Socio-Economic and Policy Impacts of Heritage Conservation: A Case of Deewanji ni Haveli, Ahmedabad

Abstract

The objective of the paper is to examine and understand the social, economic, and policy impacts arising out of architectural conservation projects. This objective is achieved by drawing on the experiences of the socio-economic impacts created by the restoration of Deewanji ni Haveli situated within the walled city of Ahmedabad. It is usually perceived that heritage conservation has an impact only on the building or monument, but in numerous cases, it also has critical socio-economic and political significance impacts. Many landmark projects tend to influence the local, regional, and in some cases, national development processes. But, these aspects of the initiatives are less explored in a country like India, which is still trying to comprehend the paradigm of heritage conservation and its long-term management. The restoration and revitalization of Deewanji ni Haveli, one of the finest examples of domestic architecture within the World Heritage City of Ahmedabad, led to other heritage restoration works in the vicinity. Apart from the achievements in heritage conservation, the larger focus was on the fundamental objective, to encourage more people to join this great initiative towards the revival of Ahmedabad’s heritage for future generations.