India remained complacent and indifferent to restoration, even though the British set up the Archaeological Survey of India in 1861. Was this perhaps the cultural arrogance of the only continuously-alive civilization in the world, or was it plain ignorance? A Dutch traveller to the court of the 17th century Mughal Emperor had observed that in India everyone likes to build in their own name, forgetting that their efforts shall fall to the same fate as their ancestors’!
But in 1981, Aman Nath visited his British publisher Blacker in East Grinstead, where he encountered all the publications of the National Trust. Carried home, these became the inspiration for the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) which was already in the offing. Nath became its youngest founder-member. Ever since his childhood, he had always wanted to settle in every roadside ruin he saw. He never believed in ghosts.
In 1986 he bought the grand ruins of the 15th century Neemrana Fort and restored it with two Indian friends. When Francis Wacziarg joined him, some thirty buildings were restored by the Neemrana team. This was to grow into perhaps the largest private Indian initiative to wake up dead buildings for a changed end-use. This fascinating story will be told by Aman Nath, accompanied by pictures, while also pointing out the inherent restoration differences that must prevail between ‘living’ and ‘dead’ cultures. Ideally, someday the Friends of the Courtauld will see the splendidly restored ruins, and also wake up in them.
Aman Nath is a historian by education. From an early age he has written poetry, and also practiced graphic design and copywriting for several path-breaking and award-winning advertising campaigns.
He is the youngest founder member of INTACH and was also the curator of Art Today, the contemporary art gallery of India Today for seven years. Earlier he looked after the arts pages of India Today.
Actively involved in the restoration of India’s lesser-known architectural ruins, he is the founder and now Chairman of the Neemrana ‘non-hotel’ Hotels, which were nominated in 2004 for the Aga Khan Award, and has won awards from Unesco, the Indian travel trade industry, as well as National Awards from the Government of India. The word ‘Neemranification’ has now come to symbolise a viable and sustainable heritage tourism involving the local communities so that their rural pride resurges to win the battle to counter migration to urban slums.
The Department of Tourism, Government of India, gave him a special award in 2002-2003 for his efforts. He has also received a Hotelier award, Hall of Fame in 2009 for his pioneering work.
In 2014 he won the Lifetime Achievement Award given by Ministry of Tourism, GOI. Among the many prizes he has received, the latest was the Condé Nast Lifetime Achievement Award, 2017. He has also been appointed Chevalier de l’Ordre national de la Legion d’Honneur (Knight in the National Order of the Legion of Honour) by the President of the French Republic for his outstanding achievements in Heritage conservation and his personal affection towards France. He was honoured with the Gallery of Legends India Hospitality Awards 2017 and recently won the MSOSA Award for Excellence 2018.
Organised by Professor Sussan Babaie (The Courtauld) and Dr Austin Nevin (The Courtauld).
