Outer floor was also discovered
on the west structure.The outer face of the structure consisted of
different carved bricks. It also has prominent projection of bricks
with geometric design.

Photo 3 H3 Square
Most of the stones were joined with iron dowels. Signs like
bow and arrow zero on boat, square flags and peacocks were
noteworthy which need to be study. There were 24 engravings on
the two square and three on the surface. Antiquities were iron
nails, iron dowels, iron chisel, arrow, drill bit, stone fragment of
sculptures, terracotta pot, animal figure ,toy , perforated pieces,
Head of Narayan image (P.No.4), Buddha (P.No.5), (it is identified
because of its deer figure) Siddha with beard(P.No.6), and a semi
precious bead.

These sculptures are very valuable findings which are dateable by

comparative study. Iconography study shows that these sculptures
belong to Gupta Period. Prominent potsherds found were red
ware but pottery like grey ware spouted pot and painted grey
ware was important for dating and chronology. Sample of charcoal, Photo 6 Siddha with Beard

SANEYOCOP Newsletter Vol.2 No. 3. 2010 10

Conservation
S o u t h Asia

Khoksar Excavations in 2061/62 B.S (2004-2005 A.D.) Nepal (contd.)

By Prakash Darnal

Likewise, the west facade of G5 (4) has three projection of brick

reminiscent of Lori Kudan of Kapilvastu. Brick of duck and Sinkhwa
were also found from the cornice of the structure. There was
an opening, probably a window on the west structure. The main
structure headed towards north and its other two arm spread
towards east, forming a chamber inside the structure. The floor
was mud rammed with potteries in situ. The south structure was
not seen on section, seemed gap for entrance where as the north
structure continued towards east. The floor outside the west
structure was also rammed mud but some portion of it was found
paved with stone.

Photo 8 G5 (4)
Epilogue

No dateable artifacts as coin and inscription were discovered.

The structure still cannot be identified for sure whether it is a
palace, temple or a monastery? Further excavation is necessary
to identify the building type and chronology of the culture.
It is suggested an Area Excavation along with archaeological
conservation should be undertaken for this site, which would
not only preserve the archaeological site but also promote the
tourism and would open the pages of history.
Prakash Darnal is an archaeologist working in Culture Minitry of Nepal.
He worked as conservationist with Department of Archaeology in
1978. Prakash currently works in the Ministry as under secretary (Chief
Photo 7 G6 (1) Archaeology officer)

SANEYOCOP Newsletter Vol.2 No. 3. 2010 11

Conservation
S o u t h Asia

Impact of Ancient & Modern Building Technologies on Environment

By Mohammad Farhan Fazli & Khan Amadur Rahman

A) Introduction temperature. The structure is composed of four triangular sides

and a square base. It covers an area of 52000sq m.
In his quest for exploring the natural resources of the earth
system man has evolved from a cave dwelling creature to a
global citizen. This process of evolution involving use of natural
resources has lead to the modern world utilising and straining
the available resources. It is estimated that building construction
industry utilizes 40% of the planets material resources and 30%
of energy resources. Building construction consumes around
3 billion tons of raw materials extracted from the natural
environment. It is processed in factories and industries producing
heavy environmental pollution. Construction and demolition
debris constitute 10% to 40% of annual solid waste generation of
Photo 1 Pyramid of Giza (Source: Wikipaedia)
countries around the world.
The height was 146.5m, but now declined to 138.8m due to
In present day world going green is the way forward for erosion. (Wikipedia). The length of Pyramid is to an accuracy of
development. It is the only available option to achieve development +_.0025m. About 590,712 blocks of stone, weighing between 2-
which can be endured by the available resources without wearing 70 tons each, were used in its construction.
them out with the passage of time. The resources consumed in
I) Construction Material
building construction activities being limited it is high time to
adopt strategies and modify the existing building processes i.e.  23million Lime stone blocks had been used in the outer
procuring of raw materials, their processing, technology used for casing of this structure.
their application in building activities, dismantling process and
disposal of construction and demolition debris.  Granite stones brought from Aswan, weighing 25-80
tons were put into place in the King’s chamber.
The present study aims to evaluate the ancient building techniques
verses advance technology.  The mortar used in its construction is still unknown &
even using today’s techniques it can't be reproduced.
B) Principals of Ancient Building Systems
 The lime stone blocks were quarried, transported and
The advancement in the building technology and construction dressed before they put to use.
materials have change the human perception about building
construction. Race of making the tallest building in world is a  Casing stone was polished and cut with the face slope
common issue, but less concern is given about what we have with such a fineness that a needle cannot be inserted in
in the form of Built Heritage. With the development in building the joints.
technology, we are still very far from the earlier technology which
was much advance than today’s one.Taking few examples from the
past one is trying to explain that the earlier technology was much
advance than the present one.

Examples

1. (International Structure) Pyramid of Giza

Photo 2 Aerial View Photo 3 Section of Pyramid
(Source: Google Earth)
It is one among the largest man made structure of ancient time.
Pyramid of Giza is thirty times larger than the Empire State
Building (in mass) & can be seen from the Moon.The temperature
inside it is 68 F, which is exactly the same at the earth’s internal

SANEYOCOP Newsletter Vol.2 No. 3. 2010 12

Conservation
S o u t h Asia

Impact of Ancient & Modern Building Technologies on Environment (contd.)

By Mohammad Farhan Fazli & Khan Amadur Rahman

II) Construction System
 The structure was designed to generate compressive
stresses utilising the full potential of stone i.e. strong in
compression.
 Tensile forces have been avoided to prevent the fatigue
in construction materials which resulted in enhancing
the life span of the structure.
The principles of self-replicating geometry, along with symmetry
of architectural elements are also seen in the design and layout
of the monument. The real Taj Mahal consists of the mausoleum,
which is situated approximately 275 meters away from the main
entrance. Standing at the opposite end of the magnificent Taj
garden with a long watercourse in between, it rises to a height

 The slow natural deterioration has eaten away the

casing of the Pyramid and reduced its height from
146m to 138m within a span of more than 4500yrs.But
the form of the structure ensures that no matter how
long it takes for the structure to deteriorate, it will never
collapse due to failure of components.

 It is the heaviest structures on earth and it is still a

question that how the site was selected to withstand
such a heavy mass.

III) Technology Photo 4 Taj Mahal (Source: Author)

 Cutting of stone in the absence of modern cutting tools
and machines with such precision as to leave no gap
between two adjacent stone blocks.
 These stone blocks that are more than 3m in length
and weigh between 3-5 tons were lifted and place in
position at a height of 146m without the use of simple
machines such as ‘lever’ and ‘pulley’.
of almost 76meters.
The four 49.5 meters high minarets, capped with eight windowed
cupolas, have been consciously shortened a bit to emphasize
the faintly spherical dome. The central dome (17.7meters in
diameter and 65 meters in height with raised drum,) stand
bordered with four subsidiary domed chambers. The arches are
framed by calligraphic inscripted band on all the four cardinal
points.

 Each side of the square base is 230.4 m in length. Its four

sides point toward true East, West, North and South,
and this orientation was done without a compass.

2. (National Heritage) Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal built by Shah Jahan in the memory of his beloved
wife Mumtaz Mahal is the finest example of Mughal architecture
in India. Apart from being a monument representing eternal love
it is admired all over the world for its architectural composition,
monumental scale, symmetrical balance and proportions. The
inlay work, floral design, Epigraphy and Calligraphic inscription
and the planning of the gardens around the tomb are the finest
example of Mughal architecture in this monument.

Photo 5 Single Piece Screen Jaali (Source: Author)

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Conservation
S o u t h Asia
Impact of Ancient & Modern Building Technologies on Environment (contd.)
By Mohammad Farhan Fazli & Khan Amadur Rahman
Photo 6 Front Facade (Source: Author)
I) Construction Material
 Lime stone blocks had been used in the inner core of
the monument.
 Marble stone slabs brought from Makrana, Rajasthan
were used for outer cladding.
 Lime surkhi mortar is used as binding material.
II) Construction System
 The arcaded style of construction using arches and
domes, results in generating compressive stresses
utilising the full potential of the building materials
(stone and lime concrete) i.e. strong in compression.
 In the last 350 years this majestic piece of architecture
withstands all the natural forces such as wind,
earthquake, floods, temperature without undergoing
any structural damage.
 Tensile forces have been avoided to prevent the fatigue
in construction materials which resulted in enhancing
the life span of the structure.
III) Technology
 The principal of Symmetrical balance is used in the
layout & designing of monument apart from creating
visual appeal renders great stability to the structure.
 Inlay of 26 semi precious and precious stones in a single
floral pattern, single piece marble stone screen (Jali)
were carved with high precision without the use of
present day modern machines.
 Deep Well foundation is used in the structure to provide
stability and prevent dampness from the river Yamuna
that flows besides the monument.
 The cart and pulley method of uplifting the water to
generate the fountain was employed.
3. Modern Trends
The rapid industrialization during 18th and 19th century led to
development of new construction materials and evolution
of building construction technologies. These materials and
technologies were helpful to meet the huge demand of
buildings that arose as a result of rapid socio-economic changes
in the society. Multi-storeyed construction which was earlier
a need and became possible due to new materials was later
adopted as a norm. Human being is adopting these newer
materials, construction systems and latest technologies in the
building construction without giving a thought of its impact on
environment.
With the advancement in building technology we have been able
to achieve more than 100 storied buildings. Covering a Span of 15-
20 meters is a normal task. Building i.e. more than 600 meter high
is no longer a dream and conceptual designs for a mile high tower
are under process. Intelligent buildings which are self automated
and energy efficient explicitly expresses the advancement in the
building construction technology of the modern era.
I) Construction Material
Cement, cement concrete, R.C.C., steel, glass, PVC & plastic are
the commonly used construction materials these days and they
constitute 97% of the building bulk.
 Cement is the most widely use binding material because
of its easy workability and availability. It is used as cement
mortar for binding brick and stone masonry works.
 Cement is also employed as the binding material in
cement concrete and R.C.C. Cement concrete is also
referred as artificial stone is a filler material which has
high compressive strength but is week in tension. Steel
having high tensile strength is used in cement concrete to
provide the required tensile strength.
SANEYOCOP Newsletter Vol.2 No. 3. 2010 14
Conservation
S o u t h Asia

Impact of Ancient & Modern Building Technologies on Environment (contd.)

By Mohammad Farhan Fazli & Khan Amadur Rahman

 The resultant material i.e. R.C.C. having high tensile and
compressive strength is the wonder material of the 20th
century building construction industry.
 Glass and its various forms due to its unique properties
of transparency and relative light in weight are widely
used in partitions in multi-storeyed buildings.�
 Plastic is used in the building for construction and
decoration because of their better corrosion resistance,
lighter in weight, easier to install and more cost-
effective than their counterparts.
II) Construction System
 The trabeated style of construction with beams
and columns forms the back bone of the modern
construction system.The beam is designed so as to carry
tensile stresses below the neutral axis and compressive
stresses above the neutral axis.
 The modern day R.C.C. structures are designed for a life
span not more than 100 years.
 The present day multi storied buildings reduces floor
to floor height. The compact, enclosed building plans
necessitate artificial ventilation, cooling & lighting. This
leads to heavy energy consumption and large carbon
footprints for such buildings. ‘Energy guzzlers’ is the
term used to describe such giant consumers of energy
which is straining the planets energy resources and
degrading the environment.
III) Technology
 Most of the present day building components are pre-
casted in factory settings leading to mass production of
materials and assembled on site resulting in faster rate
of construction.
 Use of machines has resulted in easy transportation
of building materials and building components to the
construction sites.
 Heavy machineries are deployed on construction
sites for uplifting and placing of precast building
components.

C) Comparative Analysis Between Ancient & Modern Buildings

I) Construction Material

Ancient Material Modern Material

The buildings had very large life spans The building requires heavy maintenance
withstanding the harsh weather throughout its service life and has to be
conditions with little maintenance. demolished after 100 years.

The slow rate of natural deterioration

Demolition leads to problem of debris
of building reduces the problem of disposal creating an environmental
debris disposal. concern.
Transport of material to the
Transportation of materials to the
construction site was relatively
construction site requires heavy energy
pollution free. consumption in form of fossil fuel (i.e.
petroleum) and leads to air pollution.
Techniques of processing of material Processing of materials in factories
(i.e. cutting and dressing) were (cement production, iron and steel
environment friendly. manufacturing, glass production &
processing of plastic products) leads to
heavy air, land and water pollution. These
processes also have serious health
implications for the workers evolved and
the surrounding residents.

SANEYOCOP Newsletter Vol.2 No. 3. 2010 15

Conservation
S o u t h Asia

Impact of Ancient & Modern Building Technologies on Environment (Contd.)

By Mohammad Farhan Fazli & Khan Amadur Rahman

II) Construction System

Ancient Construction System Modern Construction System

Ancient Construction Systems
promoted compressive stresses in
various components of the buildings.
Ancient Construction Systems reduces
material fatigue.
It resulted in longer life of structures.
The structures were designed to admit
natural light and achieve proper
ventilation.
The floor to floor height was increased
to keep the building cool.
Modern Construction Systems induce
tensile stresses in various components of
the buildings.
Modern Construction Systems leads to
material fatigue.
Life span of building is curtailed.
The buildings are dependent on artificial
light and ventilation.
Heavy investment and energy consumption
is required to achieve artificial cooling in the
buildings resulting heavy cost to the
environment.

III) Technology

Ancient Technology Modern Technology

Ancient technology was based on The modern technology is dependent on
skilled workmanship. machines.
The precision & fineness in Modular production in factories delivers
workmanship was relative. monotonous product finish.
The building construction process was The building construction industry is highly
largely manual or driven by animal mechanized using heavy machines for
power. various processes of transportation, lifting
and placement.
The ancient technology was low power Modern technology consumes heavy
consuming and was environment amount of fossil fuels.
friendly.
They were based on the principals of It is based on the use & throw principal.
durability, repair, maintenance and
recycling.
Ancient technology reduced the impact Replacing the old buildings with new ones
on environment by limiting the in relatively short period of time strains the
members of buildings to be replaced resources of environment.
from time to time.

D) Recommendations the indisposable construction debris by enhancing the

life of the buildings.
 The building materials should be chosen within
close proximity of the construction site to reduce the  The building systems should be such as to reduce fatigue
transportational impact on environment. of materials.

 Environment friendly methods such as wood wedges  An amalgamation of ancient techniques and modern
to break large stone blocks instead of blasting them materials can go hand in hand to promote life span of
should be developed to avoid pollution. buildings.

 Renewable natural energy sources should be used for  Shell structures are the best examples which use ancient
processing of raw material. forms & modern materials to span larger spans.

 The materials used in the building construction should  Modern techniques using machines speedup
be durable, long lasting & recyclable, this will reduce the building construction process but creates
- continued on page 21

SANEYOCOP Newsletter Vol.2 No. 3. 2010 16

Conservation
S o u t h Asia
SANEYOCOP Panel @ 39th Annual Conference on South Asia, Wisconsin, USA
By Neel Kamal Chapagain
Continuing a tradition among SANEYOCOP members currently in
academia in North America, a SANEYOCOP panel was organized
this year at the 39th Annual Conference on South Asia held at
Madison, Wisconsin (USA) on October 17th, 2010. Themed as
“Heritage Conservation in South Asia: Addressing Cultural
Landscapes, Intangible and Everyday Aspects”, the panel featured
four presentations representing cases from India, Nepal and Sri
Lanka:
1. Kapila D. Silva, University of Kansas
Preserving the Cultural Heritage of South Asia: The Issue
of Intangible Dimensions
2. Neel Kamal Chapagain, University of Wisconsin-
Milwaukee
The Road to Lomanthang: Can It Contribute Towards
Conservation of the Historic Walled Township?
3. Sonal Mithal Modi, University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign
Commodification of Spirituality and the Sacred Cultural
Landscape of Pushkar, India
4. Amita Sinha, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Cultural Landscapes of Govardhan in Braj, India:
Imagined, Enacted, and Reclaimed
Also scheduled was a fifth presentation by Kecia Fong and Jeff
Cody from the Getty Conservation Institute on heritage education
in Southeast Asia, however Kecia and Jeff could not make it due to
scheduling conflict that occurred primarily due to lack of proper and
timely notification by the conference organizer (Center for South
Asia at the University of Wisconsin-Madison) to the presenters.
The panel attempted to highlight the notion that cultural heritage
conservation in South Asia must look beyond monuments and
objects to broader aspects such as landscape, cultural traditions
and everyday context. Contrary to conventional focus of heritage
preservation/conservation on material aspects of heritage, the
panel emphasized on the nuances of South Asian contexts that
would require our engagement with non-material and non-historic
aspects along with other aspects associated with a heritage site.
Silva’s paper, drawing from two comparative case studies from World
Heritage Sites in Nepal and Sri Lanka, explored the complexities
of conservation practice in contemporary South Asia “as they are
imbued with complex religious ideologies and symbolism, which
are enigmatic and in flux, yet closely intertwined with socio-political
reality of the society”. Silva argued that such complexities made
conservation approach to incorporate the intangible dimensions
of contemporary societies in addition to the physical dimensions
of cultural heritage. In the same tone, Chapagain’s paper focused
on the living dimension of a historic township and highlighted how
a recent road development has stirred a debate on the need of
conservation and development. The observations on the heated
debate on the road built recently to Lomanthang – a historic
walled township in the Nepali trans-Himalayan region – lead
Chapagain to explore whether consideration of new aspirations
of contemporary society could in fact contribute for the cause
of heritage conservation. Adding another case from a pilgrimage
site in India, Modi contended that “spatial arrangement of sacred
towns interweaves the rituals of pilgrimage with the commerce of
pilgrimage”. Modi’s case study of Pushkar offered further insights
into such complications of heritage discourse due to contemporary
developments of local economic activities, and the behaviors of
pilgrims and tourists. Echoing the similar arguments, Sinha offered
a conservation model that was reflected in a project done by her
graduate students under her guidance as well as based on an on-site
workshop in India. Sinha portrayed her project site - Govardhan Hill
in Braj, India - as an imagined and enacted landscape; hence beyond
the protection of prevalent conservation framework. Through her
proposed model, Sinha suggested an approach of interweaving
intangible aspects into a potential strategy for conserving cultural
heritage in South Asia.
The Annual Conference on South Asia is one of the largest
conferences on South Asia in North America, which on its 39th
edition also celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Center for
South Asia at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. SANEYOCOP
members have been taking the opportunity to coordinate a focused
panel on heritage conservation in South Asia since 2004.
Neel Kamal Chapagain is an architect from Nepal and is currently pursuing
a Ph.D. at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA
SANEYOCOP Newsletter Vol.2 No. 3. 2010 17
Conservation
S o u t h Asia
International Conference on Disaster Managment and Cultural Heritage in Bhutan
By Dorji Yangki & Dr. Rohit Jigyasu
“Living in Harmony with the Four Elements”, an International
Conference on Disaster Management and Cultural Heritage,
was hosted in Thimphu, Bhutan from the 12th till the 14th of
December 2010 by the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs,
the Royal Government of Bhutan. The conference was funded
in partnership with the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction
and Recovery (GFDRR) of the World Bank. Additional financial
support was also provided by SIDA, UNDP and UN International
Strategy for Disaster reduction while technical expertise support
was provided by consultants from UNESCO.
36 renowned experts and scholars from around the world were
invited to present at the conference. The conference was also
attended by 20 additional selected international participants
and local participants from the Districts of Bhutan.
Elements of nature – Fire, Wind, Water and Earth- through
floods, wind storms, landslides, forest fires, and earthquakes
are usually the main causes of disasters. It is believed that the
key to mitigate the impact of disasters lies in living in harmony
with these four main elements of nature as they are not only
causes of disasters but they also nurture mankind. In this regard,
local communities all over the world have adapted cultural and
traditional practices to live in harmony with nature and these
are invaluable sources of knowledge and local technology
developed over many centuries. With the main objective of the
conference being to highlight these indigenous practices and
traditions, the Conference therefore adopted the theme “Living
in Harmony with the Four Elements”.
The Honorable Prime Minister of Bhutan, Lyonchhen Jigmi Y.
Thinley, gave the keynote address at the Opening Ceremony of
the Conference at the Convention Center of Bhutan. He stated
that “It is most fitting that the conference is held in Bhutan as we,
a small developing country highly susceptible to disasters, have
always placed the conservation of cultural heritage high on our
agenda. We have always recognized the centrality of our cultural
heritage to our development process. In fact, in our pursuit of
happiness as the end purpose of development, wherein the
well being of the human individual as an integral member of
society is the focus, culture is one of four pillars. And of equal
importance is the need to live in harmony with nature”.
He also emphasized that Bhutan’s philosophy of Gross National
Happiness (GNH) which forms the basis of Bhutan’s development
paradigm, “is founded on the belief that the extent to which an
individual can find happiness will be conditioned profoundly
by his/her success in communing and living harmoniously with
nature”.The Prime Minister noted that “this is because, in the end,
the human being, like all forms of life is a compounded structure
of the four elements and is therefore naturally dependent on the
essence of his sustenance on nature”. 
The conference gathered 153 participants, which included 55
international participants from 23 countries and 98 participants
from Bhutan, including experts and field practitioners involved in
various fields of disaster management to reflect on the following
five themes:
a. Policy and Institutional Framework for Disaster
Management
b. Technical Aspects of Disaster Management
c. Traditional Practices for Disaster Risk Reduction
d. Post-Disaster Recovery of Cultural Heritage
e. Capacity Building and Networking.
Several experts from South Asian region including some
SANEYOCOP members also participated in the conference
and made presentations on various challenges and initiatives for
disaster risk reduction of cultural heritage in the region. During
intensive conference deliberations the participants discussed the
linkages between disaster management and cultural heritage under
each of the five conference themes.
- continued on page 20
SANEYOCOP Newsletter Vol.2 No. 3. 2010 18
Conservation
S o u t h Asia
Book Review
By Annie Varma
Landscapes in India : Forms and Meanings
Author: Amita Sinha
Publisher: University Press of Colorado
Pub. Date: January 30, 2006
ISBN-10: 0870818155
ISBN-13: 978-0870818158
Amita Sinha wrote this book on landscapes of India in
2006. This book should be of great interest to landscape and
architectural historians, conservationists and students who want
to acquaint themselves with the landscapes of India.As a professor
in Landscape Architecture, Sinha too uses her book to introduce
Indian landscapes to students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign. However, this book offers substantial perspectives
on heritage conservation in India than purely discussing the
vocabulary of landscapes.
Landscapes in India: Forms and Meanings is a journey
through time and space, where landscape typologies are unraveled
by the author with the help of myths and legends. The book
subscribes to the idea of ‘views of nature,’ wherein the following co-
existing, simultaneously held typologies of landscape are identified:
transcendentalist, evolutionary, utilitarian, ecological, and idealist-
romantic. These paradigms are based on the way the landscapes
are perceived and culturally internalized in India. To understand
this, Sinha prefaces the concept of landscape archetypes. These
archetypes can be traced back to Indic religions like Hinduism,
Buddhism and Jainism. In Hinduism, the land is considered sacred
and the nature spirited. In the initial chapters of the book, the
famous Sanskrit epic Ramayana, is argued to have a strong impact
on the ‘collective Hindu psyche’ wherein the nature is personified
and deified. The significance of the imagined landscapes of
Ramayana is embedded in the contemporary landscapes of India
( Eg. Ayodhya as a pilgrim destination). These landscapes are
internalized by the Hindus with the help of place archetypes.
For example, the tapovana — is an idyllic configuration within a
forest; and ashrams— are the centers of learning. Ordered and
manicured palace gardens are analogous to Mughal gardens or
landscapes of the Italian villas.To the reader, nature starts appearing
as the dawning of self-knowledge, animated, alluring and romantic.
Metaphors of feminine elements (rivers, creepers) and masculine
elements (mountains, large trees) begin to make connections with
the archetypal perceptions of the reader as well.
The landscapes of Braj are discussed in detail, where yet
another mythical story comes into play—the land of the Hindu
God Krishna is seen as a setting of his lila or plays. In this mythical
memory, the landscape is internalized as pastoral and animistic.
The sacred landscapes of Braj are also associated with erotic
stories of Krishna called the Raasa. Interestingly, eroticism is made
inconsequential in the stories of Krishna by the faithful. However,
according to Sinha, the association of unimpeded wilderness with
the unfettered sexuality is apparent in the legends. Mischievous
Krishna and his female devotees are not only bounded by devotion,
but also love and eroticism.
The author provides erudite explanation of the
transcendental view of nature with regard to pilgrimage in India.
The pilgrimage sthalas or tirthas offer a deific view of nature that
is accomplished by acts like parikrama or circumambulation. The
descriptions move ingeniously between heritage conservation and
the views of nature. Redesigning Sarnath and Champaner- Pavagadh
for heritage conservation offers to the readers a pragmatic
grounding of the concepts discussed.The transcendental view and
how it can reconcile with the environmental agenda appears to be
a feasible paradigm.
A third of the book is devoted to spatial orders and
settlement patterns that exhibit the social and domestic cultures
in India. The ancient village structures and the present-day rural
architecture are discussed to demonstrate how the orientation,
design and typologies of housing and individual houses vary on
the basis of the caste systems and family patriarchy. According to
Sinha, the courtyard, the cosmic architecture, the city squares, the
tree and water-- are quintessential to the Indic settlements and
are still being used by designers like Charles Correa. These forms
- continued on page 20
SANEYOCOP Newsletter Vol.2 No. 3. 2010 19
Conservation
S o u t h Asia
International Conference on Disaster Managment and Cultural Heritage in Bhutan (Contd.)
By Dorji Yangki & Dr. Rohit Jigyasu
The 1st day of the Conference was focused on presentation
of papers by experts within a framework of 5 main panels:
Policy & Institutional Framework, Technical Aspects of Disaster
Management, Traditional Practice for DRR, Capacity Building and
Networking, and Post-Disaster Recovery of Cultural Heritage.
Papers were presented on issues from around the world including
projects from Peru, Pakistan, Japan, India, USA, Nepal, Bangladesh,
Bhutan and Tibet. The topics included both tangible and intangible
aspects of cultural heritage and disaster management.
The 2nd day of the Conference, focused on working sessions dealing
with disasters on cultural heritage within Bhutan and the framing
of recommendations for disaster management in the context of
cultural heritage. The afternoon session of the 2nd day included
special lectures intended mainly to provide local participants
additional information on economics, structural assessment,
disaster management in historic districts and vulnerability
identification related to cultural heritage and disaster management
by five experts from Portugal, Japan, USA, and Germany. The
closing of the working sessions, where the recommendations by
Book Review (contd.)
By Annie Varma
are not only essential, but offer an important insight into the way
of life in the subcontinent.
Although one may say that the book is predisposed to the
religious views of nature, the conclusions bring the environmental
and social implications to the forefront. It is unique in the way
the book gradually builds the stage for heritage conservation
in India. The conclusion chapters productively feed into the
concept of ‘views of nature’ through models of best practices in
the conference was presented, was co-chaired by the Honorable
Minister of Home and Cultural Affairs of Bhutan, Lyonpo Minjur
Dorji and by the Resident Coordinator of UNDP office in Bhutan,
Ms. Clare Van der Vaeren.
The deliberations during the conference have identified a
set of guiding principles and made several recommendations
for mainstreaming cultural heritage in broader disaster risk
management goals and for ensuring specific disaster risk
management for cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, as
well as movable and immovable.
These guidelines and recommendations have been put together
under Thimphu Document with the hope that they may serve to
guide the strengthening of national, regional and global disaster
management frameworks and the integration of cultural heritage
and disaster management.Thimphu document would be endorsed
at the Global Platform for Disaster Reduction and the World
Reconstruction Conference in May 201l.
The Closing Ceremony and dinner of the Conference at the
beautiful resort of Terma Linca by the main river of Thimphu was
hosted by the Ministry of Home and Cultural affairs of Bhutan. It
included cultural performances from Bhutan and a key note address
by the Honorable Minister of Works and Human Settlement.
Dorji Yangki and Dr. Rohit Jigyasu were UNESCO Consultants for this
conference.
Dorji Yangki was the first Bhutanese Conservation Architect in Bhutan.
She studied architecture in Australia, did MA in Conservation at University
of York, has been Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and
getty Research Scholar at the Getty Centre. She was Head of the Division
for the Conservation of heritage Sites and Chief Architect of the Ministry
of Home and Cultural Affairs of Bhutan from 1997-2010. Dorji is currently
carrying out research for a book on Bhutanese vernacular architecture
and construction techniques.
Rohit is a conservation and risk managment professional and professor
at Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto.
conservation. A very lyrical approach to landscape conservation
in India, this book is worth reading. The bibliography is extensive
and assorted and will be very helpful for researchers and students.
In conclusion, the book is innovative and excels in highlighting its
conceptual take on conservation.
Annie Varma is an architect pursuing Masters in Landscape
Architecture from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. She
is interested in contemporary conservation practices and her current
research is focussed on heritage conservation in Mathura,India.
SANEYOCOP Newsletter Vol.2 No. 3. 2010 20
Conservation
S o u t h Asia

Impact of Ancient & Modern Building Technologies on Environment (contd.)

By Mohammad Farhan Fazli & Khan Amadur Rahman

great environmental hazard. This can be reduced
by minimizing the use of machines by effective
construction management.
 Use of clean fuels to operate building construction
equipments & machineries shall also help in curtailing
the environmental impact of building construction.
 Limiting the height of skyscrapers also save the energy
cost of building operation and maintenance.
construction process in an environment friendly manner requires
reduced use of heavy machinery on construction sites and
use of renewable energy resources. Thus the way to go green
must amalgamate ancient wisdom with modern technology to
produce environment friendly structures and edifices for human
use.
References
[1] Ebba Koch, Mughal Architecture: An Outline if Its History and
Development, New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2002.

 Proper planning, layout and orientation to reduce the
dependency of building on artificial lighting, ventilation
, cooling and heating makes building energy efficient
and reduces its impact on environment.
 Designing ‘Intelligent buildings’ for commercial
establishments shall not only save the energy cost but
also energy consumption.
E) Conclusion
Amalgamating ancient and modern materials construction
systems and technologies shall ensure longer life span
for buildings. By eliminating the risk of structural failure
after certain years we can continue to use the buildings for
generations to come. This will reduce the recurring demands of
buildings and extraction of raw materials from environment to
meet this demand. Reduced demolition of buildings after the
expiry of their physical life will solve the problem of disposal of
demolition debris. Modern day advancement of technology can
be put to best use in discovering environment friendly materials,
material processes recycling and reuse. Expediting the building
[2] World Heritage Sites, Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India,
1983.
[3] Ali Asif, A History of Mughal Architecture, Architecture, AMU,
2009.
[4] Ebba Koch, Mughal Art and Imperial Ideology, New Delhi: Oxford
University Press, 2001.
[5] Catherine B. Asher, Architecture of Mughal India, Cambridge
University Press, 1992.
[6] Fazli M.Farhan, Photo Documentation, Dec 19th 2009.
[7] www.Wikipedia .com.
[8] Chatterjee Anjan K., Sustainable construction and green
buildings on the foundation of building ecology.
[9] Tony Lee Leun Len, Green Building Council Mauritius,
Presentation, May 2009.
[10] Odum, E. P. General Principles of Ecology, Third Edition W. B.
Suanders Company. (1971)
[11] Charles J. Kibert & Frank Schultmann, Industrial Ecology.
Mohammad Farhan Fazli & Khan Amadur Rahman both are Assistant
Professors in the Department of Architecture at Z.H. College of Engg. &
Technology, Aligarh Muslim University, India.

Conservation
S o u t h Asia A Quarterly Newsletter of SANEYOCOP

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Next issue is scheduled for April 2011 Release

SANEYOCOP Newsletter Vol.2 No. 3. 2010 21