- HRIDAY launched on 21 January 2015 with a total outlay of Rs 500 crore.
- The 12 HRIDAY cities: Ajmer, Amaravati, Amritsar, Badami, Dwarka, Gaya, Kanchipuram, Mathura, Puri, Varanasi, Velankanni and Warangal.
- The mission ended on 31 March 2019; no new projects or cities were taken up after that.
- Near centrally protected monuments, the first 100 m is a prohibited area and the next 200 m a regulated area under the AMASR Act.
- Heritage poles use the same structural standards as other poles: IS 2062 steel, IS 875 Part 3 wind loads, IS 4759 galvanizing, IS 456 foundations.
What HRIDAY was
The National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana was a central sector scheme of the then Ministry of Urban Development. Its idea was simple: fix the civic infrastructure around heritage assets such as ghats, temples and old bazaars, while keeping each city's character. Street lighting, signage, paving and street furniture were part of that.
Where AMRUT and the Smart Cities Mission talked about efficiency and technology, HRIDAY's brief was character. A plain modern pole on a ghat would have missed the point.
The 12 HRIDAY cities and design directions that tend to work
The ‘style direction’ column below is our suggestion based on each city's architecture. It is not a list of approved designs. Every project still needs local approval.
| City | State | Heritage context | Style direction that usually suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ajmer | Rajasthan | Dargah precinct, old city | Mughal-arch detailing, dark bronze or deep green |
| Amaravati | Andhra Pradesh | Buddhist stupa heritage | Simple classical forms, cream or stone tones |
| Amritsar | Punjab | Golden Temple surroundings, colonial bazaars | Lantern-style posts, black or antique finish |
| Badami | Karnataka | Chalukyan rock-cut temples | Low, understated poles; sandstone-look tones |
| Dwarka | Gujarat | Coastal temple town | Classical Indian forms; coastal-grade protection |
| Gaya | Bihar | Buddhist circuit, ghats | Classical Indian lanterns, stone-look bases |
| Kanchipuram | Tamil Nadu | Dravidian temple town | Dravidian motifs, dark bronze |
| Mathura | Uttar Pradesh | Temple town, ghats | Brass-look lanterns, lotus motifs |
| Puri | Odisha | Jagannath temple, sea front | Odishan motifs; coastal-grade protection |
| Varanasi | Uttar Pradesh | Ghats, temple lanes | Multi-arm lanterns, antique brass look |
| Velankanni | Tamil Nadu | Coastal pilgrimage town | Classical forms; coastal-grade protection |
| Warangal | Telangana | Kakatiya architecture | Kakatiya-inspired forms, terracotta or stone tones |
Structure: same standards as any pole
A heritage pole is still a structure standing on a public road. The rules for strength and durability do not change because it looks old-fashioned.
- Steel parts to IS 2062; cast iron parts to IS 210.
- Wind load design to IS 875 Part 3 for the city's basic wind speed, including the lantern, scrolls and finials.
- Hot-dip galvanizing to IS 4759 for steel shafts.
- Foundation to IS 456, with the concrete grade matched to the exposure condition.
For the coastal HRIDAY cities (Puri, Dwarka, Velankanni) and any seaside heritage town, the atmosphere is far more corrosive. Specify IP66 luminaires, duplex coating (galvanizing plus powder coat), stainless fasteners, and a higher concrete grade for foundations as IS 456 requires for severe exposure.
Approvals: who says yes?
This depends on the site, so ask early. The common layers are:
| Situation | Who usually needs to approve | Typical ask |
|---|---|---|
| Within 300 m of a centrally protected monument | National Monuments Authority, through the competent authority | Drawings, site plan, heights; permission before work |
| Inside a notified heritage precinct of a city | The city or state heritage conservation committee | Design renders, sample or prototype, finish details |
| Temple or trust-managed premises | The temple trust, plus the ULB for public roads | Design fit with temple architecture, crowd safety |
| Ordinary old-city streets without notification | ULB engineering department | Normal tender and technical approval |
A process that avoids delays
- Check whether the site is inside a prohibited or regulated area, or a notified heritage precinct.
- Get 3D renders and precedent photos from at least two suppliers.
- Submit the design to the relevant committee early, alongside BOQ preparation, not after.
- Build a prototype or sample pole and install it on site for review, if asked.
- Get written approval before ordering bulk quantities.
- Inspect the first production batch against the approved sample.
Approval commonly takes a few months. Projects that start approvals alongside the BOQ lose little time. Projects that order first and seek approval later often end up with poles in storage.
Heritage-style poles outside heritage cities
You don't need to be in a HRIDAY city to use heritage-style poles. Maharashtra examples include old peth areas in Pune and Nashik, temple approaches at Trimbakeshwar, Pandharpur or Shirdi, and fort-town main streets. The approval layers above only apply inside notified areas; elsewhere it is a normal municipal or private decision.
References
- National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana — mission ended 31 March 2019 (Lok Sabha reply) — Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (via Minister's office)
- HRIDAY scheme overview — 12 cities, Rs 500 crore outlay — PMIDC, Government of Punjab
- Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana — Wikipedia
- Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010 — prohibited and regulated areas — Government of India / National Monuments Authority
- IS 2062 — Hot Rolled Medium and High Tensile Structural Steel — Bureau of Indian Standards
- IS 875 (Part 3): 2015 — Design Loads (Other than Earthquake) for Buildings and Structures: Wind Loads — Bureau of Indian Standards
- IS 456: 2000 — Plain and Reinforced Concrete, Code of Practice — Bureau of Indian Standards
- IS 4759 — Hot-Dip Zinc Coatings on Structural Steel and Other Allied Products — Bureau of Indian Standards
- ISO 9223 — Corrosivity of atmospheres — International Organization for Standardization
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the HRIDAY scheme still active?
No. HRIDAY launched on 21 January 2015 and ended on 31 March 2019. No new projects or cities were taken up after that date.
Which are the 12 HRIDAY cities?
Ajmer, Amaravati, Amritsar, Badami, Dwarka, Gaya, Kanchipuram, Mathura, Puri, Varanasi, Velankanni and Warangal.
Do I need permission to install poles near a protected monument?
Near centrally protected monuments, the first 100 m is a prohibited area and the next 200 m is a regulated area under the AMASR Act. Work in these areas needs permission through the competent authority and the National Monuments Authority.
Do heritage poles follow different structural standards?
No. They follow the same standards as other poles, such as IS 2062 for steel, IS 875 Part 3 for wind, IS 4759 for galvanizing and IS 456 for foundations. Only the appearance needs heritage approval.
क्या हेरिटेज स्टाइल पोल किसी भी शहर में लगा सकते हैं?
हाँ। अगर जगह किसी नोटिफाइड हेरिटेज क्षेत्र या स्मारक के पास नहीं है, तो सामान्य नगर पालिका या निजी मंज़ूरी से काम हो जाता है।
हेरिटेज मंजुरीला किती वेळ लागतो?
साधारण काही महिने लागू शकतात. म्हणून BOQ तयार करतानाच डिझाइन मंजुरीसाठी पाठवा, ऑर्डरनंतर नाही.
