Preface from the Principle Secretary of Arts and Culture
Salauddin Ahmed

I congratulate the Albums of Heritage team on completing a remarkable project that celebrates the architectural heritage of the city of Jaipur.

In my tenure as the Principal Secretary of Arts and Culture for the state of Rajasthan, I have come across many projects led by professional organizations interested in preserving the precious arts and architectural heritage of the Jaipur city. The task is daunting and there are no easy answers to what to do and how. Hence, many such efforts begin nobly but end quickly in frustration.

When a small band of high school students approached me about helping them with their Albums of Heritage project, I was inwardly skeptical about what they could really accomplish in just six weeks of the hot season. But the quiet passion with which the young men spoke of their desire to do something for preserving the city, intrigued me and moved me to assist them.
There is something unique about the Albums of Heritage project. Firstly, it is an initiative conceived and conducted by the children of Jaipur, whose heritage ultimately this is. When the children themselves take such pride in their city, the complex task its restoration seems so much more worthwhile and doable. Secondly, the Albums of Heritage is an initiative led by the citizens for the citizens. This effort is therefore unique because in this instance the involved citizens asked only what they themselves could do and without much ado set about doing it.

The task of restoring our great city’s architectural heritage is a diffcult one, beset as it is by questions of property rights, national legacy, social equity, politics, and economic development. However, when proud citizens of the city themselves make a personal commitment and Jaipur’s own children take steps to control their destiny, I am left feeling personally energized and optimistic about the future of the city.

If I said I was skeptical of the idea at the beginning, I hasten to add just how amazed and proud I am now at the result. This book presents a visually stunning collection of “before and after” images of the havelis, temples and courtyards that at one time were the pervasive adornments of the walled city of Jaipur. They were more than just impassive stone and stucco structures. They represented the very spirit of the city; a spirit of unparalled elegance, honor and solidarity.

This Album of Heritage is therefore a tribute to that spirit and perhaps the only such album of its kind. No reader can look at these images and not feel pride in and hope for our great city and heritage. It deserves the widest possible circulation in the city and I hope it compels more citizens, and especially children in schools, to participate in and support efforts to conserve the city in their own way. In that manner, the contribution of the Albums of Heritage project will be immeasurably more far reaching than the pages of the Album themselves.

Principle Secretary of Arts and Culture Salauddin Ahmed