Abstract
Geographic Information System (GIS) technology integrates geographic research with information for better understanding and perception. It assists people in achieving a common objective of gaining useful insight from all kinds of data. The concept of smart mapping, also called story mapping, which enables users to get visually impressive and useful maps quickly and easily, has emerged with Web-GIS. A framework for mapping and analysis is built using GIS and is used in research and almost every industry. Among the applications are digital documentation of heritage sites, tourism promotion, and usage in archaeological surveys. The work combines GIS and Web technology to develop a portal with the purpose of preserving cultural assets and information on Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Marg. Users can have a visual tour of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Marg, which extends from Anandpur Sahib to Talwandi Sabo, and gain information about any site on the marg. In addition to the geospatial data mapping, an interactive narrative map has been developed using open-source technologies for geo-visualization. The location's historical significance is highlighted on the narrative map. The map can also be used to discover more information about it, including the nearest amenities, construction-related information, images, videos, and panoramic views. Through data-driven reporting and study, the work also gives authorities the capacity to optimize site maintenance plans.
Introduction
GIS appears to be a common method for handling geographical data using open-source approaches and turning it into spatial information (Bertolotto, Carswell et al., 2002; Hall and Leahy, 2008). It is an important component of geographic data infrastructure that is utilized in decision-making by planners, policymakers, and authorities to process spatial data and save it in databases for future study. The focus on digital platforms for gathering, analyzing, and exchanging spatial data related to historical sites may be very helpful in the preservation of these heritage sites. These digital platforms, also called Web-GIS portals, integrate GIS software capabilities with web technologies, allowing users to work with geospatial data through standard web browsers without the need for specialized GIS desktop software. These Web-GIS portals are interactive because of their Graphical User Interface (GUI). This platform aids in raising public awareness of geoheritage and sustainable development, promoting responsible tourism and environmental education (Antoniou, Panousis et al., 2023). Digital platforms developed on Web-GIS technology can help in data management, spatial analysis, monitoring, documentation, risk assessment, and geo-visualization. Geo-visualization is the use of maps and visual tools to analyze and interpret geographic data. Integrating geospatial data from historical sites with interactive visuals through a Web-GIS portal enables users to unveil heritage, making information clearer, more accessible, and revealing new insights or discoveries. It allows users to compare and contrast a wide range of data types, including vegetation, traffic, mining, educational facilities, and, most recently, used to promote cultural heritage, archaeological surveys, and the tourism sector (Al-Saad, 2017; Saha and Khare, 2020) analyses that to promote heritage sites, the archaeological department and tourism sector are using GIS for the preservation and dissemination of historical monument information. Story map is a tool that integrates geospatial data with narrative images, videos, and text to visualize sequential events engagingly via GIS techniques. Story maps use geovisualization as part of the narrative and aim to guide the user through a sequence of information. Story maps make use of geography to structure and communicate information, and they express a narrative of a place, event, development, or patterns in a location's context for better geo-visualization and understanding (Antoniou, Ragia et al., 2018). Story maps are fully functional information products intended for non-technical but internet-connected audiences. It helps users explore and understand the content by integrating it with functionality like time slides, pop-ups, and swipes. Story mapping's primary goal is to make product discovery and development work easier (Brovelli and Magni, 2003).
The web-GIS portal is developed in this work for Guru Gobind Singh Ji Marg. In geography, "Marg" typically means road or path in the context of India and a few South-Asian Countries. In some heritage preservation contexts, such paths are also referred to as corridors (Cheng, Zhang et al., 2024). Guru Gobind Singh Ji Marg is the journey path of the tenth guru of Sikhs i.e. Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The marg/path is spanned over a distance of 588 Km from Anandpur Sahib to Talwandi Sabo. The Marg has great historical places where numerous important events of Sikh history happened. The path symbolizes the virtues and values of Sikh heritage. The marg/path has more than 90 significant historical places. A few events that happened on the path are the foundation of the Sikh Panth, separation from family, the martyrdom of two sons of the Sikh guru, writing Zafarnama (a poetic letter to Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb), dictating the holy book of Guru Granth Sahib Ji, etc (Fenech, 2013). The path depicts a time series of events in Sikh history. A few places have also exhibited and preserved armory, utensils, clothes, other artifacts, manuscripts, etc., belonging to Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji and other Gurus.
Even after having such a memorable and eventful history, the path has not received much attention. Many sites along the path remain undocumented, and their existence has gone unnoticed until the identification of the Marg. For many sites, not even proper geo-coordinates are available. It is required to sustain this heritage by documenting it and communicating it efficiently to people through science and technology. The preservation of a legacy necessitates substantial digital documentation of history and resources (Gireesh Kumar, 2024). Geo-spatial documentation is an effective strategy in this scenario for recording places before they are lost. Referencing the site to its physical location improves the identification, understanding, and dissemination of culture, which highlights the importance of historical sites (Arévalo-Maldonado, 2020).
In this work, the Marg has been mapped, and an open-source Web-GIS site has been created to share information on each location on the map. Other than historical significance, the geo-portal displays information regarding historical articles like clothes, armor, manuscripts, etc., related to the place. Many places have trees with historical significance. There are many other unobserved articles retained on these sites. A 360-degree panoramic view of the sites has been displayed on the geo-portal. Other important historical and monumental sites in close proximity have been displayed using geospatial analysis for further historical interpretation. Details of facilities like ATMs, parking, dispensary, etc., have also been provided. Additional details such as the year of construction, restoration, or any other conservation-related requirements are also listed in the primary form for data collection.
Section 2 presents a review of the literature. Section 3 discusses the Methodology of the work, including the study area, tools and technologies, and conceptual framework. Section 4 presents the results that are discussed in Section 5. The work is concluded in section 6.
Literature Review
One of the UN's (United Nations) objectives for achieving global sustainability is to protect and preserve the cultural and natural legacy, which comes from the organization's core belief that "no development can be sustainable without strong cultural component." Focusing on the UN’s 2030 agenda, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has acknowledged the potential of culture in achieving all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (UNESCO, 2023; United Nations. Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development). GIS technology has been widely implemented for heritage management (Ciski, Rząsa et al., 2019; Liu, Wu et al., 2024). A few examples of implementation of GIS for heritage management include self-guided tours of sites and museums, records of landscape changes and visitors, documentation for conservation, etc. An earlier study by Kariotis, Panagiotopoulos et al. (2007) created a digital interactive tourist map with the contribution of GPS and GIS technology. The digital map provides information of tourist interests. Parts of Greece and Bulgaria were the focus areas. Information is classified into groups of historical, religious, cultural, environmental, and athletic interest.
Zatserkovnyi, Oberemok et al. (2017) highlighted the role of GIS in the popularization of geological heritage in Ukraine. The authors discussed the role of geological tourism in the upliftment of communities. Fiedukowicz, Głażewski et al. (2018) extended the concept of a map portal for digital inventory as well as popularization. A user interface was developed as part of the National Heritage Board of Poland's commissioned project for all heritage sites. The authors highlighted the role of the map portal in the utilization of historic resources and the development of conservation policy. Suganya (2020), with the help of a case study of Arasibidi in Karnataka, highlighted the challenges and the need for geospatial documentation for unprotected heritage sites in India.
Arévalo-Maldonado (2020) analyses the importance of historical geoportals for the dissemination of culture. Geoportal projects across Europe were reviewed. The author also discussed cartographic heritage management using web development and concluded the need for a geoportal for the historical documentation of Ecuador. Lerma, Heras et al. (2020) also focused on creating a geoportal inventory for tangible and intangible cultural heritage in Cantón Nabón, province of Azuay, Ecuador. All information, records, architectural surveys, archaeological and geomorphological surveys, and photographs were part of the inventory. Sánchez-Aparicio, Masciotta et al. (2020) studied the General Historical Library of Salamanca, Spain, using web-GIS technology. The portal was created separately for expert and non-expert users. Reports related to damage, assets, advanced monitoring, and additional tests were displayed on a cloud platform. A 360-degree panoramic view of the building was also included in the information during collection. Insight into the panoramic pictures in conjunction with geospatial information further enriches the users' experience while navigating across the heritage. Antoniou, Panousis et al. (2023) emphasize the importance of providing accessible, scientifically accurate geoscientific information to the public, particularly regarding the geological, biological, cultural, and touristic heritage of places like Kos, Greece. The paper highlights the use of a web-GIS platform, specifically story maps, to combine maps, multimedia, and interactive features to present complex data in an engaging and user-friendly way. Eight different story maps were designed for different categories, including religious tourism, maritime, hiking, culture, biodiversity, volcanism, tectonic structure, and geodynamic regime.
Sandu, Spiridon et al. (2016) focused on creating a spatial database for the building of Iasi, Romania. Along with spatial information, the year of construction and restoration was also included in the database to support the government in conservation policy-making. Most of such projects have been focused on areas of Europe. Cheng, Zhang et al. (2024) presented the design of heritage corridors for ancient kiln sites from the Song and Yuan Dynasties in the Fujian province of China, focusing on their distribution along rivers, coasts, and harbors. These corridors promote tourism, cultural conservation, and regional development by linking ancient kiln sites with ecological and economic networks. The study emphasizes the importance of preserving heritage while integrating it into urban planning, suggesting future research on the impact of greenway systems on corridor construction. There are very few works discussing or implementing the geospatial documentation of unprotected heritage sites in India. In one of the few prominent works (Jain, Barad et al., 2010; Mukherjee, 2018), Surat Municipal Corporation, in collaboration with Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), launched a heritage management project for listing and mapping of heritage sites of Surat. A comprehensive database was created using GIS.
Other than cultural sites, GIS has also been widely used for cultural or heritage events. A recent study by Saha and Khare (2020) explores how GIS can be used to focus on sites of urban regeneration for conserving cultural heritage tourism related to Kumbh Mela. This study focuses on the city of Ujjain (in the state of Madhya Pradesh), one of the four Indian cities that host the festival. The study demonstrated the potential of using remote sensing data for mapping cultural festivals.
Dar, Shah et al. (2022) developed an interactive GIS-based Tourist Information System for Leh Ladakh. Topo sheets and satellite imageries, including CARTO-SAT, LISS-IV, and ASTER DEM, were used for the data generation. Multimedia data, like video clips, audio narrations, and photographs, were integrated with each feature as attribute data to make it articulately informative for tourists.
Another interesting approach was taken by Li (2017), who created a 5D GIS virtual heritage. Whilst traditional two-dimensional GIS stores the information of the X and Y axes, the recent three-dimensional GIS includes information of building height. The fourth dimension includes time with collective memories of the tourists. The authors have included the concept of the fifth dimension of automated virtual and augmented heritage with drones and robots, which help in taking 360-degree virtual reality videos and photos. Dayoub, Yang et al. (2024) emphasized the importance of recent technologies, such as geospatial digitization and geographic visualization, in facilitating virtual tourism to help minimize the environmental impact of traditional, physical tourism.
According to Gireesh Kumar (2024), lack of information about the heritage sites, structures, and their significance, especially unprotected and unidentified, leads to their permanent loss. One of the prominent measures to safeguard from such irrevocable cultural deprivation is its documentation. GIS-based documentation of heritage is still an under-explored paradigm in India. India, being rich in heritage, needs the development of such technologies for longer preservation and wider popularity. The study aims to develop a comprehensive cultural heritage register assisted with technological aids, focusing on taking stock of the heritage items possessed by sites on Guru Gobind Singh Ji Marg, along with effective documentation of related information. This work highlights the significance of visualizing historical places' spatial reference along with current information and a generic database.
In an effort to make it possible to precisely map the historical sites online, the development of a web-based application has been undertaken in this work. This has been accomplished using a wide range of open-source software tools, including Geoserver, QGIS, PostgreSQL, PHP, and XAMPP (Sarup and Shukla, 2012) The initiative intends to use GIS software in particular for efficient management of data, spatial processing techniques, and geo-visualization.
Methodology
Study Area
The study area is located in the state of Punjab, India. As illustrated in Figure 1, Punjab consists of 23 districts, but the route under consideration passes through nine districts: Rupnagar, Ludhiana, Moga, Barnala, Firozpur, Faridkot, Muktsar, Mansa, and Bathinda. The Guru Gobind Singh Ji Marg is a historic 588-kilometer-long journey path that was followed by the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji. This route stretches from Anandpur Sahib in Rupnagar District to Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda District. On this journey, every location is holy, sacred, and marked by this great personality's holy presence. The tenth Sikh Guruji changed this region's history, changed people's lives, made them look and act differently, and gave the people energy by wading majestically along this path. As a result, the Sikh community's conscious minds and history are deeply engraved with this route.
Tools and Technologies
This work is being conducted to provide an interactive web-GIS portal with a cohesive geospatial database for historical sites on Guru Gobind Singh Ji Marg utilizing geo-visualization. The web-based application is built with open-source software and libraries that are directly involved in the development process, while several additional desktop GIS programs were utilized for preprocessing, advanced analysis, and spatial database building.
QGIS (Quantum Geographic Information System) is a software that is being utilized in a variety of sectors, including environmental research, urban planning, agriculture, tourism, forestry, archaeology, and others. It allows to analyze and update geographical data, as well as the creation and export of graphical maps. Raster files, Vector files, geodatabases, MapInfo, PostGIS, and other industry-standard formats are all supported by QGIS (Graser, 2016). QGIS can connect to Geoserver using its published services to visualize and interact with the data served by Geoserver. This allows QGIS users to access and utilize data hosted on a Geoserver instance (Duarte, Queirós et al., 2021).
Geoserver is a Java-based software server that allows users to view and update geographical data. Geoserver allows to publish geographic data for sharing and modification by utilizing several Open Geospatial Consortium standards (OGC) services such as Web Map Service (WMS), Web Feature Service (WFS), Web Coverage Service (WCS), and so on to allow data from external sources to be used (Iacovella, 2017). The Geoserver component is mostly concerned with layer appearance in the server, while OpenLayers is the user interface. OpenLayers is an open-source JavaScript toolkit for displaying geographical information in web browsers, as well as an API(Application Programming Interface) for developing sophisticated web-based geographic applications. It may display map tiles, vector data, and markers from many sources (Zhang, Sun et al., 2016).
Geoserver may be connected with a PostgreSQL (Structured Query Language) database to import spatial datasets. PostgreSQL is an ORDBMS (Object Relational Database Management System) that manages storage along with its data transactions. PostGIS spatial extension provides support for geographic objects, allowing SQL location queries (Patel, Kaur et al., 2023). For the establishment of the spatial database, the open-source database PostgreSQL with the PostGIS extension has been utilized in the study.
XAMPP (Cross-Platform (X), Apache (A), MySQL (M), PHP (P), and Perl (P)) is a popular cross-platform web server solution that includes Apache, MySQL, PHP, and Perl. XAMPP aids the process of viewing the content fetched from Geoserver or database on a browser in the form of web pages via HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) request. (Agrawal and Gupta, 2017; Azmi, Shafri et al., 2022).
Conceptual Framework
Technical Implementation
To design, implement, and test the Geo-Web Portal, the following steps have been taken:
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1. Data Collection: Literature study to identify the sites and field visits of the sites on the Marg for data acquisition.
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2. Creation of Inventory and Digital Database: Content organization and categorization, creation of individual inventory for each site, and database design.
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3. Development: Development of the portal using open-source technologies for Web server, GIS server, and object-relational spatial database.
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4. Integration: Integration of the database with the Web-GIS portal and hosting of the portal on a server.
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5. Testing: Performance testing of the portal for processing improvement.
The first stage is to identify several data availability issues, which have been classified as data absence, data incompleteness, or data non-uniformity. Some direct territorial inspections have been conducted to analyze and deal with this problem. Field visits assist in gathering site facts such as coordinates, images, videos, 360-degree views, and historical relevance of the location, along with the available amenities, construction-related information, etc.
The second stage is to manage survey sheets as a primary form and collect literary content in file folders. The available data and their formats, with their properties, are recognized. Data is categorized, and an individual inventory is created for each site. A few sites and new insights were gained during field visits. The step coincided with the processing of data into GIS software, along with data entry in a bilingual format and fetching it from the database.
Afterward, during the third stage, the spatial data is loaded in pgAdmin and connected with the web server for the development of the Web-GIS portal. The other operation during this stage is to use web services for Geo-visualization of the map with its coordinates and details. The last stage is to assess the online GIS's functionality and efficiency to improve data processing and to make the website design device-friendly.
End-to-End Data Flow
Data collected in the form of pictures, videos, literary content, geo-coordinates, and facility management information is entered via primary and secondary forms. Primary and secondary forms are created for different users with different levels of access during data entry. Primary forms are designed for entering textual information, while secondary forms are intended for multimedia data such as images, videos, and panoramas. Since multimedia data cannot be accessed by all data entry personnel, a two-level access provision in the forms is necessary. Data entered through these web forms is automatically converted into Comma Separated Value (CSV) files, that are further sent to the QGIS tool for shapefile construction.
The database is linked to the primary forms for storing the information submitted through these forms, allowing for easy data processing, accessibility, management, and retrieval of information as per the requirement. The data has been stored in the object-relational spatial database, i.e. PostgreSQL, for data management. PostGIS is connected to Geoserver for the styling and publishing of layers. Geoserver is connected to the web server for serving the data on the web in the form of HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) pages. The beneficiaries get information via HTTP request and response on a web page. The end-to-end flow of the application has been shown in Figure 2.
The conceptual framework of the application includes stakeholders, Web-GIS infrastructure (web server, GIS server, and database server) (Alesheikh, Helali et al., 2002), layers of data, access control of data, and user interface. The uniqueness of this framework lies in its provision of a single, unified interface that serves all types of users in the project, including field data collectors, data entry and management personnel, as well as beneficiaries such as policymakers, researchers, and historians (Guion, Burton et al., 2015).
The Story Map
The Story Map manages the user interface and experiences UX (user experience). HTML, CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), and JavaScript have been used to construct responsive and user-friendly web pages. The digital map highlights narrative planning, analyzing the guide in full-screen mode, and a variety of other functions such as browsing the localities, available nearby amenities, estimating the region distance and area, and so on. Story Maps as web applications are specialized devices giving capacity to the clients to incorporate capabilities and information for a complex story. Knowledge can be shared and exchanged on any subject. It's a tool with many applications that let the user interact with maps in various ways. With story maps, users can learn about the site's historical significance and additional information, such as facilities, images, videos, panorama views, and many others. The database connection has been established for fetching the information regarding sites. The div containers have been generated dynamically in a loop to show the data. Each div of a site relates to a point (location) on the map. By clicking on the read more option, users learn more about the sites, which opens in a collapsible panel. As the web page is displayed in two parts, in the second half, the maps are generated by publishing the layers using Geoserver. Open Layers, along with some basic tools, have been generated, like Pop Up, Query Panel, Layer Switcher, Zoom Slider, etc. The additional facility, i.e., a search bar, is added to locate the gurudwaras easily over the map with names. Reverse mapping of point location with the story map view is also being performed. An automated data synchronization procedure is devised to facilitate the establishment of data inventories. To eliminate manual data entry, an online form is dynamically linked with the digital data inventory. The field officer, collecting the data, can enter information on the web form, and the results will be shown on the webpage as well as in the database automatically.
Results
The use of the aforementioned technologies leads to the creation of a unified portal that facilitates data management and geo-visualization. The portal supports management at two stages: data collection and data entry/update following field visits. The developed application has a login page, a survey form, a landing page, and a Web-GIS-based story map. The login page and survey form are essential for data management, while the landing page and story map assist in presenting the data to information seekers and historians.
The authorized user can log in to enter or update the data using the Login Page, as shown in Figure 3. Each data collector or data entry operator is provided with a unique login to track their individual entries and progress.
Upon logging in, the portal displays a list of forms for data management, which are primarily categorized into two types: Primary forms and Secondary forms. The Primary form is used for textual information, such as the site name, geographical details (district, tehsil, village), site management authority details, amenities (parking, dispensary, ATM, accommodation), the most accessible transportation to the site, construction and restoration details, historical significance, and other relevant data. The secondary forms include image, video, and view uploading forms, which are used for inventory management. The appearance of all forms as seen by data managers on the web portal is shown in Figure 4. Except for the primary form, all other forms are part of the secondary forms.
As the name suggests, the Image uploading form is for storing images of the area, the Video uploading form is for storing videos, and the View uploading form is for 360-degree views of the location. Primary and Secondary forms are differentiated because access to images, videos, and 360-degree views is provided to limited data entry operators only. So, the two forms have different access levels. Figure 5 illustrates the online primary form and the physical survey sheet used to record all location details, including amenities and construction-related information, during field visits. While submitting the online form, an alert will appear stating that the form has been successfully uploaded. Thus, the data from the survey sheet (data collected during the field visit) is converted into a digital database and saved, which is immediately displayed on the web page.
Along with data entry, updating, and management, the same unified web-GIS portal helps in the visualization of data in a geographic context through interactive tools such as the story map. Figure 6 shows the landing view of the story map. The figure depicts the historical significance of the place “Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib” in the form of a story.
If clicked on “Read More”, as shown in Figure 7 displays more information about the Gurudwara site, including the amenities, construction-related information, images, videos, and panoramic views.
Figure 8 shows the tools information of the map, like a layer switcher (on the right side) exhibiting buffer zones along the 588-kilometer-long marg/path from Anandpur Sahib to Talwandi Sabo sites. The layer switcher allows users to toggle base layers, buffer zones, any searched location, or any area/line drawn on the map. It provides flexibility in customizing the view according to the user's preferences and needs. A search icon bar is provided at the top left, allowing users to quickly navigate to a location through a name-based search. Other helpful icons, located on the left side, include the zoom tab, distance measurement tool between sites, creating a buffer area containing sites, a query builder for rapid searches, a clear tab to restore to default, and a full screen for better viewing. Legend is provided on the bottom right side. All these icons are used for ease of interpretation and understanding. As shown in Figure 9, once scrolling down to the story of a location will automatically scroll the map to the appropriate location or vice versa. So, both Map and Story are synced to scroll. When scrolled from one site to the next, the fly-to occurs to another story and zooms to that location automatically.
Basic details about a site can also be accessed by directly clicking on the site on the map. As presented in Figure 10, when clicking on the location, one can see the feature info, i.e., the name of the city as well as its coordinates, giving the user quick access to the region. The figure also illustrates the query builder being used. The legend on the map assists in making more informed decisions.
Discussion
The application incorporates several key features designed to support all stages of the project. It facilitates the first stage of data collection, the second stage of data management, and the third stage of data presentation and visualization, all through a combination of forms and Web-GIS technology. The novelty of this work lies in its provision of a unified interface that caters to all types of users involved in the project, including data collectors, data entry and management operators, and information seekers such as historians or government agencies.
The key features include: Login and User Access, Data Entry and Forms, Web-GIS Story Map, Interactive Map Features, and Feature Information. The application has a login page where authorized users can securely log in to update the data. After logging in, users can access various forms, including a primary form and several secondary forms (image, video, and view uploading forms). The secondary forms are restricted to certain data entry operators, while the primary form is open to all data entry operators. This distinction ensures controlled access to sensitive multimedia data (images, videos, 360-degree views). The Primary Form collects detailed location information such as amenities and construction data, which is converted into a digital database once submitted. Secondary forms allow users to upload multimedia content related to the site, like photos, videos, and panoramic views. Upon successful submission, users receive an alert confirming that the data has been uploaded.
After data submission, the information is displayed on a Web-GIS-based story map, which visually represents the historical significance, and additional details, such as amenities and construction information, alongside uploaded media. The story map includes various interactive features such as a layer switcher for different buffer zones, search icons, distance measurement tools, and a zoom function to enhance user navigation. A syncing feature allows the story map and physical map to scroll together so that when the user navigates through one, the other updates accordingly. Clicking on a location reveals detailed feature information, including the city name and coordinates. The search bar provides quick access to specific regions. The wide range of information offers valuable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and local governments to make informed decisions that integrate history and sustainability. Numerous studies have highlighted the importance of a sustainable urban development strategy that combines the preservation of cultural heritage with modern economic growth in future planning (Fezzai, 2024; Rahim and Abbas, 2024; Sedano-Espejo, Méndez-Moreno et al., 2022).
Another innovative aspect of the work is the availability of information in both English and the local language (Punjabi), which broadens its accessibility to a wider range of users. Given the large volume of data the application handles page loading and information display times were initially slow. This has been improved by changing the method of retrieving the information, i.e., indexing and displaying a limited no. of data at a time so that the time taken by the application to load the information is reduced. Further information has been saved in separate additional pages and can be retrieved by the user if required. This approach alleviates unnecessary data loading, ensuring that data is only loaded when requested by the user. The limitation of the work is due to its reliance on internet connectivity.
Conclusion
This paper presents an interactive Web-GIS portal developed for the visualization of historical Sites on Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Marg. Over 180+ historical sites were covered on the marg during the field visit. For effective dissemination of such tremendous information, a web-GIS portal has been developed. The web interface allows anybody to visually visit all of the locations by scrolling down over the narrative map or clicking on any point on the map. By clicking on each site, the specific inventory will be accessed, allowing you to obtain further information about that site. The information regarding each site has been kept in an individual inventory, and all the inventories have been recorded in the database. The major goal is to create a Web-GIS application utilizing open-source technologies such as PostgreSQL, QGIS, Geoserver, Apache Tomcat, and others. The work especially seeks to leverage GIS software for efficient data management, mapping, generating easily understandable history, organizing, and geo-processing in heritage management.
Author Contributions
A.K.: Conceptualization, methodology, writing, review, and editing. V.K.: Writing-original draft preparation, software. S.P.: Methodology and validation. H.S.: Resources, envisioned the idea presented. B.P.: Supervision and administration. K.C.: Contributed during the preliminary development phase of the software. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Ethics Declaration
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of the paper.
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