Hampis past awaits a future | The Hindu

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Opinion Editorial
Published: May 20, 2013 00:24 IST | Updated: May 20, 2013 00:24 IST

Hampis past awaits a future

There is hardly any archaeolo ical site in this country that is as rich in history, !ast in e"panse, spectacular in si ht and co#ple" in nature as $a#pi% &onser!in this #edie!al city, inte ratin it 'ith its surroundin s and enrichin the tourist e"perience, is a challen e% Un(ortunately, despite repeated de#ands, archaeolo ists and the authorities in )arnata*a ha!e not e!en (inalised a co#prehensi!e plan to sensibly conser!e this historic place% This delay, as Unesco+s ,orld $erita e &o##ittee recently obser!ed, has caused concern about the (uture o( $a#pi% ,hen this royal city, built bet'een the 14th and 1-th centuries by the .i/ayana ara *in s, 'as no#inated (or 'orld herita e status in 1012, Unesco pointed out that conser!ation cannot be li#ited to a select roup o( 2- #onu#ents% Thou h Unesco con(erred 'orld herita e status on $a#pi in 101-, it stron ly reco##ended that the 3rchaeolo ical Sur!ey o( India delineate a lar er area and include #ore #onu#ents% $a#pi is not a si#ple set o( standalone #onu#ents% It is a lar e cultural landscape 'here #ore than 1200 historic structures co4e"ist 'ith #any li!in !illa es, (ertile a ricultural lands and nu#erous 'ater bodies% &onser!ation cannot e"ist in isolation% It has to be sea#lessly 'o!en 'ith the de!elop#ent o( the re ion% 5or lon , no pro ress 'as #ade on this (ront% Public pressure, and the listin o( $a#pi as an endan ered 'orld herita e site in 1000 (orced the State o!ern#ent into action% 5inally, in 2003, the o!ern#ent set up a $a#pi ,orld $erita e 3rea Mana e#ent 3uthority 6$,3M37 to coordinate 'ith !arious a encies includin the 3SI to dra' up an inte rated #ana e#ent plan% Thou h it delineated a lar er re ion o( about 210 s8 *# around the archaeolo ical 9one, the authority has not yet (inalised the inte rated plan, 'hich 'ould address #obility issues, en!iron#ent concerns, #onu#ent protection and co##unity interests% In its de(ence, the o!ern#ent #ay point out that it has already noti(ied a Master Plan (or $a#pi% :ut the (act is that #aster plans and their con!entional tools such as land use re ulations are inade8uate to handle co#ple" sites% T'o years a o, the $,3M3 e!icted hundreds o( (a#ilies residin in the ba9aar area in (ront o( the .irupa*sha te#ple, 'hich is the only reli ious structure under 'orship% ;eor e Michell and <ohn 5rit9, architectural historians 'ho ha!e studied $a#pi (or decades, percepti!ely re#ar*ed that archaeolo ical depart#ents can neither ne lect #onu#ents, 'hich leads to encroach#ents, nor clear inhabitants in herita e areas to pro#ote =(i!e4star touris#%> The 'ay (or'ard is to i#ple#ent a sustainable plan 'ith local participation, and do so 'ithout delay% )ey'ords: archaeolo y, $a#pi, 3rchaeolo ical Sur!ey o( India
Printable !ersion | <un 3, 2013 1:22:22 3M | http:??'''%thehindu%co#?opinion?editorial?ha#pis4past4a'aits4a4(uture?article4@303@0%ece A The $indu

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