Heritage in Neighbourhood

Role of community, History, and Culture in shaping the Historic Urban Environment

A Case of Masjid Moth Village, New Delhi

Monica Chaudhary

Guided by Nikhil Dhar

Master of Architecture/Masters of Landscape Architecture/ Masters of Landscape Design Faculty of Architecture

Date: May 1, 2018

Place: Ahmedabad, India

Delhi in contemporary times (along with its political and historical identity) is known by its unique quality of integrating its new with its old. The food, the built fabric, the architecture are some examples that give hints of this amalgamation. The integration can be also seen in the most neglected spaces of Delhi, the ‘urban village’.

An Urban village as a phenomenon in Delhi is generally (but not always) focused around a monument which acts as a marker or identity for an area, in terms of character and sometimes the name of the area itself. The Monument, the green patches around it and the old settlements, built with close-knit informality, form an urban village. Along with the rustic street character, the landscape, and the living history, these urban villages bear a rich culture which is endangered these days but do exist around the monuments in form of rituals, fesivities and gatherings. Making these neighbourhoods rich and unique.

The thesis talks about this specific typology of monuments, which is often counted in the unexplored heritage of Delhi. The fragmented pieces of history in the close knit community around it. But unfortunately it has become rather common to see their identity diminishing with time, (encroachment, vandalism ec.) and the new identity overshadowing the past. Considering this and he fact that heritage is important for a city, the thesis also focusses on making the setting stand out and reconnect it with its’ history and celebrate its culture.It challanges 100 m protected area policy, and puts forward a few new considerations for the policy makers to rethink the historic setting in a neighbourhood.

Hence, a new methodology developed for the past and present to co-exist, where the dignity of the monument and the importance of the culture doesn’t overshadow the other, but rather complement it, celebrate it.

Keywords: Heritage, Historic Urban Landscape, Cultural Identity