Re-Validating the Uniqueness of Urban Morphology of the Shekhawati Region Through Reconnaissance Using Hotspot Analysis

Abstract

This study focuses on Lakshmangarh, a town in the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan. The medieval towns of Shekhawati, established between the 16th and early 19th centuries, served as a distinct representation of the Shekhawati merchants' identity and their significant role in shaping the urban landscape during the 18th and 19th centuries. At this period, the region's urban geography had a notable presence. The results generated by the Geographic Information System evaluate the changes in Lakshmangarh town from 1975 to 2024. Due to growing urbanization, merchants' out-migration, inadequate infrastructure, and deteriorating built fabric, towns are losing their significant values. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the cultural values for improved conservation and management by identifying the distinctive urban morphology of Lakshmangarh town. The methodology has been carried out by systematically analyzing the densely crowded urban elements thematically (Fort, Cenotaph, Temple, Caravanserai, Water Tank, and Mansion) as unique landscapes and their potential to stand out and be recognized globally, through Inverse Distance Weighting and Hotspot analysis. The result will identify areas of significant historical, cultural, or architectural value that may require special attention. Additionally, justification of the results will lead to the visual representations of intensity imagery using interpolation mapping to rationalize the cultural magnitude of Lakshmanagarh town. Additionally, the article discusses the potential meeting criteria under outstanding value justification for the tentative listing process under the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).