Indian Town Struggles to Balance Architectural Heritage and Living Heritage

Recent events in the southern India town of Hampi, recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, expose the struggle to balance the needs of historical tourist sites and those who make their livelihood from them, writes Rachel Proctor May.

2 minute read

August 19, 2012, 9:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


When the Hampi World Heritage Area
Management Authority (HWHAMA) bulldozed homes and businesses in the bazaar adjacent to the archaeological treasures of the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, they may have helped protect the city's "dead" architectural heritage, but it came at the cost of destroying the "living" heritage of 300 families, "who had made their living selling
handicrafts, bottled water, banana pancakes, and other tourist
goodies to the hundreds of thousands of visitors who hit Hampi each
year," writes Rachel Proctor May. 

"Officially," says May, "the structures that were destroyed had no right
to exist in the first place, although the same could be said for
many, if not most, of the structures in a country where land
titling is still poorly documented and subject to dispute."

Although the destruction of the bazaar followed at least a decade of
discussion over "how to best manage both Hampi's
wealth of architectural heritage and the living heritage of its
residents," May writes that "the
debate is far from over."

"Hampi as a whole is over 100 square
kilometers peppered with thousands of ruins, and other families who
make a living among those ruins. Local activists are pushing UNESCO and the
Indian government for a number of reforms, including a more
thorough compensation package, true citizen involvement in how to
manage living and historical heritage, and a stronger institutional
role for local democratic institutions rather than the
unaccountable bureaucratic agency of HWHAMA."

 

Tuesday, August 14, 2012 in The Global Urbanist

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

The Five Most-Changed American Cities

A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

April 23, 2025 - GoodMigrations

A large Google data center building in the Netherlands.

Rethinking Computing: Researchers Tackle AI’s Energy Demands

USC researchers are reimagining how AI systems are trained and powered — through smarter algorithms, innovative hardware, and brain-inspired designs — to dramatically reduce computing’s energy footprint.

May 4 - USC News

Close-up of smartphone with Zoox logo and screen with blurred image of Zoox autonomous vehicle in background.

Amazon-Owned Robotaxis to Begin Testing in LA

Los Angeles will become the sixth city where Zoox is testing its autonomous vehicle technology.

May 4 - Smart Cities Dive

NYC MTA train on elevated rail with Manhattan skyline visible in background.

New York MTA Says No More Borrowing, Will Cut Costs Instead

The agency says it won’t take out any new loans to finance its planned improvements and is finding other ways to cut costs.

May 4 - Bloomberg CityLab

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO