The 66th Foundation day of Bhubaneswar will be celebrated on April 13 (Sunday). It was on this day in 1948 that the first Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had laid the State capital city’s foundation-stone. Since then, Bhubaneswar remains a celebrated model of modern architecture and city planning with the prehistoric past as a Temple City. Punjab capital Chandigarh was also designed in the same era of the post-Independent India.
While laying the foundation-stone, Nehru had observed that Bhubaneswar “Would not be a city of big buildings for officers and rich men without relation to common masses. It would accord with an idea of reducing differences between the rich and poor. The New Capital would embody the beautiful art of Odisha, and it would be a place for beauty…..so that life might become an adjunct to beauty”.
Chandigarh was planned by French architect le Corbusier and Bhubaneswar by German architect Dr Otto Koenigsberger. le Corbusier’s architectural work in Chandigarh is in the process to qualify for inclusion in the World Heritage list by the UNESCO. In 2006-07, Chandigarh came up on the tentative list, but in 2010 the decision on it was deferred. However, there is every possibility that Chandigarh is going to be declared as a World Heritage City in near future.
But no proposal has been submitted to the UNESCO to enlist Bhubaneswar in this list though it has more potential than Chandigarh to qualify for the recognition. Bhubaneswar has its identity as a temple town with a series of ancient sandstone temples varying in size from the towering eleventh century lingaraja Temple, 55-metre high. A large number of
Grade-I temples of national importance at Old Bhubaneswar have been protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), examples being Ananta Basudeva, Mukteswara, Persurameswara and Rajarani Temples. With this backdrop of ancient temples of Old Bhubaneswar, a new capital has taken shape.
The city has a prehistoric past. Physically, the plan of Old Bhubaneswar is based on the ‘Asta Ayatana’ concept, which stands for eight sacred complexes as described in the sacred chronicles like Ekamra Purana and comprises 54 monuments. Even today, there is a ritual connection of lingaraja with the temples in Asta Ayatana. This forms the genesis of the order and coherence of physical and socio-religious development of Old Bhubaneswar. The area has been declared as a Special Heritage Zone as Ekamra Kshetra.
The Dhauli Hill is a Buddhist tourist destination with ancient sculptures and the extraordinary art forms. The area has been declared as a Special Heritage Zone as Sanskritik Kshetra. Sisupalagarh was the ancient citadel of capital of Kalinga till 4th century AD. The city was systematically planned with well built houses of laterite or brick laid out in orderly streets in a grid pattern. The area has been declared as a Special Heritage Zone as Aitihasik Kshetra.
The Udayagiri and Khandagiri Hills represent one of the earliest groups of Jain rock-cut architecture built around 2nd century BC. Archaeologically significant of the Pali records engraved in the Hathi Gumpha, displays the 13 year megalithic record of king Kharavela of the Chedi dynasty.
The unique combination of built, natural and cultural heritage resources with Otto Koenigsberger’s Master Plan with neighbourhood units and climate responsive buildings by Architect Julius Vaz demand the city to be listed in the World Heritage list. According to Koenigsberger’s guidelines, most government buildings have been designed with impressive corridors, which were also intended to protect the walls of office rooms from direct sunrays.
Neighbourhood units were designed by Koenigsberger with the best amenities of urban life, with units placed at short distances to give people easy access to school, hospital and other facilities. The buildings designed by Julius Vaz and the Master Plan by Koenigsberger are outstanding examples of architectural design and town planning.
Besides, the State Museum in Bhubaneswar holds a huge collection of artifacts and crafts, including the world’s largest collection of palm-leaf manuscripts. The city’s Tribal Museum is a testament to the lifestyles, arts and crafts of Odisha’s tribal heritage encompassing over 60 different tribes.
To be included in the World Heritage list, sites must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one of the ten selection criteria. There are more than 100 cities in the world declared as World Heritage Cities. In Asia, there are four in Japan, three in China but none in India. The UNESCO confers the heritage status when the heritage sites/cities are nominated by nations along with data, maps and photographs.
Bhubaneswar fulfils four criteria: to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius; to exhibit an important interchange of human values over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design; to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilisation which is living or which has disappeared; and to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions with ideas or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance.
If declared a world heritage, Bhubaneswar can maintain its identity for future generations. Top UNESCO official during their visit to Odisha assured that they would consider the State’s recommendation to include Bhubaneswar in the World Heritage list. If Bhubaneswar qualifies for it, it would become the second Indian city to be included in the tentative list after Chandigarh. The preparation of the list is not random selection of places, but it is a tedious exercise involving detailed study of history, architecture and heritage of places for its uniqueness/values before deciding on its selection.
If Bhubaneswar is declared as a World Heritage city, it will have more benefits. The World Heritage Status, first of all, is the highest honour and the most prestigious title given to heritage monuments, sites, cities, etc., in recognition of their historic/architectural significance, not just at the local/national levels but at an international level for having heritage of outstanding universal value. The title gives a tremendous impetus to international tourism and also opens up avenues of funding for comprehensive development of the city. The status makes preservation and maintenance of heritage mandatory, thus facilitating to uphold the city’s cultural identity.
Submitting a proposal does not guarantee the world heritage status. lots of works need to be done by the State Government and conservation NGOs to get the status for Bhubaneswar. Besides, public awareness and community participation are also vital to make the proposal successful.
(Dr Mayarani Praharaj works in the Department of Architecture, College of Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar)