Home Is Where the History Is

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Weather-worn walls, dwindling funds, and changing cityscapes, heritage homes in India are under the strain of urban modernisation. While some turn into digital archives, tourism, and homestays to stay afloat, others have been resisting commercialisation entirely. Caught between private responsibility and public memory, these spaces raise a pressing question: who really ensures their survival when the past doesn’t pay the bills?

Matharpacady - an urban village precinct, houses grade III heritage structures & bungalows. Rapid redevelopment across Mumbai has created pressure on this neighborhood. Despite hesitance, heritage homes are being signed off to developers as its upkeep is logistically & financially draining, especially for the aged residents who live alone. | Source: Chapel in Matharpacady surrounded by heritage homes & new buildings | Maitreyee Rele, Question of Cities

On Instagram, one can find numerous accounts documenting the heritage of Indian cities. Pages like Beyond Heritage and Calcutta Houses serve as digital archives, providing insights about forgotten structures, built traditions, and the stories of urban communities.

This is significant in light of the challenges faced by heritage homes amid rapid urbanisation. Centuries-old structures have been affected by the climate crisis. Frequent rains, humidity, and extreme temperatures are damaging traditional sandstone homes in Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. Heritage buildings also suffer from encroaching redevelopment and a lack of comprehensive conservation policies.

Initiatives like “Make It Happen” in Goa are preserving heritage by helping residence owners host tourists in their ancestral homes.

While visitors get to learn about the memories attached to these homes, the revenue generated is partially utilised for their upkeep. In Shillong, Emica Nongkynrih preserved her family’s 140-year-old home by turning it into ‘Nirala Homes’. She now repays the house restoration loan through the homestay earnings and PMEGP scheme subsidy.

Source: airbnb

This year, Airbnb signed an MoU with the Ministry of Tourism to promote heritage homestays through the ‘Soul of India' microsite featuring heritage homes.

Such initiatives may revive depopulated towns such as those in Gujarat, which were once thriving centres for the Parsi community. Airbnbs have been mushrooming around Navsari, but many older residents in Udvada are not in favour of their hometown’s commercialisation. Echoing this sentiment, Udvada’s Mahrukh Rabadi prefers living by herself in her 150-year-old house.

Krishnayan Heritage Haveli, Gwalior | Source: booking.com

The Bungalow Heritage Homestay in Kochi, Kerala | Source: tripadvisor

While some heritage homes find hope in homestays, the question of sharing responsibility for their preservation remains. Maintaining them is up to the private owners, but tedious permissions and limited funds hinder this. However, heritage homes embody a city’s collective history, for which they require sustained efforts from the larger community.

क्या आपने अपने शहर में कोई हेरिटेज होम देखा है?

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How are these historic treasures being preserved?