CEPT: Revitalizing Kumartuli -A Heritage -Centric Renaissance

View Project

"The project focused on the revitalization of the Sovabazar Sector in North Kolkata, integrating heritage conservation with urban regeneration. The initiative emphasized the adaptive reuse of Lal Bari, transforming it into an interpretation center to celebrate the intangible heritage of Kumartuli. A heritage trail was designed to connect Lal Bari with cultural landmarks and the Ghats, enhancing visitor engagement and fostering community pride. Additionally, interactive digital tools and wayfinding signage were developed to create an engaging and accessible experience. This comprehensive approach blended conservation, community involvement, and contemporary urban strategies to ensure sustainable preservation of cultural heritage." (from the website)

The CEPT project, Revitalizing Kumartuli: A Heritage-Centric Renaissance, treats Kumartuli and Sovabazar as a heritage precinct that can be strengthened through careful interpretation and public access.

My thesis begins from the same ground, but it follows a different question. I am interested in Kumartuli as a working urban system, not only as a place to be visited. The idol economy runs on material cycles, seasonal labor, workshop infrastructures, union politics, logistics, and the constant negotiation of space between production, living, and the river. I want to map how these systems actually operate and where they break under pressure, then use design to strengthen the conditions that keep the locality alive. This means focusing on what supports everyday work, safety, storage, access, and continuity for artisans across the year, not just what explains Kumartuli to outsiders. I am using Kumartuli to ask what modernization can look like when culture is treated as infrastructure and as a primary stakeholder in urban decisions.