Developing an Integrated Approach for Management of Living Religious Heritage in Indian Context

The paper explores three approaches used in heritage management namely a material-based approach, a values-based approach and a living heritage approach and analyses them in the Indian context of Shaktipithas. Wherein an integrated approach is derived as a contextual outcome to manage living heritage sites in India after an in-depth analysis of the issues encountered in these approaches. A conceptual model for the same has been developed to serve as a basis for all future researches in heritage management by providing a new perception to theory and the practice of heritage conservation not only in India but also in other parts of the world, where the ownership of such sites is shared by multiple heritage stakeholders but there is a strong disconnect between the heritage experts and host community.