YOUNG HERITAGE EXPLORERS' PROGRAMME
SUN, JUN 19, 8 - 11 AM: WATERWORKS
SUN, JUN 29 10 AM - 12 PM: MAP-EMATICS
SUN, JULY 3, 9 - 11 AM: FORT-IFIED
3 Sundays
of learning with fun!
your instructors.
Gauri Bharat
Architectural Historian
Saatvika Pancholi
Conservation Architect
The Heritage Experts
with stories to share
Gauri Bharat is an architectural historian, who teaches, writes books, and generally dreams about history most of the time!
She will be joined by Saatvika Pancholi, a conservation architect and educator. After masters from CEPT University, Saatvika ran her own design firm and worked with local artisans. She also has experience in working with sustainable materials and aspires to communicate ideas through illustrations.
In association with The Hive, The YHEP (Young Heritage Explorers Programme) is organized by the CHC (Centre for Heritage Conservation, CRDF - CEPT Research and Development Foundation), which conducts pioneering research and advises on historic buildings and cities in Ahmedabad and other parts of India.
“the more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.”
theodore roosevelt
How well do you know your city that is India’s first UNESCO World Heritage site? Deeply rooted in tradition, Ahmedabad has been the melting pot of many cultures. The city’s rich ethnic and architectural heritage is vital to its local identity and growth. As ambassadors of the future, are you equipped to represent your metropolis to the world?
If not, here’s a chance to dig into the past for a well-poised future. But history isn’t writ in books alone. It is woven in the monuments, designs, and people of a place that can be better discovered through an exploratory ramble.
Join Gauri Bharat and team from the Centre for Heritage Conservation (CEPT Research and Development Foundation) to explore Ahmedabad’s rich and glorious past. Through 3 independent workshops, Gauri and her team will take young explorers on a journey of discovery of the city’s endowments.
Participants will be accompanied by workshop facilitators and volunteers. Resources for hands-on fieldwork activities (along with some goodies) will be provided.
Workshop 1: Waterworks (Sunday, June 19 | 8 am – 11 am)
How our ancestors got water
Ever wondered how people hundreds of years ago got water to drink, cook, and bathe? Join us for a morning of fun exploring the fabulous underground structures in the medieval city of Ahmedabad – from natural depressions to tankas to stepwells – and learn about how they worked.
Highlights
* Concept of traditional water harvesting systems
* Vavs as pit stops on travel routes
* Women as patrons and builders of step wells
* Rituals and stories associated with water
* Sustainability of water systems
Activities + takeaway goodies
* Spot the differences
* Poster of stepwells
* Jigsaw puzzle of "Stepwells as an eco-system"
Drop off & pick up: At The Hive
Workshop 2: Map-ematics (Sun, June 26 | 10 am – 12 pm)
Knowing about where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’ll go
A map is a city in the palm of our hands. Historic maps help us put our geographical origins in context, and comparing them with the current helps us connect the dots between then & now. Maps are also a key to organizing the future. A lot of urban planning & development is based on a good understanding of how a metropolis will translate in real life from how it looks on a piece of paper. Let’s learn about the language of maps. How about beginning with our own city?
Highlights
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Understanding the language of maps
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Exploring maps from previous centuries
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Exploring how Ahmedabad grew
Venue: The Hive
Workshop 3: FORT-IFIED! (Sun, July 3 | 9 am – 11 am)
Stories of Ahmedabad's walls and gates
Do you want to know why Ahmedabad had a wall around it? And why it was broken? Or why the gates are named after places? Join us as we take a walk along the historic fort walls of Ahmedabad and discover fun facts about the past of the city.
Highlights
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Hidden tunnels under the wall
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Staircases on the wall! Why does a fort wall have a staircase outside
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"Mason's marks" - hidden signatures of the wall builders
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Gates as entrance to the city but also markers of pathways to other places - like signages for the highway
Activities + takeaway goodies
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Jigsaw puzzle of fort wall visited during workshop
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Poster of fort wall details-builders' signatures
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Poster of fort wall details-builders' signatures
Site: Fort wall near the riverfront
Drop off/Start point: Entrance to Ravivari market
End point: tbc
TAKEAWAYS
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Time travel into the past as you explore Ahmedabad with a team of experts
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Pep up your knowledge of local history without the aid of boring textbooks
WHO IS THE PROGRAMME FOR?
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Young explorers 8 to 14 years
faqs.
1. What resources will I need to bring for this programme?
Curious minds and willing-to-walk legs (for workshops 1 & 3). Sunglasses, a hat, and a waterbottle would help too. The rest, such as an activity kit, will be provided by us.
2. Will there be fieldtrips? What would be the logistics like?
Of course, explorations cannot be complete without visiting sites of interest, right? In workshops 1 & 3, we shall congregate at designated assembly points 15 mins ahead of the session. The fieldtrips will be on foot, but for workshop 2, we will meet, review & discuss maps and more at The Hive. All sessions will begin with an orientation.
3. Are the workshops interlinked? Do I need to register for all three?
The workshops are not inter-related, except they are all about the history and heritage of our city. You may opt for one or more as per your choice.
4. What safety precautions will be taken by the organizers?
We will be working in small groups. Our instructors and staff are fully vaccinated, and masks are recommended when indoors or within close proximity. However, the participants are responsible for their own health & safety.
