Implementing the Global Approaches in Local Context: Case of ‘Conservation Works’ at Nineteenth Century ‘Epiphany Church’, Gurugram, India

Heritage conservation ideologies have been under constant change; from ‘antiquity to modernity’, from material based to value-based, and finally turning its course towards sustainability-oriented approaches since the turn of the millennium. Through Convention for the Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003) followed by the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005) and finally, the ‘historic urban landscapes’ (HUL) approach adopted worldwide in 2011, the paradigm shift can be seen. These discourses, on one hand, enabled the inclusion of long-left communal value not only in the heritage conservation domain but also in the urban development domain, thus paving the way for the notion of “heritage as a tool for sustainable development”. In reference to the above, this research adopts an evidence-based methodology in examining the case of ‘Conservation of Epiphany Church’ in Gurugram, India in the year 2021. The church which was once the symbol of association for its parish was in the early stage of decay until November 2020. The church has now been conserved through the efforts of the Epiphany Church Committee, community, and other concerned stakeholders under the supervision of Delhi based conservation team ‘adapt’. The second author has been instrumental in leading the initiative as project manager whereas the first author was the faculty mentor from the Jindal School of Art and Architecture who led the group of students to critically analyze the ongoing conservation works and formulate a conceptual revitalization program for the church complex. The conclusions drawn from this research are recorded, considering the detailed step-by-step process undertaken for conservation, the negotiations involved, and if these methods can work as a model for revitalization of the local heritage in peri-urban areas of Northern India.