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Evaluating the Current State of Heritage Structures in Dwarka City: Tourism

Perspective

Article in Journal of Structural Engineering and Management · July 2024

DOI: 10.37591/josem.v9i2.6713

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 Evaluating the Current State of Heritage Structures in
Dwarka City: Tourism Perspective

1,3,* 2
Chaitali Joshi , Isharat Shaukat

Abstract: Heritage differentiates a location and promises a memorable experience emanating from
the existing unique features of a destination. Promoting heritage and focusing on the preservation of
local cultural heritage as assets for heritage tourism development. Heritage tourism has emerged as
both an important economic tool and a marketing tool when seeking a competitive advantage in the
tourism industry. Heritage promoted in tourism promises a wholesome experience to the visitors and,
hence, enhances the value of the destination. The fundamental aim of this study is to ev aluate the
current state of heritage structures in Dwarka city and also understand their significance from the
tourism perspective. In this study significance of the structure is defined in four broad categories as
Historic, Architectural, Socio-cultural and Religious. The study is based on personal observations and
available secondary sources. The study analyses the existing condition of the 36 heritage structures in
Dwarka identified by the urban management centre (UMC). Results from the analysis highligh t that
the historic and religious categories came up as two main prominent significance categories with an
overlap of architectural and socio-cultural significance. The study highlights that 53% of the listed
heritage structures in Dwarka show some signs of deterioration and needs repair and proper
restoration with proper signage to attract more tourists as well to maintain the historic essence of the
city and also to preserve its history.

Keywords: Heritage Structures, Tourism, Dwarka

INTRODUCTION

Tourism is emerging as a prominent economic sector, impelling positive growth globally. Tourism can
be marketed without depending on any product or raw material (Ansari & Shukla K, 2013). Tourism
plays an important role in the economic development of the nation. In India, the second largest
foreign exchange recipient is the tourism sector. Currently, world tourism contributes 11% to GDP
whereas Indian tourism's contribution is around 1.75% to GDP and is estimated to reach around 6.5%
in coming years (Mir, 2014). Considering the highest overshoot of 10% it would generate more than 1
crore jobs.

*Author for Correspondence In India, there exists a wide range of destinations to visit
Chaitali Joshi and activities to do. Beaches, temples, hill stations,
[email protected] religious places, forts and monuments add to the
1
Assistant Professor, Department of
opulence of the country and attract tourists from diverse
Architecture, Faculty of Technology and backgrounds, religions, and places globally. Possibly
Engineering The M aharaja Sayajirao University India is one of the countries that offer a variety of tourism
of Baroda (M SU), Vadodara, Gujarat (India) based on its type and category such as spiritual tourism,
2 adventure tourism, historic tourism, medical tourism,
Student (M URP), Department of Architecture,
Faculty of Technology and Engineering, The leisure tourism, etc. As India encompasses composite
M aharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda cultures it demonstrates a pleasant blend of philosophy,
(M SU), Vadodara, Gujarat (India) art and religion (India‟s Tourism Management and Its
3
Development.Pdf, n.d.)
Ph.D. Candidate, Global Centre for
Environment and Energy, Ahmedabad The endurance of the tourism sector is assertively hinged
University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat (India) on identifying the changes in current trends and
permitting the changes to come up at right time. Many stakeholders share responsibility for the
development of tourism to achieve social, environmental and economic sustainability in this rewarding
sector which makes the process more complex. Given the said benefits and challenges, the tourism
industry in India is hindered by several challenges. Among several challenges as identified by
HRIDAY, (2017) one of the major challenges to overcome is poor maintenance of heritage structures.
Due to the negligence of concerned authorities, many of our monuments are under threat of
deterioration, along with the dumping of waste at tourist spots. This calls for strict and immediate
action by the government for the proper maintenance of tourist destinations and their heritage
structures. Restoration of our heritage monuments requires sincere and serious attention which would
further help in the development of the Indian tourism industry (Gajjar & Sinha, 2016). The
appreciation of heritage, whether global or local, is crucial because it provides a forum for the
exchange of political recognition, serves as a forum for intellectual discussion, and encourages moral
introspection.
As per the report by Pandey et al.,(2014) on tourism and resource development more than 1.75 crore
NRI’s are Gujarati. Also every year a huge number of tourists visit different places across the country
and abroad, but Gujarat is unable to fully capture and utilise this strength of domestic tourists as well
is not able to strengthen its base as a host.
1.1 Overview of Tourism in Gujarat. Introduction to Dwarka
The westernmost part of India, Gujarat is also known as “The Jewel of West”. Travellers often
experience pleasant surprises witnessing forests and deserts, hills and plains, lakes, wildlife
sanctuaries, religious and holy places etc. all well connected and easily accessible by road, air and rail
network. Despite the presence of such natural wealth, Gujarat contributes only around 1.5% to total
national tourist traffic, whereas Rajasthan, neighbour to Gujarat shares more than, over 4% (Ministry
of Tourism(India), 2020).
The tourism industry would positively affect all aspects of the economy, including socio-economic
conditions resulting in balanced growth. Suitable planning and proper management are key to
improving tourism-related activities. The canvas of Gujarat is full of age-old places that can cater to
different categories of tourism such as archaeological tourism, religious tourism, heritage, coastal etc.
(GAJJAR, 2016; Gajjar & Sinha, 2016; Pandey et al., 2014). The two most important type of tourism
that has emerged in Gujarat out of all is coastal tourism and religious tourism. Every year thousands of
local, national and international tourists visit religious centres like Ambaji, Dwarka, Palitana, Somnath
etc (December 2019; Kapadia, 2008; Wani & Jan 2018).
The government of Gujarat is working hard to make Gujarat a tourism centre not only in India but also
globally (Ansari & Shukla K, 2013). With changing times, the need and priority of people as a tourist
is also changing. Apart from being a religious place, the people of Gujarat have a preference for
shifting to recreation, cultural, heritage beach and adventure tourism.
1.2 Dwarka and its importance from a tourist perspective:
Saurashtra peninsula of Gujarat houses on its western peninsula an ancient city of Dwarka. It is
believed that the city has had close links with Lord Krishna since the mythological period. Dwarka is
culturally very rich and holds great religious significance in the Hindu religion. With due respect to its
architectural, religious and historic value, it draws more than 19 lakh tourists annually (Govt, 2020).
Dwarka is one of the important pilgrim centres, and is also one of the sacred cities, out of seven sacred
cities in India. Around the 8th Century, by Adi Shankaracharya, it was set up as one of the Chardhams
(Rao 1999).
On the significant religious days like the birthday of Lord Krishna (Janmashtami), Tulsi Vivaha,
Jiladan Utsav, Rath Yatra etc, the city witnesses a large footfall of both national and international
tourists (Dwarkadhish.org, 2020).
1.2.1 Regional Setting
Dwarka is situated at 69.05 E and 20.22 N coordinates in the Saurashtra region. It is located on the
western shore of the Gomti River and at the edge of the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Kutch and worked as
one of the main ports in the former centuries. It is well connected through airways, railways and roads.
Calcareous sandstone rock bed covers the entire region of Dwarka. Most of the construction in
Dwarka is done using the same stone as it gives flexibility in dressing and ease in carving. The city has
yellow limestone and earthy, marshy or clayey beds, partly gypsum with iron-stained harder bands
(Kulkarni, 1985) which are used in the construction of historic buildings in Dwarka. Dynamic changes
are witnessed along the coastal line of Dwarka affecting its microclimate. The geographic location of
Dwarka makes it vulnerable to frequent cyclones and high current winds.
1.2.2 Demographics
The administrative boundary of Dwarka city is stretched over 42.1 sq. km. and has a population of
38,000 (Census 2011). The predominant economic base of the resident of Dwarka is based on fishing
and tourism-related activities. The majority of residents are involved in hospitality-related
occupational activities. With an inflow of around 18.4 lakhs of tourists visiting annually, hospitality
brings maximum revenue to the city and is one of the prominent economic sources in Dwarka (Govt,
2020).
There exist several categories like religious, heritage, business, leisure, eco, medical etc. which
classify different types of tourism. Dwarka is popular for religious and leisure tourism due to the
presence of the dwarkadhish temple and coastal line. When pilgrims visit the dwarkadhish temple in
Dwarka, they also visit nearby places such as Bet Dwarka where there are mythological references to
Lord Krishna‟s residence, but as discussed earlier, although people in past travelled solely for
religious purposes, with changing interests and trend, the only uplifting religious complex would not
be enough to keep the tourism in Dwarka thriving. Government and other stakeholders will have to
also focus on upgrading and creating a window for other types of tourism like heritage tourism and
eco-tourism than just focusing on religious tourism.

The core study of the paper revolves around this concept, where the current state of heritage structures
in Dwarka city is been evaluated. The untapped potential of heritage tourism which exists in the
ancient city of Dwarka unattended needs to be explored.

1.3 Current Status of Heritage Structures

Dwarka city dates way back to the mythological era. On 24th May 1964, the temple complex of
Dwarkadhish along with Rukmani temple and Kshatrapa inscriptions were declared a building of
national importance under the ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains act, 1958.
Apart from the above-mentioned structures, no other monuments or sites are being protected by the
Archaeology department of the state government of Gujarat (GOG). There are many heritage
structures of importance apart from protected ones in Dwarka.

2. METHODOLOGY
The study is based on personal observations and available secondary sources. The secondary sources
include the report provided by Gujarat Tourism Corporation Limited (GITCL), and various articles at
the state, national & international levels.
Not much literature is available regarding the changing dimension of the tourism industry in Gujarat.
But some of the authors did a wonderful job in representing & maintaining Gujarat as an important
destination either in the form of poems, articles or book chapters.

UMC along with HCA conducted a primary survey of the Dwarka municipal area and Bet Dwarka
Island and identified 36 such structures in June 2016 as per the City HRIDAY Plan report, Dwarka,
Gujarat (HRIDAY, 2017). The identified structures include historic structures and other elements such
as vavs (step wells), bird feeders, obelisks, kinds, temples, residences and dharamshalas. The survey
format had captured the information including the name of the building, its period of construction,
building ownership, the significance of the structure (architectural, religious, socio-cultural, and
historic), and the existing condition of the structure. Based on the data collected during the survey
conducted by the Urban Management Centre this study aims to evaluate the current state of heritage
structures in Dwarka city and to also understand their significance from the tourism perspective. The
study tells us what percentage of structures are in good condition and which need to be attended along
with their economic and heritage viability.
 Table 1 List of identified heritage structures depicting their significance and condition.

needs repair /
Restoration
Socio-cultural
Architectural
Sr.
Structure Observations & Remarks

Religious
No

Historic
1 Grave of Captain  Y It has an old inscription that describes the
Marriot incident of the war engraved in white
marble. The structure lies unidentified
and neglected with no signage and
information for the local tourists about
the structure.
2 Dwarkadesh Temple     N Good Condition & highly taken care
3 Rukshmani Temple   N Good Condition
4 Entrance Gateway  Y Requires Restoration
5 Ganesh Temple  N Good Condition
6 Grave of Alice  Y The grave is square in plan with a cross
in the centre. The borders of the grave
are beautifully ornamented with floral
.patterns and inscriptions. The grave
currently lies unidentified in the premises
of the complex needs and requires
restoration and an information panel
describing the significance of the
structure.

7 Surapura   Y Requires Restoration

8 Ashapura & Harsidhhi   N Good Condition
Mata Temple

9 Liladhar Chunilal   Y Requires Restoration

Dhuna
10 Savitri Vava   Y Requires Restoration
11 Sindhu Sadan  N The palace is one of the finest buildings
in its architecture and planning. The
structure has a mix of colonial and
traditional architectural elements. The
building has a garden and a paved court
in front of it. Good Condition with paved
court and Garden
12 Kirti Stambh  Y Requires Restoration
13 Devubhavan   N Good Condition
Dharamshala
14 Vasudevji Temple  N Good Condition
15 Bhrama Kund    Y Requires Restoration
16 Vegetable Market   N The building has colonial architectural
elements with oriel windows and flying
wings on the west side. Good Condition
and in Use & owned by Dwarka
Municipality
17 Kaklash Kund    Y Requires Restoration
18 Jamnadas Tanna  N Good Condition
19 Laxminarayan Temple  N Good Condition
20 Shree Ram Mandir  N Good Condition
21 Jampar Ni Haveli   Y The haveli houses a Krishna Temple,
other smaller temples of Ganesh and
Hanuman, and rooms use as residences.
Requires Restoration
22 Kedareshwar Mahadev  N Good Condition
Temple
23 Tokra Swami Temple  N Good Condition

24 Kharva Gate  Y Requires Restoration

25 Randalmata   Y Good Condition
Suryanarayan Temple
26 New Ramwadi Temple  Y A temple sits in the
courtyard with a circumambulatory path
around it and is ornated with elephant
motifs. Requires Restoration
27 Old Ramwadi Temple   Y The building has been constructed in
traditional architecture using local stone
with elements and ornamentation similar
to other temples in the region. Requires
Restoration
28 Rupan Bhandar   Y Requires Restoration
29 Shree Shamksha  N Good Condition
Temple
30 Traditional Residents   Y Requires Restoration
31 Gomti Ghat   N Good Condition
32 Ancient Wall –   N Good Condition
Narmedswar Mahadev
33 Siddhnath Mahadev   Y Shiva temple connects Samudra Narayan
Temple temple and Jagat Mandir on Gomti Ghat
street. Currently, it is in dilapidated
condition and needs conservation and
restoration
34 Bhadrakali Temple   Y Requires Restoration
35 Nathani Dharamshala  N Good Condition

36 Colonial Structures   Y Requires Restoration

3. Results and Discussion

The analysis of identified structures is done based on their condition and significance.
3.1 Condition of building
Heritage sites and structures in Dwarka are under threat due to natural deterioration. There are
temples, mosques and water bodies, ghats, and kunds lying in a dilapidated condition. Around 11% of
structures are under serious threat of deterioration. These heritage structures require immediate repair
and restoration to avoid their complete loss. Around 53% of the listed heritage structures in Dwarka
show some signs of deterioration and need repair and proper restoration.
 Figure 1 Historic and Religious Significance of identified heritage structures in Dwarka

3.2 Heritage significance

The significance of the structure defines its heritage character. In this study significance of the
structure is defined in four broad categories as Historic, Architectural, Socio-cultural and Religious.
Results from the analysis highlight that the Historic and Religious categories came up as two main
prominent significance as depicted in figure 2 with an overlap of architectural and socio-cultural
significance.

Figure 2 Historic and Religious Significance of identified heritage structures in Dwarka

Out of a total 36 structures, 53% (19 structures) have historic significance – in many cases in addition
to architectural, and socio-cultural significance. With further subdivision 14% of structures have
historic significance only, 14% have historic and architectural significance and 9% with historic and
socio-cultural significance.
Out of a total 36 structures, 44% (14 structures) have religious significance – in many cases in addition
to architectural, and socio-cultural significance. With further subdivision as 22% of structures has
religious significance only, 11% have religious and architectural significance and 5.6% with religious
and socio-cultural significance.

Figure 3 Bifurcation of historic & religious significance of identified heritage structures

3% of structures were found to have both religious and historic significance out of which one structure
(dwarkadhish temple) has been established as having all four significance values.

3.3 Use of the building

More than 50 per cent of the listed heritage buildings are used as commercial spaces including
dharamshalas and hotels. Another 32% used places of worship while 6 percent are traditional
residential structures and institutional buildings. Around 3 percent structures have been abandoned and
are under serious threat of dilapidation.

4. Conclusion
Many heritage structures in Dwarka lie unidentified and unattended having high architectural,
religious, historic and socio-cultural significance which need proper care and maintenance. 53% out of
total monuments are to be looked after and require restoration and conservation with proper signages
to attract more tourists as well to maintain the historic essence of the city and also to preserve the
history.
4.1 Properly identifying and addressing the causes of degradation.
Ageing, Pollution, urban development pressures, uncontrolled vegetation growth, and water seepage
are identified as the main causes of degradation of structures in Dwarka. The effect of air pollution on
buildings is visible in a very obvious way by discolouration, material loss, structural failure and
soiling. Floods and cyclones frequently occur in the region of Dwarka have also been one of the major
reasons for the degradation of sandstone rocks from which most of the buildings are constructed in
Dwarka.
4.2 Upliftment of heritage structures and Improving Degradation of Structures through
collaborative efforts.
The further degradation of structure and condition of structures can be improved through the
involvement of different stakeholders like locals, government officials, and state and local government
(government schemes and proper allocation of funds). The government along with locals will have to
realise and understand the importance of heritage and tap its value benefiting the economy of Dwarka
city by emphasising heritage and leisure tourism along with religious tourism. All the structures if
restored and conserved well can be roped into one circuit. Government should focus on building better
infrastructure facilities for tourists along with the installation of proper signage’s and defining paths.
4.3 Taking advantage of government schemes and existing policies for upliftment and
betterment of heritage structures
Under the PRASAD scheme centre has already released 10.46 crore rupees by FY 2020-2021 out of
13.08 crore rupees sanctioned for the development of Dwarka. Dwarka is also identified with 12
other cities under the National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) to
support the development of core heritage infrastructure projects where funds allocated in INR is 22.26
crores for Dwarka as per the working group report on improving Heritage management in India, GOI.

Looking at the above scenario it is clear that Dwarka has great potential to enhance tourism through
upliftment and up-gradation of heritage structures lying unattended with ample funds available. Apart
from PRASAD and HRDAY schemes, Dwarka also has the advantage of the Chardham connectivity
project and Gatishil Gujarat mission. The funds available from different schemes should be equally
distributed in the development of all different structures.

The city of Dwarka with its golden history and huge religious significance, is one of the cities in the
Chardham Hindu pilgrim circuit, with the discovery of underwater excavated sites and with Ghats,
Kunds and Sarovars around, Dwarka has huge potential of boosting tourism and being host to several
national and international tourists and getting in the niche of religious tourism along with heritage
tourism if heritage structures are well preserved and maintained in good condition. 53% of structures,
which currently lie in dilapidated condition need to be restored, conserved and taken up as a priority.
Out of 19 structures of historic significance, 6 structures are in good condition while 13 need repair
and restoration out of which 4 architectural significance has as well and 6 have socio-cultural
significance and 3 structures have only historic significance. Out of 16 structures having religious
significance only 6 needs repair and restoration out of which 3 have architectural significance as well.
This indicates that most of the religious structures are well maintained, whereas historic and heritage
structures need to be attended to preserve the historic essence of the city and foster heritage tourism
 Declaration of Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships
that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. . The author(s) declare(s) that
there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this manuscript.

Acknowledgement
No acknowledgement.

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