On my visit to India in July 2016, I happened to visit the Hawa Mahal in Jaipur. As the name suggests, it is known to non-Indians as the Palace of the Winds. Hawa Mahal is over 200 years-old at the time of writing (not so old some would say, if one compares it to other much older structures of historic importance) – having been built by Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1799. From the outside, it is essentially a pyramid-shaped structure with 365 windows (as gathered from the information board outside the Mahal). Supposed to resemble the crown on top of Lord Krishna’s head, the Mahal has five so-called ‘temples’ – one of which, the Hawa Mandir, lends its name to the whole structure. As the picture shows, it is made of red sandstone – and is one of many buildings constructed with this rock in the Pink City. The unique architecture of the Hawa Mahal allows cool air, courtesy the venturi effect, through the intricate lattice pattern of the building, to cool it in the hot summers which are characteristic of this part of India.
Not so important?
One cannot help thinking how wonderful it would be if this cool air sucked into the Mahal were pure or as pure as it could possibly be? Of course, in addition to feeling comfortable, one would also want to breathe in clean air! I say this because the first impression I got about Hawa Mahal was that it was just another red-sandstone structure along a congested highway linking Jaipur to New Delhi. This was not the case a few years ago. Hawa Mahal is surrounded by dozens of shops and not to forget, numerous vehicles plying to and fro, spewing their toxic fumes into the air – the same air which the venturi effect would suck in to cool the Hawa Mahal! Of course, in the days of Maharana Pratap Singh and for a century and a half after that, one can be certain that things must have been very different! I am not against closing down small businesses. No way. These form the nerve centres of urban economies, and also support a family or more in the process. But won’t it be possible to cordon off a few square kilometres (perhaps just 2 or 3) around such places of historic importance, as traffic-free zones – open to only bicycles, horse carriages and camel-carts (the last two certainly likely to add to the touristic appeal of such places), but not fossil-fuel-powered vehicles of any kind. Matheran to the northwest of Mumbai comes to mind. Perhaps, solar-powered vehicles would also be a wonderful idea (I guess Udaipur in Rajasthan has implemented this).
One good leads to another
Maintaining the appeal of such historic sites like the Hawa Mahal, could be the primary goal on the municipal or state or national government’s agendas (I guess all three have a say here?), accomplishing which could fulfil one or more secondary purposes. What comes to mind at once is a possible reduction in the number of kilometres covered by fossil-fuel-driven vehicles (aggregated, this will amount to several) and thereby, on the quantities of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. I say ‘possible’ here, as a consequential analysis, as far as vehicle-owner behaviour goes, is difficult. Planting more trees around such historic sites to add to the cooling effect in this case, would add to the benefits – also enabling the capture of carbon dioxide in the process.
Someone mentioned the Swachh Bharat Tax (SBT) to me recently and also despaired, “No perceptible improvement will happen, sir. They just keep on levying taxes.” Now, this is an added source of revenue to the government – a tax levied on almost everyone for that matter, for it makes a whole lot of purchases, a wee bit costlier than before. Within the Hawa Mahal, I noticed several red betel-leaf stains – courtesy the spitters who are ubiquitous in Mera Bharat! Apt in the pink city…albeit a different shade? Then I saw foreigners take photographs, mindless of the fact that when magnified, the betel-leaf stains would show in the pictures they would be sharing with friends and relatives around the world. I wondered whether the income from the SBT could be directed to cleaning up – directly or indirectly – the walls of these historic sites. Penalties and fines are difficult to levy and collect in a corrupt society, so the SBT serves, in a way, as a way around this impasse. But surely, the bulk of the proceeds has to be directed to solid waste management first – sorting, recycling, composting. In Mumbai, a good start has been made, seemingly. Separation of wet organic waste from the dry recyclable fractions has been implemented de rigeur! But how can one destroy the spitting and wall-scribbling (‘I love so-and-so’ and ‘I was here’) mentality that is so hard to eradicate…seems deeply ingrained in many of us, I must say. This behaviour has resulted in some internal cordoning-off restricting access to some places within historic sites. This is a foreign tourist’s loss…courtesy the stupidity of some of us Indians!!
It is utterly cheap to charge the foreigners a high fee for entry to such sites, and then restrict their access in this fashion. I would have to agree of course, if some smart alec Indian researcher told me that there is no clear correlation as such, between the cleanliness of a historic site which is an attraction to tourists and the number of tourists who flock to the same, braving everything. I do feel proud when I see tourists from abroad visiting India, but I also feel a little ashamed, helpless, angry and sad.
Test-beds for sustainable development
Historic sites provide the perfect test-beds for sustainable development. The cultural aspect is treasured; trees are planted and artificial lakes created in the acres of land around them. A small ecosystem – birds, little mammals and insects flourishes as a result. Businesses – shops, big and small – are moved away by a few kilometres (maybe just one or two would do), and exposure thereof to tourists visiting the historic sites is not affected. Many benefits at once, with a little effort. It is just an awareness of the existing possibilities and the desire to conserve, preserve, maintain and sustain, that are needed. But that is easier written about than accomplished.
…and more
And on the day of writing, I visited the wholesale vegetable market close to where my parents stay. The picture enclosed – which shows rotting vegetable waste – made me wonder if the municipality could think in terms of well-managed on-site composting, which would generate fertilisers that could be trucked back to the same farmers who sell the vegetables to the cities of the country. Perhaps, this is being done in some parts of the country. If yes, perhaps that is worth replicating? Using the SBT again?
We like saying and writing ‘Mera Bharat Mahan’. But how many of us really think so? If we do, of course, it is every citizen’s duty to make it ‘mahaan’.
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G. Venkatesh
G. Venkatesh is Senior Lecturer, Department of Engineering and Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology, Karlstad University, Sweden. He is also a freelance writer for several magazines around the world. [/column]