ANALYSING CULTURAL HERITAGE LANDSCAPE AROUND NARMADA RIVER PARIKRAMA WITH THE NEED FOR RESILIENT CONSERVATION STRATEGIES

Abstract

Narmada River is one of the most sacred rivers among the seven (River Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu, Kaweri) from the Indian subcontinent, as mentioned in the ancient scriptures. Its banks and surrounding areas exhibit multiple layers of cultural heritage spanning centuries, which are continued in the contemporary period in both tangible and intangible forms. The River Narmada is worshipped with the unique concept of Parikrama, i.e., circumambulation, of the river as a whole or in parts by devotees by walk or vehicle. They believe it cleanses all bad deeds and opens the path to salvation. Both banks of the river, with around 3600 km path and 800+ Tirthkshetra (sacredscapes with holy water as an inseparable element) situated on the path, are parts of the whole set of sacred cultural landscape. 1312 km River flows through different geographical and topographical conditions and has given shelter to different reigns in its valley since the historical period. The river and the path have become a source of inspiration for many cultural aspects, including literature, art forms, architecture, folklore and narratives, etc. By given considerations of the huge research area, sampling strategies were formulated to best suit the whole Parikrama Path. From the primary and secondary data collection, it has been observed that Lacs of devotees perform the Parikrama with an increasing number every year, with increasing urban infrastructural pressure on the cultural and Natural heritage to cater for them. The rituals and traditions involved related to the river and Parikrama are continued in the contemporary period, but the materials that replaced the earlier ones are hazardous to nature. The ritual theory by Axel Michaels has been applied for a better understanding of the Parikrama as a Hindu ritual. The inferences highlight the urgent need for time for the holistic perspective involving the local community blended with the Cultural Heritage Landscape for the resilient conservation strategies, before getting late.