Paper short abstract:

Through a comparison between two temples in the region of Shekhawati in Rajasthan (India), this paper explores the different dynamics of renaming/re-invention of structures as they are ‘restored’ either by the local community, or state sanctioned expert bodies.

Paper long abstract:

Questions of heritage are central to approaching the largest open air art gallery in the world – the painted towns of Shekhawati. Complexities of preservation of these fresco covered structures are linked to these not being protected as heritage by the state; are too numerous for blanket heritage rules; and are often lived-in private property. How does one then approach questions of heritage in a region which is culturally rich and gaining attention both in the sphere of tourism and academic research?

Through the case study of two temples from the region, this paper will explore the processual aspect of evolving identities of structures. The first instance will be of the curiously named Dakan Temple, or the Temple of the Witches. This 1850 structure was supposed to be a Krishna temple, but as the colour from the stucco figures decorating its outer walls faded, the figures acquired an association with witches rather than gods. Recently, the upper-case groups of the local community, ashamed of this association, re-painted and re-moulded the stucco decorations.

Similarly, a 1920s Arya Samaj temple, was recently ‘restored’ by the Delhi based heritage body- INTACH. This ‘heritagization’ led to a change in the name of the temple to Veda Temple. This plays into an insidious civilizational discourse.

Through a comparison between the two temples, I will explore ideas of labelling; variations in heritagization discourse between the insider and the outsider; restoration as re-invention; and links between ideology and heritagization.