Sitting next to their desktops, people across the world will now be able to explore iconic Indian world heritage sites like the Taj Mahal, Humayun’s Tomb, Qutub Minar and Red Fort, besides other monuments.
Apart from getting access to high resolution pictures of 30 such old monuments manifesting the aesthetic sensibilities of the erstwhile rulers, people living abroad would get vital information on these monuments which are an interesting combination of Persian and Islamic architecture.
Along with high resolution pictures, the written text would explain why these monuments have become national treasures and their relevance in contemporary times. The underlying objective behind the whole exercise is to encourage prospective foreign tourists to visit the country.
Unveiling the online panoramic imagery of heritage sites at the Capital’s Safdarjung Tomb, a sandstone and marble mausoleum, Union Culture Minister Chandresh Kumari Katoch said: “With the release of these new panoramic images, it is now possible for billions of people across the world to see and explore our magnificent heritage like the to take a walk at the Rock Cut Jain Temple, marvel at the Nagarjuna Konda Buddhist stupas and relive history at Fatehpur Sikri.”
The Minister said the objective behind the partnership between ASI and Google is to create a dynamic, immersive online experience by which the people within our country and around the world can understand the engage more of India’s diverse cultural heritage.
Ms. Katoch used the occasion to urge educational institutions to have one period related to culture so that students can understand the significance of protecting and preserving our monuments.
“The need of the hour is that schools have periods for every class devoted exclusively to cultural heritage. This would increase awareness among the children about the need to protect monuments rather than draw and defacement monuments. Now, that the 360-degree online imagery of 30 heritage sites are available, it would give a fillip to tourism. At the click of a button, foreigners can access these sites and plan their trip to India.”
According to ASI director general Pravin Srivastava, the remaining 70 heritage sites of the country will be made online towards this year end.
