The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Conservation of heritage stressed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 18, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Conservation of heritage stressed

Staff Reporter

Governor launches website

GOES ONLINE: Governor Surjit Singh Barnala launches the website of AASAI in Chennai on Saturday. (From left) Archaeologist T. Sathyamurthy, AASAI chairperson Ravi Sam, former Chief Election Commissioner T. S. Krishnamurthy and HR and CE Joint Commis sioner P. Dhanapal are in the picture.

Chennai: Governor Surjit Singh Barnala launched the website of an academy for the study of archaeology here on Saturday.

“Heritage temples and sites must be kept in their pristine glory,” Mr. Barnala said. The website www.conserveheritage.org also offers a new online course on ancient Tamil epigraphy.

The Academy of Archaeology and Sciences of Ancient India (AASAI) is the educational wing of REACH Foundation, a non-governmental organisation founded by noted archaeologist T. Sathyamurthy.

Mr. Sathyamurthy said the academy would train young people from rural areas to make a career for themselves as tourist guides. Training in reading stone inscriptions and palm leaves would be offered.

Tamil Nadu had at least two temples for every village, Mr. Sathyamurthy said. The base structures for most of the temples were strong and it was only the superstructures that required maintenance. Volunteers, including those from the IT field, helped to clean temples and uproot vegetable growing in crevices in temple walls, he said.

T.S. Krishnamurthy, former Chief Election Commissioner, spoke on the importance of heritage conservation.

Temple restoration

P. Dhanapal, Joint Commissioner of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Administration Department, said Rs. 9.87 crore has been allocated for the restoration of 48 temples in the state this year. They include the Tiruvattur Adhikesavaperumal temple and the Kancheepuram Varadarajaswamy temple.

Ravi Sam, chairperson of AASAI, said the academy would develop heritage tourism and offer information on restoration of ancient buildings. Unless traditional materials and techniques were used, restored monuments could end up looking like modern buildings, he said. The AASAI can be reached at 98407-62326 or 94444-41181.

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