Conservation Strategies for Historic Town of UDAYPUR, Madhya Pradesh/

Abstract

Through a comprehensive approach, the thesis intends to analyze Udaypur (M.P.) as the old, planned city of Raja Udayaditya and prepare a conservation strategy for the historic center. Udaypur is in the Madhya Pradesh state in central India, in the Malwa area. The name of the town is taken from the name of the king who founded it, Raja Udayaditya, who founded Udaypur and built the Neelkantheswar Udayeshvara temple and the Uday Samudra lake. The town has various Hindu, Jain, and Islamic architectural landmarks, as well as several bawdis and lakes that were formerly part of the old water system. The thesis entails a study of Udaypur based on Raja Bhoj's conventional town planning principles as described in his literature, 'Samrangana Sutradhara,' as well as other academics' works, and correlating it with on-site data. It all starts with the identification and documentation of existing heritage structures and precincts, as well as their usage, function, and concerns. This also includes a graphical portrayal of Udaypur's historical progression, with numerous layers of history and their metamorphosis in the current urban setting, as well as the city's old cultural riches. This would include calculating how much of the cultural heritage has survived and how much has been lost and their significance. The thesis will result in a conservation plan for Udaypur's historic center. This would include dividing the center into zones for better management and then developing heritage zone criteria. There would be ideas for managing heritage structures that have been discovered and designated, as well as conservation plans to conserve the remaining cultural treasures in Udaypur's historic care. This study is a great chance to bring this heritage town to the forefront since it has separate structures with their own value and originality that have long been overshadowed by nearby monuments such as Sanchi stupa and Udaygiri caves.