Evicting heritage: spatial cleansing and cultural legacy at the Hampi UNESCO site in India

A study reveals that the Hampi UNESCO World Heritage Site, once home to a thriving community of farmers-turned-entrepreneurs, has undergone significant spatial cleansing since 2011. This process, driven by postcolonial authorities' hegemonic approach to material heritage, has led to the eviction of residents and demolition of their homes and businesses, portraying them as 'illegal encroachers.' The research employs an anthropological framework to analyze these events through the lens of colonial legacies and mimicry. It also highlights how villagers countered the state's view of Hampi as an outdoor museum by advocating for a concept of living heritage. However, their claims were largely unsuccessful due to perceptions that they were neither native nor traditional enough.

Bloch, N. (2016). Evicting heritage: spatial cleansing and cultural legacy at the Hampi UNESCO site in India. Critical Asian Studies, 48(4), 556–578. https://doi.org/10.1080/14672715.2016.1224129