Constructing heritage, shaping tourism

Heritage construction at Hampi, India's UNESCO World Heritage Site, reflects limited official understanding of visitor experiences and site usage. Despite being marketed as a 'group of monuments,' the site encompasses diverse layers including archaeological parks, cultural landscapes, embodied spaces, and living heritage. Ethnographic research at Jathre (the chariot festival) and Utsav (a government-sponsored cultural event) reveals that official narratives often serve electoral, identity, and cultural politics rather than fully capturing the site's dynamic realities.

Rajangam, K. (2018). Constructing heritage, shaping tourism. Creating Heritage for Tourism, 50–63. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203701881-5