Plea to conserve heritage buildings in Fort Kochi, Mattancherry

The heritage streets of Fort Kochi and Mattancherry may lose their charm if agencies fail to conserve buildings and prevent illegal renovations.

The heritage streets of Fort Kochi and Mattancherry that take visitors back in time may lose their grandeur, if agencies that are duty-bound to conserve buildings that date back to the colonial era, and even earlier, remain mute spectators to illegal renovation of such structures, say tourism and heritage conservation stakeholders.

“Agencies vested with the task of conserving heritage buildings and archaeological monuments must get their act together, failing which the two locales will lose their old-world charm that brings tourists by the thousand from across the world to these locales,” said Jose Dominic, co-founder of CGH Earth group. He also spearheads the renovation of a pair of houses on Synagogue Lane at Jew Town, Mattancherry. The demand attains significance in the wake of handicraft traders, other merchants, and heritage enthusiasts organising a protest on Saturday in front of a heritage building on Synagogue Lane when an attempt was made to replace its age-old tiled roof with metal sheets. The work was subsequently put on hold.

“It is heartening to note that traders, residents, and others responded realistically, promptly and showed the sensitivity of the community towards attempts to dilute heritage norms. They sent a powerful message on the need to conserve heritage. It is also appreciable that the organisation that owned the building realised its mistake and decided to halt the work. The aesthetics of such heritage buildings that are located strategically near monuments must be preserved at all cost.

Heritage enthusiasts and agencies like the Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage (INTACH) have been over the years demanding steps to end renovation works that violate heritage norms, and also neglect of such buildings which in turn lead to them crumbling due to shoddy or nil upkeep.

“A vigilant local community is the best bet against attempts to dilute heritage norms, as was proven in the wake of Saturday’s protest in Jew Town,” said Arafat Nazar, a handicraft trader who was among those who led the protest. “Else, tourists will begin shunning such hugely popular historic locales,” he added.

Sources in the Kerala State Department of Archaeology said it has been a practice to unauthorisedly alter the facade and interiors of heritage buildings in Mattancherry and Fort Kochi, especially during holidays and on weekends when the officials concerned are off duty. “We can intervene and issue a stop memo, if we are informed or if someone sends a complaint. There are also grey areas in norms for minor or major repair, renovation and reconstruction, which they try to exploit.”

There were instances of investors from other States, who pay scant regard to regional architecture, renovating heritage buildings, damaging the charm of entire streets in these locales. Few know that the department has a pool of skilled workers who have been trained in conserving heritage structures. Their services can be availed, if needed, they added.