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Understanding and Recreating Historical Landscapes through Oral History, Architectural and Archival Research—A Methodology: The Case of the Royal Gardens of Rajnagar, Bundelkhand

Bundelkhand lies in the central part of India including 6 districts in northern Madhya Pradesh and 7 districts in southern Uttar Pradesh (13 districts in total). In Bundelkhand, a series of walled gardens of similar type (presumably of second half of the eighteenth/beginning of the nineteenth century) can be seen all across the region. These gardens are part of the social and cultural life of the Bundeli people, but still their historical and cultural values cannot be ascertained. Thus, in order to understand these gardens, a very detailed understanding of the regional landscape needs to be developed. This research article aims to understand and regenerate the cultural landscape of Rajnagar in Bundelkhand based on archival research, architectural documentation and oral history narratives. The article elaborates upon the methodology followed to obtain sufficient information about the original planning, design and functions of the gardens, and the sociocultural spatial configuration of historical Rajnagar. Architectural and oral surveys were undertaken to generate data at settlement and garden level along with the archival research. Survey of the oral history regarding the settlement and general association with the gardens immensely facilitated to position the gardens in the historical context, given the lack of archival evidence. The interpolation of the three sources of data allowed to understand the pattern of evolution of the historical settlement of Rajnagar and the connections with the royal gardens within the settlement. Apart from furthering the understanding about these unique urban landscape phenomenon, the survey results contribute to the preparation of a sustainable tourism development plan for the royal Bundeli gardens of Rajnagar by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Belgium. The multiple oral and architectural surveys also raised awareness within the town about the historical Bundeli garden landscapes.