Documentation Cell

Smt. Manoramabai Mundle College of Architecture, Nagpur is a premier institution in the Central India imparting quality Architecture Education to girl students. It is recognized by Council of Architecture, India, and Government of Maharashtra and RTM, Nagpur University. It runs 5 years Bachelor Course in Architecture and 2 years Masters Course in Architecture Education. Since its inception, 25 years back, the institution is striving hard in giving the quality education to students and making them sensitive as a member of the society. Social responsibilities as an institution are fulfilled by initiating varied projects in creating awareness and improving our living environment.

Heritage and conservation is one such area, wherein the institution is contributing continuously since last 15 years. Documentation of heritage structure is a part of student’s learning process. Because of this immense passion and involvement in the field, in the meeting of Heritage Conservation Committee of Nagpur Municipal Corporation held on 10/4/13, it was decided that Smt. Manoramabai Mundle College of Architecture will act as a nodal agency for documentation of heritage structures for the committee.

Smt. Manoramabai Mundle College of Architecture along with Heritage Conservation Committee established a Documentation Cell to document listed structures of the city. Documentation cell is a centre under whose capacity, documentation of heritage structures is carried out.
It is working in collaboration with Heritage Conservation committee, Nagpur, Nagpur Municipal Corporation and Public Works Department (PWD). Div.I Nagpur. Representatives from Heritage Conservation Committee, Nagpur Municipal Corporation, PWD, Nagpur Improvement Trust, History Departments, Structural engineer and heritage experts are on advisory board of the cell.

Purpose of the cell

To acquire knowledge to advance the understanding of our past, our history, cultural heritage, and its associated values and thus forward the understanding of life, as it is today and helps to explain present phenomena (for instance in the purview of art history, architecture, social, or economic history, structural or engineering history. Here, documentation serves the research, knowledge and awareness and appreciation of bygone times, and the way people lived,
worked, and created things in different periods of time. It serves the better understanding of architecture, structural methods, building processes, crafts and stylistic idiom)
To create a thorough basis for an active interaction/intervention with the existing (historic) built environment and the management of change. This includes the preservation, conservation, and restoration, change of use, adaptive reuse, and in certain instances act as a record for future repair, alteration, reconstruction or any other intervention to be done in case of natural disasters and other disturbances that might damage the historic structures.
To learn from the past in order to base the development of new design of buildings and settlements on the knowledge of historic achievements and valuable traditions.
To promote the interest and involvement of people in the preservation of heritage through the dissemination of recorded information.
To provide/create a permanent record /reference of unprotected historic buildings and sites.
To provide information for administrators and planners at national, state and local levels to develop heritage-sensitive planning, policies, and decisions.
To create resource material for education and training of architects in enabling them to develop their skills and comprehension of the discipline of architecture.
To rediscover historic buildings and sites and demonstrate the importance of ‘looking, seeing and interpreting through hands’.

Documentation Cell Members

Dr. Roopal Deshpande
Principal, Smt. Manoramabai Mundle College of Architecture, Nagpur

Dr. Neeta Lambe
Coordinator, Documentation Cell, Smt. Manoramabai Mundle College of Architecture, Nagpur

Neeta Lambe is an Associate Professor and Coordinator of Documentation Cell at Smt. Manoramabai Mundle College of Architecture, Nagpur. Post graduated from VNIT, Nagpur, she has been appointed as Trainer for Teachers Training Program on Documentation of Heritage Structure conducted by NIASA – COA and coordinated two National level workshops organized by Council of Architecture-Training and Research Centre on Documentation of Heritage structures at Smt. Manoramabai Mundle College of Architecture, Nagpur. She has initiated the working of Documentation Cell of Nagpur Heritage Conservation Committee of Nagpur Municipal Corporation. The cell is actively working in the field of heritage conservation and currently working on the maintenance manual for Grade I structures of Nagpur. A PhD from V.N.I.T. Nagpur, her area of research is related to approaches of designing in historic context.

Ar. Sneha Bodhankar
Action Committee member, Documentation Cell, Smt. Manoramabai Mundle College of Architecture, Nagpur

Sneha Bodhankar is an architect and Assistant Professor at Smt. Manoramabai Mundle College of Architecture, Nagpur, India since 2014. She completed her Masters in Architecture Education at Smt. Manoramabai Mundle College of Architecture, Nagpur. She is actively working in development as core faculty for action committee of Documentation Cell since 2014. Contributed in documenting nearly.6-7 heritage structures in and around Nagpur and guided the students in Competition organized by INTACH since last 2 years. She has attended 3 workshops and co-coordinated one workshop on Documentation of Heritage structures as a part of the cell.

Ar. Rashmi Thakre
Action Committee member, Documentation Cell, Smt. Manoramabai Mundle College of Architecture, Nagpur

Rashmi Thakre is an architect and Assistant Professor at Smt. Manoramabai Mundle College of Architecture, Nagpur, India since 2014. She completed her Masters in Architecture Education at Smt. Manoramabai Mundle College of Architecture, Nagpur. She is actively working in development as core faculty for action committee of Documentation Cell since 2014. Contributed in documenting nearly.6-7 heritage structures in and around Nagpur and guided the students in Competition organized by INTACH since last 2 years. She has attended 2 workshops and co-coordinated one workshop on Documentation of Heritage structures as a part of the cell.

Works undertaken by the Cell

1. Maintenance manual for High Court, Nagpur
The work of maintenance manual for Nagpur High Court is undertaken by the cell. The stage I of the work is almost complete. Stage II work is in progress.
Stage I

Procurements of original drawings from authorities
Digitization of drawings
Updating of all drawing as per site conditions
Complete measured drawings of the court building.

Stage II

Condition survey
Services mapping

2. Heritage Catalogue
The cell has initiated the concept of heritage catalogue to record the listed structures as per grade and images of their present condition along with basic information and descriptions. There are 155 listed structures in Nagpur as per Maharashtra State notification of 2003 and 2004. The catalogue will soon get uploaded on NMC website.

3. Coffee Table Book for Nagpur
The cell also initiated the concept to have coffee table book for the Nagpur city to make its citizen aware of its rich heritage and its diverse cultural values. At the same time to promote tourism in the region. The work is in progress and the book is almost at its final stage.

4. Documentation of Heritage structures of Nagpur region

List of the documented structures

Sr. No.	Description of project	Scope of work	Present status of the project
1.	Maintenance Manual of High Court Building, Nagpur, Maharashtra (Grade I structure of Colonial period)	Preparation of maintenance manual for the High Court building – Measured Drawing – Plain table survey – Survey of Services and its mapping – Condition survey – Structural survey – Building maps for navigation – Panels for exhibition/display Proposal of Co	Phase I stage of work( Measured drawing and photographic documentation ) Completed Condition survey and services mapping are in progress Display panels are ready
2.	Masonic Lodge, Nagpur, Maharashtra	Documentation of the structure -measured drawing -Photographic documentation Condition survey Panels for exhibition/display	Documentation of the structure -measured drawing -Photographic documentation Condition survey Panels for exhibition/display
3.	Kashibai Temple Complex, Nagpur, Maharashtra	Documentation of the structure -measured drawing -Photographic documentation	Documentation of the structure -measured drawing -Photographic documentation
4.	University Convocation hall, Nagpur, Maharashtra	Documentation of the structure -measured drawing -Photographic documentation Condition survey Panels for exhibition/display	Documentation of the structure -measured drawing -Photographic documentation Condition survey Panels for exhibition/display
5.	Old Secretariat, Nagpur, Maharashtra	Documentation of the structure -measured drawing -Photographic documentation Condition survey Panels for exhibition/display	Stage I of phase I work ( Measured drawing, photographic documentation ) Completed Display panels are ready
6.	Central Museum, Nagpur, Maharashtra	Documentation of the structure -measured drawing -Photographic documentation Condition survey Panels for exhibition/display	Stage I of phase I work ( Measure drawing , Photographic documentation) Completed Condition survey is in progress Display panels are ready
7.	Bhonda Mahadeo Temple, Nagpur, Maharashtra	Documentation of the structure -measured drawing -Photographic documentation	Stage I of phase I work ( Measure drawing , Photographic documentation) Completed Display panels are ready
8.	Kasturchand Park Band Stand, Nagpur, Maharashtra	Documentation of the structure -measured drawing -Photographic documentation	Stage I of phase I work ( Measure drawing , Photographic documentation) Completed Display panels are ready
9.	WES Hostel Building, Nagpur, Maharashtra	Documentation of the structure -measured drawing -Photographic documentation	Stage I of phase I work ( Measure drawing , Photographic documentation) Completed Display panels are ready
10.	Senior Bhonsala Palace, Nagpur, Maharashtra	Documentation of the structure -measured drawing -Photographic documentation	Stage I of phase I work ( Measure drawing , Photographic documentation) Completed Condition survey completed Display panels are ready
11.	Kalyaneshwar Temple, Telankhedi ,Nagpur, Maharashtra	Documentation of the structure -measured drawing -Photographic documentation Condition survey	Stage I of phase I work ( Measure drawing , Photographic documentation) Completed Condition survey in progress Display panels are ready
12.	Ramgiri Bungalow, Nagpur, Maharashtra	Documentation of the structure -measured drawing -Photographic documentation	Stage I of phase I work ( Measure drawing , Photographic documentation) Completed Display panels are ready

In the academic session 2018, the Cell has documented two temples of Bhatala Village, Chandrapur and digitized the hand drawn temple of Kalyaneshwar temple, Telankhedi, Nagpur.

Digitization of Kalyaneshwar Temple, Telankhedi,Nagpur
Telankhedi Shiv Temple is also known as Kalyaneshwar Shiv Mandir. It was constructed in 1785 by Raje Raghuji Bhosale. All the activities of the temple were managed by the Bhonsle Devasthan Trust. The complete temple construction is carried out using black stones. It has ninety seven pillars constructed using grey stones. Telankhedi Shiv Temple forms part of Grade I structure in the list of heritage building requiring conservation released by the Maharashtra state government in 2003.

Documentation of Temples of Bhatala
Mahadeo temple is said to be of Vakataka dynasty. Exact date of construction is not known. The temple is conserved by ASi and they are maintaining it. The structure is documented by the students. Photographic documentation is also carried out.
Bhavani mata temple is also of the same period and students documented that also.