VIRTUAL: Prague Heritages

Abstract

Historic landscapes, particularly religious landscapes such as Buddhist complexes, express a strong relationship between nature and culture. They were sited taking into consideration the natural environment of a region, its landscape character and natural resources. Selection of sites, their layout, and spatial organization of these complexes reflect the reverence for natural resources and specific techniques of sustainable use of resources such as water. However, an integrated approach considering built heritage and its interaction with natural resources in the context is often lacking in the restoration and conservation of heritage sites. This paper intends to explore the role of water as a religious symbol in ancient Buddhist monastic life, its significance as a landscape resource for sustenance, and its efficient management through the selected cases of Thotlakonda and Bavikonda in India. The study includes an in-depth analysis of the two cases in terms of mapping of the on-site investigations specific to siting of water cisterns, their relationship with the regional watershed and ecosystem characteristics, and Buddhist traditional practices. In the current conservation practice, the reservoirs and cisterns are excluded from the delineated boundaries of the protected heritage sites. Therefore, the paper proposes a framework for the conservation and restoration of water management systems in the ancient Buddhist complexes in accordance with the Buddhist value systems to ensure continuity of their biological and cultural diversity in the present-day context. The proposed approach will contribute to enhancing the values of natural resources and their sustainable use in heritage sites.