Organised by Janwani and Intach-Pune, the sixth edition of Pune Heritage Festival, will be celebrated from February 3 to 12 across the city. Along with heritage tours, the festival will also see panel discussions, lectures and workshops. For the first time, the festival will witness a ‘Symposium on Urban Heritage’, as a part of the inauguration ceremony that will take place on February 2 at 4 pm in MDC Auditorium, YASHADA, Baner Road.

What is the future of urban heritage? How can heritage bylaws be strengthened? How can its implementation be effective? What are the challenges and benefits of conservation? are some of the topics to be addressed in the symposium through case studies, presentations and panel discussions.

Nitin Kareer, Principal Secretary, Urban Development Department, Government of Maharashtra, will be the chief guest at the occasion, while the chief speakers include Mumbai-based leading architect Abha Lamba, Rajiv Patel from Ahmedabad and Malini Krishnakutty, Secretary, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Heritage Conservation Society. The Symposium is free and open to all.

Prajakta Divekar, Deputy Director, Janwani, expressed that when people speak of urban heritage in development it is mostly in the context of a ‘monument’ or ‘heritage building/structure’. Seldom do they consider the historic residential or commercial areas, intangible cultural aspects linked with it as heritage. There is also a disconnect between the cultural heritage and the natural resources, such as rivers and tekdis, which also constitute urban heritage.

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