A Green Building Designer and an Academic Luminary
In the picturesque landscapes of Himachal Pradesh, conservation is not just about preserving nature, but also about safeguarding the region's rich cultural heritage. Two leading voices in this field, Dr. Jigna Desai and Rahul Bhushan, share their insights on the importance of conservation in this Himalayan state.
Dr. Desai, an Associate Professor at CEPT University and the Executive Director of the Center for Heritage Conservation, defines conservation as "preserving that which cannot be built again and giving life to something that can be restored or adaptively reused." She argues that anything that holds significance to humanity, whether a place, event, ritual, building, music, or literature, is worth conserving.
Desai links conservation to the idea of association from environmental psychology, emphasizing the deep connection people form with spaces they inhabit over time. She views conservation as a "shared responsibility" when dwellings or landscapes become embedded in a society's collective memory. Desai believes that conservation is a sense of belonging to place, community, and humanity.
Rahul Bhushan, an eco-architect working from Himachal Pradesh, specializes in indigenous Himalayan techniques like Kathkuni and Dhajji Dewari. Bhushan's interpretation of vernacular architecture is rooted in place, purpose, and wisdom. He emphasizes the importance of understanding local aesthetic and cultural vocabulary when restoring buildings. Bhushan believes that monuments and temples, which cannot be recreated with today's tools or knowledge, should be conserved with care.
Bhushan criticizes the current system of restoring heritage sites, suggesting radical rethinking and prioritizing cultural and environmental sensibility. Adaptive reuse, according to Bhushan, allows older buildings to find new relevance while retaining their character.
Examples of conservation efforts in Himachal Pradesh, especially relating to architecture and local practices, are manifold. One such example is the community-led environmental protection in the Tirthan Valley of Kullu district, where local leadership resisted large-scale hydropower projects that threatened the valley's pristine environment. This preservation of the valley's natural beauty prioritizes ecological balance and sustainability over development pressures.
Another example is the wildlife and biodiversity conservation in the region. Himachal Pradesh has established several conservation reserves protecting unique ecosystems and species. The Tasarap Chu conservation reserve, declared India's largest at 1,585 sq. km. in 2025, serves as a critical wildlife corridor and watershed, preserving biodiversity including a dense population of snow leopards. Other conservation reserves like Darlaghat, Naina Devi, Potter Hill, and Shilli also contribute to protecting natural heritage in the region.
Improved water conservation practices in forest areas near Himachal Pradesh, such as creating permanent ponds and seasonal water bodies, have supported wildlife migration and coexistence. These efforts, although wider in the region, influence local resource management traditions that help maintain ecological corridors vital for animals like elephants and promote biodiversity conservation.
While the search results focus more on wildlife and ecological conservation, traditional architectural conservation in Himachal Pradesh is often integrated with these natural efforts, such as maintaining heritage villages and using local materials and designs that reflect environmental harmony. Local resistance to destructive development projects also indirectly aids in preserving traditional settlement patterns and architectural heritage.
In conclusion, conservation efforts in Himachal Pradesh blend wildlife protection, sustainable local practices, and community engagement to safeguard both natural and cultural heritage. Conservation is a balancing act between heritage and progress, according to Bhushan and Desai, requiring a deep understanding of place, culture, and the environment.
Dr. Desai expresses the notion that conservation extends beyond preserving natural environments, encompassing also cultural elements such as buildings, rituals, music, and literature. Rahul Bhushan, an eco-architect in Himachal Pradesh, advocates for the importance of health-and-wellness in the context of conservation, emphasizing the need to prioritize cultural and environmental sensibility when restoring buildings, in the spirit of science and understanding local practices.
