12-Feb-2020: SC backs move to demolish restaurants near Hampi site
The Supreme Court confirmed the Karnataka government authorities’ decision to demolish restaurants, hotels, guest houses and other buildings constructed in Virupapura Gaddi, an oval islet formed by the Tungabhadra river and located west of the Hampi World Heritage site.
A Bench of Justices concluded that the constructions were in violation of the Mysore Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1961.
Agreeing with the Karnataka High Court decision that the Hampi World Heritage Area Management Authority was empowered to order the demolition of the illegal buildings on the islet, the apex court ordered the authorities to proceed with their demolition work within a month of this judgment.
The court upheld the validity of a 1988 State notification that “clearly indicates the entire village of Virupapura Gaddi as a protected zone.” It said a place need not necessarily boast a monument to be protected.
It is possible for certain areas to be protected independent of the existence of monuments, if there is a reasonable belief that they contain ruins or relics of historical or archaeological importance.
The court further notes how the Archaeological Survey of India has itself recognised the historical importance of Virupapura Gaddi. It appears that the government had considered the comprehensive geographical entity of the area, including attributes like its landscape, prehistoric vestiges and water systems. Thus, the 1988 notification issued under Section 19(3) of the 1961 Act declaring Virupapura Gaddi as a protected area can’t be said to be without basis.
23-Aug-2019: PM Modi to launch $4.2 million redevelopment project of Hindu temple
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the USD 4.2 million redevelopment project of the 200-year-old Lord Sri Krishna temple in the Bahraini capital during his two-day visit to the Gulf nation.
In the first-ever Prime Ministerial visit by India, Modi will launch the redevelopment of the Shreenathji (Shree Krishna) temple in Manama at a special ceremony.
The newly-built structure will have 45,000 square feet in area and will have 80 per cent more capacity to host devotees in terms of space.
The project also envisages a facility for hosting Hindu weddings, in line with the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority’s initiative to make the Kingdom a hub of Indian weddings. There will also be knowledge centre as well as a museum attached to the temple.
16-Aug-2019: Vice President calls on the government and civil society to work hand-in-hand to preserve India’s rich cultural heritage
The Vice President of India, Shri. M. Venkaiah Naidu has called on the government and the civil society organizations to get together and take up the task of preserving our tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
He emphasized that both the government and civil society groups must also work to generate awareness among the larger public about the need to preserve the architectural marvels of India. ‘General public must desist from defacing and misusing these precious buildings and must make every effort to prevent the further degeneration of these jewels’.
Shri. Naidu was addressing the gathering after inaugurating and dedicating to the nation ‘Shyamoli’, the heritage house of Rabindranath Tagore. Shyamoli is an experimental mud-house built at Santiniketan in 1935. The house has been recently renovated by the Archaeological Survey of India as a deposit work and is a property of Visva-Bharati at present.
To Bengal, Tagore has been, and still remains to this day, an altogether exceptional literary figure, towering over all others. For India, especially for Bengal, he is a great institution and for the world, he was the voice, the representative of India’s spiritual heritage. He is indeed India’s pride and glory.
Shri Naidu said that Santiniketan embodied Rabindranath Tagore’s vision of a place of learning that is unencumbered by religious and regional barriers. He added that Santiniketan was affectionately moulded by Tagore on the principles of humanism, internationalism and a sustainable development.
The Vice President also applauded Tagore’s effort to expand the school’s relationship with the neighbouring villages of the Santhal tribal community in an attempt to help with rural reconstruction and to sensitize the students about the challenges of rural life.
The Vice President said that India was home to a treasure trove of cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible. ‘Our heritage is our identity; it is what makes us unique and exceptional. India always held an enviable position in the world because of its rich and extremely diverse cultural heritage’ he added.
Shri. Naidu cautioned that we simply could not let our architectural gems lie buried under the weight of neglect and inertia. Citing that Tagore was an ardent believer in the value of protecting, nurturing and propagating our rich cultural heritage, Shri. Naidu said that it is our duty and responsibility to protect every single monument and every single art form and pass it on to posterity so that they grow up in complete comprehension of India’s glorious history.
These architectural marvels would serve as models of sustainable housing to be emulated, for future architects and builders and therefore must be zealously restored where necessary and preserved. He applauded the Archaeological Survey of India for the great restoration work of Shyamoli carried out by them.
He opined that the dedication of this heritage house to the nation and making its rich history available to everyone is the best tribute that can be paid to India’s immortal bard who always believed in the democratization of knowledge and wisdom. He expressed hope that ‘Shyamoli’ would prove to be an abode for students and other knowledge seekers alike.