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Understanding and Recreating Historical Landscapes through Oral History, Architectural and Archival Research—A Methodology: The Case of the Royal Gardens of Rajnagar, Bundelkhand
Tijdschriftbijdrage - Tijdschriftartikel
Bundelkhand lies in the central part of India including 6 districts in northern Madhya Pradesh and
7 districts in southern Uttar Pradesh (13 districts in total). In Bundelkhand, a series of walled gardens
of similar type (presumably of second half of the eighteenth/beginning of the nineteenth century) can be
seen all across the region. These gardens are part of the social and cultural life of the Bundeli people,
but still their historical and cultural values cannot be ascertained. Thus, in order to understand these
gardens, a very detailed understanding of the regional landscape needs to be developed. This research
article aims to understand and regenerate the cultural landscape of Rajnagar in Bundelkhand based on
archival research, architectural documentation and oral history narratives.
The article elaborates upon the methodology followed to obtain sufficient information about the
original planning, design and functions of the gardens, and the sociocultural spatial configuration of
historical Rajnagar. Architectural and oral surveys were undertaken to generate data at settlement
and garden level along with the archival research. Survey of the oral history regarding the settlement
and general association with the gardens immensely facilitated to position the gardens in the historical
context, given the lack of archival evidence. The interpolation of the three sources of data allowed to
understand the pattern of evolution of the historical settlement of Rajnagar and the connections with
the royal gardens within the settlement. Apart from furthering the understanding about these unique
urban landscape phenomenon, the survey results contribute to the preparation of a sustainable tourism
development plan for the royal Bundeli gardens of Rajnagar by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural
Heritage (INTACH) Belgium. The multiple oral and architectural surveys also raised awareness within
the town about the historical Bundeli garden landscapes.
Tijdschrift: Journal of Heritage Management
ISSN: 2455-9296
Issue: 2
Volume: 2
Pagina's: 202 - 220
Jaar van publicatie:2018