Virtual Reality Modelling for 18th Century Peshwa Period Cityscape of Pune

Abstract

Archaeological research involves the study of material culture. History, on the other hand, is built based on the documented evidence from the past. The synthesis of both sheds light on the past human societies and associated landscapes. Most of the time, the excavated remains and textual corroboration are insufficient to rebuild the cultural and historical values for the society at large. As a result, data and its analysis remain restricted in the realms of academia. While this is still relevant to the masses, they cannot connect with it using traditional means of expression such as text, images or physical exhibits in rare cases. In this paper, we attempt to connect common people with academic research using virtual reality as a medium of expression. VR enables people to relate themselves to the historic landscape and experience it as it could have been. The present project describes the process and results of VR modelling prototype for the medieval city of Pune. A small village situated on a confluence of rivers Mula and Mutha emerged as the capital of the Peshwas empire in the 18th century. For the first time, they developed it as a capital with detailed attention to local amenities and city layouts. The VR model of medieval Pune is a virtual tour of the past.