Jahanvi Sinha

DRP

This study analyses participatory governance concerning heritage and its management. Based in the largest cultural district of Gujarat, the Kutch region shows rich cultural and traditional diversity in its unique natural ecosystem. The study focuses on bringing out those aspects of heritage that have been either lost in time, erased in the social memory, or exist through fragments of broken pieces, by identifying the region’s cultural heritage. It dwells on the workings and understandings of the traditional knowledge systems as defined by the communities and their ecology. The study also assesses the role of the gram panchayat in managing and promoting the heritage of their region by encouraging heritage management through local participation. Adhering to the contextual terrain, traditional knowledge systems are linked to the corresponding ecology and environment. Significant in understanding the built forms and human settlements, these knowledge systems are fading out with the changes in the economic and climatic conditions. The study focuses on bringing out the significance of the knowledge systems of Devaliya as the identified cultural heritage of the village and provides suggestive guidelines for promoting and managing these cultural assets within the community.