Rejuvenating the Cultural Landscape to Enhance the Experience of the Ginnorgarh Fort, Madhya Pradesh

Abstract

Cultural landscapes are integral components of a nation's heritage, serving as narratives of historical epochs. These landscapes encapsulate our cultural and historical essence, warranting conservation alongside built monuments to authentically preserve and represent them as evocative relics of the past. This study focuses upon one such important cultural landscape of historic Ginnorgarh Hill Fort Precinct, located in Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Ginnorgarh Fort site lacks legal protection, resulting in the absence of an accountable body responsible for its preservation. Consequently, the historic site is in a state of severe deterioration. The cultural landscape of Ginnorgarh Fort underwent evolution from the 12th to the 18th century CE, amalgamating elements of Hindu and Islamic architectural styles. Situated amidst the Vindhya hill range within Ratapani Sanctuary, the site encompasses three palatial structures, ponds, gardens, numerous step wells, ancient temple ruins, idol remnants, and living heritage exemplified by the Gond tradition. It is an important eco-tourism destination. Like numerous other historical sites in India, conservation endeavors at Ginnorgarh Fort primarily prioritize historic structures over cultural landscapes and intangible heritage. My contention is that broadening the conservation focus from individual buildings to the landscape level would uphold the historic integrity of the site. This approach would disperse visitor traffic from select monuments to encompass the expansive cultural landscape, thereby facilitating a more expansive and authentic visitor experience while offering opportunities for cultural immersion. Following extensive site analysis and mapping of the present-day layered landscape, the inherent design intelligence of the past has been deciphered, culminating in the development of an integrated conservation plan for Ginnorgarh Fort. The plan advocates for heritage walks traversing the hill fort, lakes, palace gardens, and sacred groves, offering a curated journey through the cultural landscape with vistas unfolding along the way. This immersive approach aims to allow visitors to construct a coherent historical narrative, thus reliving the fort's rich history. Emphasizing community involvement, historic preservation efforts will entail ongoing maintenance of the site. Furthermore, landscape conservation initiatives are anticipated to stimulate both domestic and international tourism to Ginnorgarh Fort, potentially serving as a paradigm for conserving similar hill fort sites nestled within wildlife sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh.