About Samrachanā-HCRI
Samrachana – Heritage Conservation and Research Initiative (HCRI) is a pioneering platform committed to the conservation, documentation, and deeper understanding of India’s architectural and cultural legacy. Rooted in the philosophy that heritage is not merely to be preserved but profoundly understood and celebrated, Samrachana – HCRI engages in rigorous research, fieldwork, and scholarly dialogue to uncover the timeless principles embedded in India’s sacred spaces. The initiative acts as a confluence of traditional wisdom and modern inquiry, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among architects, historians, artisans, and academicians. Through workshops, lectures, publications, and community engagement, Samrachana – HCRI seeks to revive indigenous knowledge systems and ensure that the spirit of Indian heritage remains a living, evolving force in contemporary society.
About the Founder
Dr. Ujjwala Khot-Palsuley is a Conservation Architect with over 24 years of experience as a practitioner, researcher, and academician. Her expertise spans architectural history and India's Traditional Knowledge Systems. She has made significant contributions to the field by working on numerous UNESCO World Heritage Site nominations and has conducted extensive research, workshops, and projects across 16 countries.
After serving as the Principal of premier architecture colleges in Pune for a decade, Dr. Khot-Palsuley voluntarily stepped down to focus on research and the promotion of India’s architectural heritage. She is the founder of Samrachanā – Heritage Conservation & Research Initiative, an organization dedicated to critical aspects of heritage conservation and knowledge dissemination.
An alumna of the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi (M. Arch, Architectural Conservation) and Lund University, Sweden (Conservation Management of Historic Buildings), she earned her doctoral degree with a focus on Southeast Asian architectural history, especially Khmer and Dravidian temple architecture. Since 2005, she has been at the forefront of research on the influence of Dravidian temple architecture on Khmer temples in Cambodia, advocating for an indigenous perspective in the study of Indian temple architecture.
Dr. Khot-Palsuley has presented and published her research at esteemed international platforms, including Oxford University, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), Delhi International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal, All India Oriental Conference, BAPS Conference, Ahmedabad and many more.
Her contributions have been widely recognised, earning her several prestigious accolades. She received the Pride of Bharat Award (2024, Art & Culture) by the ICAN Foundation, under NITI Aayog, Government of India, and the Women of Substance Award (2024) by SheInspire Magazine and recognition by the Savarkar Foundation, Pune, for her work in raising awareness of Indian temple architecture and Honored as Sanskrita by SNDT University.
Her book, Cambodia: India Outside India (Copal Publishing, 2023), is an authoritative academic resource in the field of architectural history. It has been accepted as a reference book at the National Museum of Cambodia, Siem Reap, the Angkor Database and catalogued in the US Library of Congress.
Dr. Khot-Palsuley is a lifetime member of several esteemed professional organizations, including: the European Association for South Asian Studies (EASAS), British Association for South Asian Studies (BASAS), Society of South Asian Archaeology (SOSAA), Bhandarkar Oriental research Institute (BORI), Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), Council of Architecture (COA), India.
She currently serves as an Advisor to the International Center for Cultural Studies (ICCS), Pune, and is the Honorary Director-Maharashtra chapter of Indian History Awareness and Research (IHAR), USA.
