Conservation of Tribal Heritage

Center for Heritage Conservation, CEPT Research and Development Foundation (CHC, CRDF) has collaborated with Tata Steel Foundation (TSF) on research, educational, and scientific cooperation for the conservation of tribal heritage. Through this partnership, both organisations share their mutual commitment to the conservation of historic and cultural environments, quality in research and education within the domain of tribal/ indigenous / Adivasi communities, heritage, and lived environments. Some activities through this collaboration are listed here:

2025
Directed Research Projects (DRP)

• Jain, Ishita (2025) Of Earth and After: Memory, Ritual and the Unseen Oraon Archive. Guide: Bardhan, Jayashree. DRP in Master’s in Architectural History and Research. CEPT University.
• N.S.V., Pravallika (2025) Unravelling Rajdoha’s Settlement Structure: An Economic Exploration of the Santal Village. Guide: Bardhan, Jayashree. DRP in Master’s in Architectural History and Research. CEPT University.
• Warrier, Harshada (2025) Living Landscapes: Indigenous Knowledge and the Cultural Logic of Bhumij Settlements. Guide: Bardhan, Jayashree. DRP in Master’s in Conservation and Regeneration. CEPT University.

Lectures and Events

• Prof. Jigna Desai, Dr. Gauri Bharat, and Jayashree Bardhan attended Samvaad 2025, TSF’s annual tribal conclave, held at Jamshedpur in November 2025. 

Grants Projects

• CHC, CRDF and TSF have collaborated on the Endangered Material Knowledge Program 2025 Grant Project ‘ From Earth to Inhabited Space: Life Cycle of Mud-Plastering in the Tribal Agricultural Landscape of Jharkhand’. More information on the project is available on the EMKP website. and CHC’s project page.

2024
Directed Research Projects (DRP)

• Balu, Ashwini (2024) Cultural Continuity and Change in Mural Art Practices of Santhals in Rajdoha, East Singbhum. Guide: Bardhan, Jayashree. DRP in Master’s in Architectural History and Research. CEPT University.
• Iyengar, Shivani (2024) Stones of Significance: Megalithic Practices and Cultural Landscapes of Bhumij, Janumdih. Guide: Bardhan, Jayashree. DRP in Master’s in Architectural History and Research. CEPT University.
• Shah, Richa (2024) Living Megalithic Traditions of Jharkhand: ‘Sasandiri’ as an Identity of the Munda Community. Guide: Bardhan, Jayashree. DRP in Master’s in Architectural History and Research. CEPT University.

Lectures and Events

• Prof. Jigna Desai, Dr. Gauri Bharat, and Jayashree Bardhan attended Samvaad 2024, TSF’s annual tribal conclave, held at Jamshedpur in November 2024. More details here.
• A Symposium on ‘Indigenous Heritage’ was held at CEPT University on 03rd May 2024. More details of the event here.
• Jayashree Bardhan conducted sessions introducing ‘Heritage Mapping’ to the Samvaad Fellows at TSF’s flagship Annual Samvaad Residency 2024 held at Bhasha Adivasi Academy at Tejgarh, Gujarat on 29th and 30th January 2024. 2 DRPs were also presented by Master’s in Architectural History and Research alumni – Bhakti Savsani and Arya Renu Baburaj. More details here.

2023
Directed Research Projects (DRP)

• Baburaj, Arya Renu (2023) Diri as Markers of Identity & Memory: Living Megalithic Traditions of the Ho Adivasis in the Kolhan Region. Guide: Bardhan, Jayashree. DRP in Master’s in Architectural History and Research. CEPT University.
• Krishnan, Samyuktha (2023) Hearth in the Life of Ho Adivasi: Cultural Practices and Meanings Associated with Hearth of the Ho Community in Kolhan Division, Jharkhand. Guide: Bardhan, Jayashree. DRP in Master’s in Architectural History and Research. CEPT University.
• Savsani, Bhakti (2023) Hearth and the Household of the Oraons: Cultural Practices and the Emerging Corelations. Guide: Bardhan, Jayashree. DRP in Master’s in Architectural History and Research. CEPT University.
• Subudhi, Ankita (2023) Megaliths in the Backyard: Hos and their Funerary Landscapes in Jharkhand.  Guide: Bardhan, Jayashree. DRP in Master’s in Architectural History and Research. CEPT University.

Lectures and Events

• Jayashree Bardhan, delivered an input session on ‘Internationalisation of Heritage and Emergence of Conservation Frameworks for Indigenous Heritage’ at TSF’s Annual Samvaad Residency 2023, on 23rd Feb 2023, hosted at Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Raipur.