Comprehensive Methodological approach for Documenting a Living Cultural Heritage: Using Case example of Mazar of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, Sindh

Abstract

This article uses the notion of ‘living heritage’ for case of a valuable heritage site where tangible and intangible values are of importance. Outlining a comprehensive framework for documentation, the following paper highlights the multiscaled, multidimensioned nature of such heritage and what keeps it living. Using the case of Mazar of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai in Sindh, a site of religious and cultural importance, this paper outlines methodological approach for its documentation, recording elements along with an insightful context study, inclusive of its geographic, socio-political aspects. The research process highlights the priority elements in preservation. Besides literature review and archival research, physical documentation and ethnographic documentation are prominent methods used, with triangulation outlining in-depth understanding of attached values. The method and results highlight the significance of the role of indigenous community actively involved in preservation as a key to its sustenance in the past, present and future.