Online Seminar- A Success Story of Revival: Remembering and Restoring the Stepwells of the Satpura Hills

 

A Success Story of Revival: Remembering and Restoring the Stepwells of the Satpura Hills

Today, VIT University, Bhopal Campus, in collaboration with the School of Architecture and the Bougainvillea Art Foundation, successfully hosted a thought-provoking session under the Late Prabhavati Memorial Lecture Series. The lecture, titled “A Success Story: Revival and Restoration of Stepwells in the Satpura Hills”, brought together themes of heritage conservation, documentation, and sustainable rural development.

Held on January 28, 2026, at 12:30 noon, the lecture focused on the historic stepwells of the Satpura Hills—water structures originally built during the Gond Dynasty between the 6th and 11th centuries. These stepwells stand as remarkable examples of indigenous engineering and traditional water management practices.

The session was led by Ar. Munish Pandit, who elaborated on the hands-on process of conservation and revival adopted for these historic structures. A key aspect of his work involved training local villagers in traditional conservation techniques, particularly the preparation and application of lime mortar, which is historically compatible with the original construction of the stepwells. Instead of relying on modern materials and mechanised methods, the entire restoration process was carried out manually and without the use of machines, ensuring minimal intervention and maximum authenticity.

Ar. Pandit emphasized that this approach not only preserved the structural integrity and material authenticity of the stepwells but also helped build local capacity and skill ownership within the community. By reviving traditional knowledge systems and engaging villagers directly in the conservation process, the project created a sense of collective responsibility while simultaneously generating livelihood opportunities at the grassroots level. This model demonstrated how conservation can function as both a cultural and socio-economic catalyst.

Further enriching the discussion, Dr. Kaynat Kazi presented her extensive documentation work on the heritage village of Devgarh in the Satpura Hills, undertaken during the COVID-19 period. She explained that the entire project was conceptualised by Shri Gajendra Nagesh, CEO of the Gram Panchayat, with the vision of transforming Devgarh into a heritage village through community-led initiatives such as tribal-run homestays.

Dr. Kazi highlighted that with sustained efforts and handholding support from MP Tourism, Devgarh in Chhindwara district has now evolved into a recognized tourist destination, with six to seven homestays currently operational. She noted that this initiative stands as a powerful example of how small, sensitive conservation efforts can generate sustainable livelihoods while safeguarding cultural heritage.

Devgarh

The event saw active participation from students and faculty members, encouraging meaningful discussions on conservation ethics, material sustainability, and the role of architects in community-centric heritage preservation.

The session concluded with Dr. Sheetal Sharma, Head of the Department of Architecture, VIT Bhopal, who expressed heartfelt gratitude to the speakers for their invaluable contributions and acknowledged the enthusiastic participation of the students. She emphasized that such academic engagements play a vital role in shaping socially responsible architects with a deep respect for traditional knowledge and cultural contexts.

 

Speaker Profile: Ar. Munish Pandit

Ar. Munish Pandit is a distinguished Conservation Architect with over 25 years of professional experience in the field of architectural and cultural heritage conservation. He holds a Master’s degree in Architecture with a specialization in Architectural Conservation from the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), New Delhi, and has further advanced his expertise through a conservation course at IUAV University, Italy.

He is the founder and head of Sanrakshan Heritage Consultants Pvt. Ltd., an organization dedicated to the conservation and management of heritage structures. Over the course of his career, Ar. Pandit has contributed to the conservation of more than 100 heritage sites across India and internationally. In recognition of his outstanding work, he has been awarded the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation twice.

Ar. Pandit has played a key role in preparing World Heritage nomination dossiers and management plans for several globally significant sites, including Aapravasi Ghat, Mauritius (inscribed in 2006), Jaisalmer Fort, India (inscribed in 2013), and the Coral Stone Mosques of Maldives. He has also undertaken the evaluation of multiple World Heritage Properties on behalf of ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites), the advisory body to UNESCO.

Actively engaged with the international professional and academic community, Ar. Pandit is the Ex-President and Founding Member of the International Scientific Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICICH) of ICOMOS, and serves as the India Chapter Coordinator for the Association of Critical Heritage Studies (ACHS)—an international network of scholars and researchers in the interdisciplinary field of critical heritage studies. He is also an international expert member of the Centre for Research on Slavery and Indenture (CRSI) under the University of Mauritius, and a founding member of ICOMOS-India.

In addition to his professional practice, Ar. Pandit is actively involved in academia and regularly serves as a guest lecturer and jury member at prestigious institutions across India. He has authored and presented numerous technical papers at international forums, contributing significantly to contemporary discourse on heritage conservation.