This volume presents the characteristic traditional architecture of Rajasthani towns and cities : the stone-built forts, palaces, and havelis, temples, tanks, and kunds, from the 16 century onwards when the region developed the distinctive style of domestic and civic architecture for which it is well known. The articles, written by experts in diverse fields, illustrate how these great and beautiful structures were first conceived, constructed, and inhabited. Tourism has opened up this heritage to vast new audiences, both domestic and foreign; at the same time bringing it under increasing pressure. The relentless streams of visitors pouring over ancient buildings, the conversion of some of these into hotels, the modernization of services, and the expansion of related industries are all sings of this broader dynamic interest. The volume aims to take stock of where we are in relation to both specialist and popular appreciation of the region, and address the challenges of development. The articles are linked by common themes : Vastu Vidya and architectural texts composed in Rajasthan, the Rajasthani aesthetic, issues of conservation. In spite of its place in the popular imagination, apart from books on forts and places and scattered writings on havelis, the architecture of Rajasthan has rarely been studied seriously; and this selection of articles will be of value for a general as well as academic reader.
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