ABSTRACT
Preservation of modern heritage in India, particularly from the postcolonial era, is a nascent endeavour. In a country with as long a history as India, historic sites need to be at least 100 years old (as well as exceptional and grand) to qualify for protection by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the nation’s premier heritage management agency. This leaves the bulk of the heritage from the twentieth century largely without any protection, with few exceptions. In this chapter I discuss two modern heritage sites: the Pragati Maidan in Delhi, focusing on buildings that Indian modernist Raj Rewal designed for the exhibition grounds, and the city of Chandigarh, planned by Le Corbusier and team. Both Rewal’s and Le Corbusier’s works have been appreciated worldwide as exceptional; however, in the local cultural and political context they have not been fully appreciated as cultural heritage. Despite efforts by local preservation organizations, both of Rewal’s buildings in Pragati Maidan have recently been demolished. With regards to Chandigarh, efforts at inscribing the city on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List have been abandoned, leaving the bulk of the city’s urban fabric vulnerable. This chapter explores the processes and issues that have run through attempts at listing and preserving these sites, with an eye towards the larger themes and challenges of preserving the built environment of postcolonial India.
