Colonial Built Environment in Guwahati and the issues of Identity

Abstract

The study on colonial built environment in Guwahati and the issues of identity focuses on the colonial built heritage of the city of Guwahati, the principal city of the North East Indian state of Assam. The city was designed from the mid of the 19 th century to the midst of the 20 th century when India was under the control of the British Government. With the beginning of the British administration in Assam the city was designed with buildings which resembled the structures that were constructed in Great Britain and other English colonies. These styles when mixed with the local style of construction in Assam developed an indigenous hybridised pattern known as Assam Type houses. The material world that has come down the generation defines the identity of Guwahati even when the city has become a part of the urbanised landscape. The colonial era Church, office buildings etc are landmarks and are associated with the sense of a place providing a unique visual image of a city. As individuals identifies with the built heritage of their locality or country identities are inseparable from cultural heritage. It is worth mentioning that the community of Guwahati gives priority to these heritage structures and accepts their value and beauty. Since cultural heritage and identities are intertwined the paper concludes that Guwahati must have their own policy framework guidelines for heritage protection.