CE - 825

THE DISSERTATION PRELIMINARY ENTITLED

“Integrated Planning through Heritage Conservation and Urban

Revitalization – An Approach for Resurrection of Built Heritage of
Surat City”

SUBMITTED BY
DEBASHIS SARKAR (P21UP016)

GUIDED BY
DR. KRUPESH A CHAUHAN

(PROFESSOR AND SECTION HEAD,

URBAN PLANNING SECTION, DoCE)

DECEMBER, 2022
POST GRADUATE SECTION IN URBAN PLANNING
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

SARDAR VALLABHBHAI NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, SURAT

 Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat
Department of Civil Engineering
P.G. Section (Urban Planning)

Certificate
This is to certify that Dissertation Preliminary Report on “Integrated Planning through
Heritage Conservation and Urban Revitalization – An Approach for Resurrection of
Built Heritage of Surat City” submitted by Debashis Sarkar (Roll No. P21UP016) has
satisfactorily completed the requirement for the 3rd semester subject CE: 825 Dissertation
Preliminary as partial fulfilment of post graduate degree.

Dr. Krupesh. A. Chauhan

Guide | Professor & Section Head
Urban Planning | DoCE
SVNIT, Surat

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 Acknowledgement

I would like to thank my guide Dr. Krupesh A Chauhan, Professor & Section Head, Urban
Planning Section, Department of Civil Engineering, SVNIT, Surat for his invaluable guidance,
support attention and inspiration which has helped to steer my objectives to the right direction
and gain a better understanding about technical aspects.

I would also like to thank Dr. Ravin M Tailor, PG Incharge and Dr. Chetan R. Patel for their
valuable suggestions and support.

I would also like to thank Ms. Pragya Verma, PhD Scholar, DoCE, for her numerous
suggestions, guidance and words of motivation that has helped me to navigate through research
papers and understand their essence. Finally, I would like to thank my family, classmates and
juniors for the infinite support and help.

Debashis Sarkar
(P21UP016)

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Contents

1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1
2 Need Of Study..................................................................................................................... 2
3 Study Area .......................................................................................................................... 3
3.1 Site Context ................................................................................................................. 3
3.2 Surat’s Heritage Context ............................................................................................. 3
3.3 Specific Site Identification .......................................................................................... 5
3.4 Current Scenario.......................................................................................................... 6
3.5 Restoration Initiatives by SMC ................................................................................... 8
3.6 Smart City Initiatives – ‘Heritage Walk’ App, Surat .................................................. 9
3.7 Findings ....................................................................................................................... 9
4 Objectives ......................................................................................................................... 11
5 Scope Of Study ................................................................................................................. 11
6 Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 12
7 Chapterization ................................................................................................................... 15
8 References ......................................................................................................................... 16

List of Figures

1. Surat in India's context ........................................................................................................... 3

2. Khawaja Dana Saheb's Rouza Dargah ................................................................................... 4
3. Old English Tombs ................................................................................................................ 4
4. Old Dutch and Armenian Tombs and Cemeteries ................................................................. 4
5. Khawaja Safar Sulemani Tomb ............................................................................................. 4
6. Important Old Settlements of Surat ....................................................................................... 5
7. House façades ........................................................................................................................ 7
8. Heritage properties in dilapidated condition .......................................................................... 7
9. Ongoing Restoration Works in Surat ..................................................................................... 8
10. 'Heritage Walk' Application Screens ................................................................................... 9
11. New Developments overlapping and hiding buit heritage, Rajmarg Area ....................... 10
12. Process of Triangulation Analysis ..................................................................................... 12
13. Methodology ...................................................................................................................... 14

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List of Tables

1. Ward wise Population of Central Zone, SMC ...................................................................... 6

2. Rander area Population details .............................................................................................. 6
3. Semi-Structured Local Expert interviewees ........................................................................ 13

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CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

The city of Surat has a glorious history that dates back to 300 BC. The origin of the city can be
traced to the old Hindu town of Suryapur during 1500 – 1520 A.D, established by Hindu
Brahmin ‘Gopi’. In 1514, the Portuguese traveler Duarte Barbosa described Surat as a
significant seaport. The Portuguese were the undeniable rulers of the Surat Coast at the end of
the sixteenth century (Parveen, 2014). But in 1612, Captain Thomas Best and Captain Nicholas
Downton overthrew the Portuguese navy's dominance and installed Surat as the English East
India Company's capital (Parveen, 2014). But Bombay's transfer to the English East India
Company in 1668, when it became the main hub of their trade, dealt a fatal blow to Surat's
glory and prosperity. Although, through several time phrases, Surat was the source of
settlements of different communities (Dutch, Portugese, British, Mughal, Persian).
Surat is now the commercial and economic center in South Gujarat, and one of the largest urban
areas of western India. It is a significant hub for the supply of apparel and accessories and has
well-established textile and diamond industries. The city is where 90% of the world's diamonds
are cut and polished. It is India's eighth-largest city by population and ninth-lasrgest urban
agglomeration overall.
The current scenario has completely been changed as Surat has emerged as the Industrial hub
of the country. Diamond and Textiles are the most vibrant components where the growth of the
city is very prominent. Surat continues the same tradition as the past as people from all around
the country flock in for business and jobs. But it demotes the importance of its heritage
properties, lacks maintenance, conservation guidelines, and negligence, and is losing its
cultural identity (Udeaja et al., 2020). The reason behind this is the lack of inclusive and
comprehensive heritage conservation plans and awareness of local government and its citizens.
Due to a lack of incentive schemes, private owners have failed to maintain their property. Many
structures are in an abandoned state due to poor maintenance strategies and misuse, leading to
urban decay, ruins, and blocking of land.
This research aims to develop a new Policy Framework or Financial Mechanism to fund for
the maintenance of historical buildings at individual level. Basically, the research will focus to
conserve and revitalize the heritage and historical properties in the city through orthodox
mechanisms as well as propose new policy framework for the private owners or individuals of
built heritage in Surat city.

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CHAPTER 2 NEED OF STUDY

Surat is one of the leading Urban settlements in South Asia, estimating the highest urban
growth in the world from 2019 to 2035 (Economic Times of India). It also played a very
important role in the history of India as one of the earliest seaports for trading with European
countries. During Mughal Period, Surat was the most important seaport in western India.
Several settlements of Dutch, Portuguese, English, and Persian Communities can be seen
throughout the old settlement areas like Walled City, Old Rander, and on the bank of Tapi
river. Several Heritage buildings and monuments can be identified as hallmarks of diversified
cultures which have immense historical value and architectural importance.
Several factors, including growing urbanisation, rising housing demand, and societal and
climatic shifts, have combined to put Surat's legacy at risk. Sadly, the loss of history coincides
with the increased urbanisation that is occurring in many places. Despite some attempts by
local government, historic buildings in metropolitan areas are being replaced by standard
concrete structures at an alarming rate, threatening the cultural legacy of the area's past.
Although Surat was the Second Indian city (After Ahmedabad) to develop its heritage policy
in 2011 to protect the city's historic buildings that aren't protected by the Archaeological Survey
of India (ASI) (Udeaja et al., 2020). Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has prepared a draft
policy where total of 2991 monuments or structures were documented, having heritage value.
This research uncovered numerous obstacles, including the following: the lack of adequate
heritage-focused urban conservation management policies and processes; the lack of adequate
skills, training, and resources among decision-makers; and the ongoing conflict and
competition between the needs of heritage conservation and the interests of developers. Surat's
residents and historical stakeholders also do not fully appreciate the city's tangible and
intangible legacy or its worth and significance.

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CHAPTER 3 STUDY AREA

3.1 Site Context

is the second largest city in Gujarat after Ahmedabad and the eighth largest city by
population and ninth largest urban agglomeration in India. The city of Surat is currently
urbanizing rapidly with demands of urban sprawl and is Asia’s fastest growing in terms of
decadal growth of population. According to the census 2011, Surat’s urban district had a
population of 4,849,213 people although the actual population may exceed these figures due to
rapid development in Surat’s metropolitan region and now it’s estimated over 60 lakhs.

Figure 1 : Surat in India's context (Source - Author)

3.2 Surat’s Heritage Context

The architectural environment of Surat is a reflection of the historical forces that have ruled
and shaped the city, including the Hindus, Muslims, French, Dutch, Portuguese, and British.
Surat has a well-established legacy and a wide portfolio of tangible heritage assets since it is a
port city situated on the western coast of India in the state of Gujarat. The most important
monument of Surat is Surat Fort. Established in 1540-46 A.D. by Khudawand Khan, it served
as the defense wall for the city, defending invasions of Portugese.
Mughal Sarai is another Heritage Monument, built by Shah Jahan in1644 A.D., currently
serving as Main Office Complex of Surat Municipal Corporation.

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Despite the absence of a UNESCO World Heritage site in the city, the Archaeological Survey
of India (ASI) has recognised six locations in Surat as "Monuments of National Importance."
(Udeaja et al., 2020)
They are:
1. the Khawaja Dana Saheb's Rouza Dargah;
2. Old English Tombs;
3. the Khawaja Safar Sulemani Tomb;
4. Old Dutch and Armenian Tombs and Cemeteries;
5. the ancient site including S.Plot No. 535; and
6. Fateh Burj.

Figure 2: Khawaja Dana Saheb's Rouza Dargah Figure 3: Old English Tombs

Figure 4: Old Dutch and Armenian Tombs and Figure 5: Khawaja Safar Sulemani Tomb
Cemeteries

Several other Monuments, Public Buildings like Temples(Chintamani temple), Persian Fire
Temple , Mosques (The Nausaiyid Mosque, The Saiyidd Idrus Mosque,The Mirjan Sami
Mausoleom, Jami Masjid), Clock Tower, Schools (J.J Training School), Libray (Andrew’s
Library) had been carrying the glory of Surat’s Heritage since long.

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3.3 Specific Site Identification
The architectural environment of Surat also has a long-standing economic influence. To
determine the specific site area, CPWD Guidelines for Heritage Building Identification has
been used, where 3 main key factors are used (CPWD, n.d.) –
1. Historical Significance
2. Historical Integrity
3. Historical Context

Although some historic structures are no longer standing, the two main historic districts in
Surat's city centre are still clearly defined with ticking all the 3 parameters, which are –
a. Central zone (Walled City)
b. Rander Gamtal
The central zone (Walled City) consists of 12 wards, including old settlements like Gopipura,
Nanpura, Begumpura, Saiyadpura, Salabatpura, Rustampura, Wadi Faliyu etc with an area of
8.18 square kilometres. And Rander belongs to the Western Zone of Surat Municipal
Corporation, having 5.12 square kilometres area.

Figure 6 : Important Old Settlements of Surat (Source - Author)

According to Census 2011, Central zone is the area with maximum population density (49971
persons per Sq.km.) with Ward no. 8, Gopipura having the maximum population density
(85432 persons per Sq.km.)(Census 2011, n.d.). Comparing to density of SMC (13680 persons
per Sq.km.), Central Zone has been much densier, promoting more modern development and
construction to fulfil the housing requirement.

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 Table 1 : Ward wise Population of Central Zone, SMC according to Census 2011(Source - Surat Municipal Corporation)

Ward Name Area Population Population Decadal

no. (Sq.km) (2011) Density Growth
(Person/Sq.km) Rate
(%)
1 Nanpura 1.28 52421 40954 1.30
2 Sagrampura 1.31 81554 62255 5.48
3 Salabatpura 0.84 53684 63910 -3.58
4 Begumpura 0.93 41768 44912 -8.86
5 Haripura 0.23 11378 49470 -9.44
6 Mahidharpura 0.36 17027 47297 -14.08
7 Saiyadpura 1.69 56006 33140 1.50
8 Gopipura 0.22 18795 85432 -2.67
9 Wadifalia 0.14 8089 57779 -15.32
10 Sonifalia 0.24 13499 56246 -6.43
11 Nanavat 0.46 21022 45700 6.42
12 Shahpor 0.39 24979 64049 7.37
Avg. Density
Total 8.18 408760 49971

Instead of being an old settlement, Rander area experienced massive growth in population in
last 2 decades due to Industrial growth towards Hazira, South - Western part of the city. 33%
decadal population growth indicates huge housing demand in this area.
Table 2: Rander area Population details according to Census 2011 (Source – Surat Municipal Corporation)

Name Area Population Population Density Decadal

(Sq.km) (2011) (Person/Sq.km) Growth Rate(%)
Rander 5.12 114632 22389 33.22

3.4 Current Scenario

In Surat, the historic traditional homes are still classified according to four different typological
influences: vernacular, colonial (Gothic and Renaissance), Art Deco, and Arabesque (Udeaja
et al., 2020). The house's façade, plan form, and hierarchy of areas all reveal a variety of
architectural styles. Houses in the vernacular style are depicted with wooden exteriors, huge
brackets, and overhanging eaves since these elements are typical to the region. Various animal
and bird motifs, as well as floral designs, are carved into the wooden columns. The colonial
era in Surat saw the introduction of Gothic and Renaissance influences. Arabesque architecture
is characterised by its use of geometric patterns on the façade and its exclusive use of brick and
lime in construction. The Art Deco architectural style is reflected in the partitioning of facades
into sections with ornamental art forms constructed from contemporary industrial material.

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 Figure 7: House façades showing colonial style influences with elements of Art Deco Style, Area –
Rander and Gopipura (Source – Google Images)

Monuments, which were determined to be historically and architecturally significant, have

been the primary focus of Surat's restoration efforts for its built heritage. For this reason,
historic buildings that didn't meet these requirements received inadequate maintenance and
lack of funding, making them more susceptible to damage.

Figure 8: Heritage properties in dilapidated condition for lack of maintenance, Area - Rander, Chowk Bazaar
(Source – Author)

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3.5 Restoration Initiatives by SMC
The SMC's attempts to repair significant landmarks, including as the fort and castle, have been
noteworthy but limited. The first heritage area in the city was built at Chowk Bazar,
demonstrating the dedication to preserving the city's history. Surat's castle and moat, together
with Suryaputri Udyan up to the river edge, Frazer promenade, and Shanivari along the river
bank are all part of the 11.5 hectares of land now being renovated as part of this project. At
now, the fort's battlements are twelve metres broad, and the walls are four metres thick.
Restoration of Sir JJ Training College is also under process and it is being transformed Chowk
Bazaar Metro Station, under upcoming Surat Metro rail projects.

Figure 9 : Ongoing Restoration Works in Surat. (Left) Restoration work going on in Surat Fort by SMC (Source - SMC).
(Right) Restroration of SIr JJ Training College as Metro Station (Source - Author)

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3.6 Smart City Initiatives – ‘Heritage Walk’ App, Surat
Under ‘Smart Cities Initiatives’ SMC has launched ‘Heritage Walk’ application, that will give
travellers a brief historical glimpse of the city. The route is 2.2 km in length, addresses 11
important Monuments including English, Dutch and Armenian Cemeteries, Mughal Sarai, Sir
JJ Training College and Surat Fort.

Figure 10 : 'Heritage Walk' Application Screens (Source - Author)

3.7 Findings
By going through all these observations, several inferences can be drawn from these –

a. Historical Influence – Great Fire of Surat, 1837

In April 1837, a fire broke out in the Indian city of Surat, then under British East India
Company rule. It resulted in more than 500 deaths and the destruction of 9,737 houses in a
15.69 km radius. It was the most destructive fire in the history of the city.

b. Lack of Initiatives from State and Local Authorities for Private Owned Structures
Unfortunately, at the state level, there is a lack of uniform attention to historical concerns in
Gujarat's policies on inclusive urban development. There are currently no well-developed local
policies or initiatives in existence in Surat pertaining to the preservation of cultural assets.

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Based on research by the Urban Management Centre for the Surat Municipal Corporation
(SMC), an attempt was made to create criteria for the conservation of history, but the local
government is still having trouble putting them into practice. Around 3000 buildings were
identified under built heritage but very few notable buildings were conserved properly.

c. Urban Development and Real Estate Pressures

Surat confronts the critical problem of creating new infrastructure to suit the requirements of a
rapid growing population. As industries like the textile trade and diamond industry continue to
grow and thrive in Surat, residents from rural regions and other less developed cities and towns
are relocating to the city in quest of work possibilities. As a result, Surat's real estate market is
under pressure to accommodate new infrastructural and commercial constructions that can
accommodate the city's growing population and raise the land's value (Figure 11). There is
already tension between modernization programmes that aim to achieve economic goals and
preservation efforts that aim to preserve the city's history and character.

Figure 11 : New Developments overlapping and hiding buit heritage, Rajmarg Area (Source - Author)

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CHAPTER 4 OBJECTIVES

1. To study existing Heritage and Conservation Policies, Development Plans, Research

Papers related to Local and Indian Urban context and compare these with Foreign Policies
and Research Papers of countries with more developed heritage management.

2. To identify the Financial Mechanisms, Policy Frameworks and Organisations responsible

for aiding funds to conserve built heritage of India.

3. To analyse the pros as well as the gray areas that should be improved for better heritage
management.

4. To propose Integrated Policy framework and planning approach for better management of
Built Heritage at individual level, using tools like ‘Urban Revitalization’.

CHAPTER 5 SCOPE OF STUDY

Surat has versatility in Culture and in its built Architecture through different Communal
settlements inside the city. And the recommendations of this research will create ample scope
in conservation management of the city.
1. Integrated Policy framework will help private owners of the built heritage to enlist their
properties under the ‘Heritage’ segment and they can avail the benefits of it.

2. Executing a better financial aiding mechanism towards its built heritage will give Surat a
pivotal chance to make the most of its history and strengthen its urban identity for future
generations.

3. Urban Revitalisation is a tool that consist of a set of urban management strategies to

improve economic, social, environmental, cultural and historical redevelopment of
challenging, disadvantaged and abandoned urban areas. It will revive the built heritage of
Surat City with improved basic infrastructures, developed open spaces.

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CHAPTER 6 METHODOLOGY

This research strategy employs a case study approach centred on the city of Surat. A number
of sources will be used to acquire data for Triangulation Analysis purposes. The primary benefit
of triangulation is that it permits the assessment of several sources of information to probe ideas
on the assumption that a consensus of the findings would lead to more reliable outcomes (Carter
et al., 2014).

Figure 12 : Process of triangulation Analysis

Questionnaires will be prepared at 2 different level.

I. Questionnaire 1 – For Heritage and Conservation Experts, Working Professionals with
experience and exposures to several Policies at Local, National and Global level.
II. Questionnaire 2 – For primary users of the built heritage properties to assess the issues
they are facing daily life.
the empirical dataset will be based on qualitative data, including policy and planning
documents, interviews, focus groups, and direct observation of two sub-cases, i.e., the two
historic precincts of Gopi Surat Central Zone and Rander Gamtal.
The interviews will be a part of Data collection. Semi-Structured Local Expert Interviews are
being taken to get qualitative data at different level. They are the stakeholders who will
contribute significantly to strategic planning of heritage in Surat such as the local Government
officials, heritage architects, and consultants. The details of the interviewees are listed below.

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 Table 3 : Semi-Structured Local Expert interviewees

Local Expert Organisations Name of Role

Group Interviewee
Local Surat Municipal Sh. M D Chavda Excecutive
Government Corporation Engineer, Heritage
Cell
Public SVNIT Dr. Dilip A Patel Section Head, CTM,
Universities DoCE
Consultants Surat Municipal Ar. Bhadresh Shah Heritage Expert
Corporation
NGOs Indian National Trust for Ar. Binita Pandya Heritage Expert
Art and Cultural
Heritage (INTACH)
Public Veer Narmad South Dr. A. N. Pandya Associate Professor,
Universities Gujarat University Department of
Sociology
Consultants Modi Associates Ar. Sumesh M Modi Conservation
Architect

The observations will be obtained through site visits in the specific areas in Central zone and
Rander Gamtal area. Questionnaire 2 will be used for primary data collection.
For identification and listing of Built Heritages in those areas, Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis
(MCDA/MCDM) will be used. It provides solid decision-making in the field where the
selection of favourable alternatives is complex(Ragheb, 2021). This method is the structure of
a set of criteria, alternatives, and their comparison and evaluation in a strategic manner. The
following 9 criteria has been identified till now to develop the evaluation matrix-
1. Historical value
2. Architectural value
3. Sociocultural value
4. Signs of deterioration
5. Accessibility
6. Integrity
7. Public opinion
8. Local response
9. Usability

Weights of these nine attributes are calculated using the linear additive method of MCDM
(Dutta and Husain, 2009). This grading system includes views and opinions of a range of
stakeholders involved in the city's heritage conservation.
Based on the analysis of both primary and secondary, recommendations and new policy
framework will be suggested. The following figure gives a brief description of all the stages
one by one with categories in which the dissertation will be carried out.

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 Need, Objectives,
Scope of Study
CPWD Guidelines
1. Historical Significance
Site 2. Historical integrity
Selection 3. Historical Context
Literature Review

1. Primary Data Collection 2. Secondary Data

Data Collection
Triangulation Process Collection
1. Site Observations 1. National, International and
2.Questionnaires Local Policies, Plans
3. Expert Interviews 2. Research Papers

1. Building Identification Data Analysis Geospatial Data

MCDM Analysis
Problem Identification
1. Historical value
2. Architectural value Data Evaluation
3. Sociocultural value Policy Analysis
4. Signs of deterioration
5. Accessibility Policy Development
6. Integrity
Proposals
7. Public opinion
8. Local response
9. Usability

Way Forward

Figure 13 : Methodology

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CHAPTER 7 CHAPTERIZATION

The Chapter organisation of this Dissertation will be following –

Chapter 1 - Introduction
It will include the basic idea about the heritage conservation scenario in India and Surat city,
the loopholes of the existing policies, financial mechanisms of Government of India and ULBs,
and the study's need, objectives, scope, and methodology.

Chapter 2 – Literature Review

This chapter gives a comprehensive and extensive review of the literature on the policy
framework for heritage management of built heritage in India and other countries. It includes
essential criteria to evaluate heritage structures used worldwide. The application and
characteristics of different Multi-criteria Decision-Making methods will be discussed here.

Chapter 3 – Study Area Profile

It highlights the essential aspects such as physical characteristics, locational aspects,
demography profile, socio-economic aspects, and cultural heritage of Surat city, specific areas
like Central zone and Rander Gamtal area.

Chapter 4 – Data Collection and Analysis

This chapter will include a description of primary and secondary data collected during field
visits and interviews. The inventory list of structures, their ownership, and condition status will
be discussed in this chapter. The

Chapter 5 – Results and Recommendations

Integrated Conservation Policy will be proposed in this chapter based on the developed
framework for the evaluation of built heritage.

Chapter 6 – Conclusion and Way Forward

This chapter summarizes the conclusions of the current study and suggests the way forward in
this research area.

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CHAPTER 8 REFERENCES

1. Carter, N., Bryant-Lukosius, D., DiCenso, A., Blythe, J., Neville, A.J., 2014. The use of
triangulation in qualitative research. Oncol Nurs Forum 41, 545–7.
https://doi.org/10.1188/14.ONF.545-547

2. Census 2011, n.d. Directorate Of Census Operations Census Of India 2011 Gujarat
Series-25 Part-Xii-A District Census Handbook Surat.

3. CPWD, n.d. Conservation of Heritage Buildings - A Guide.

4. Dutta, M., Husain, Z., 2009. An application of Multicriteria Decision Making to built
heritage. The case of Calcutta. J Cult Herit 10, 237–243.

5. Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Gujarat Surat and Broach. Printed at the
Government Central Press. 1877. pp. 316–317

6. Parveen, S., 2014. Surat: As a Major Port-Town of Gujarat and its Trade History, IOSR
Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS).

7. Ragheb, G.A., 2021. Multi-criteria decision making of sustainable adaptive reuse of

heritage buildings based on the A’WOT analysis: A case study of cordahi complex,
Alexandria, Egypt. International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning 16,
485–495. https://doi.org/10.18280/IJSDP.160309

8. Udeaja, C., Trillo, C., Awuah, K.G.B., Makore, B.C.N., Patel, D.A., Mansuri, L.E., Jha,
K.N., 2020. Urban heritage conservation and rapid urbanization: Insights from Surat,
India. Sustainability (Switzerland) 12. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12062172

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