The Archaeological Survey of India has safeguarded our rich history for 150 years (editorial, Sept.23). The ASI, the brainchild of our erstwhile colonial rulers, has grown into a mammoth institution disciplined in the conservation of thousands of monuments and excavation sites spread all over the country. Apart from the pre-Partition discovery of the legendary sites in Mohenjodaro and Harappa, the ASI has excavated more Indus Valley sites after Independence, such as Kalibangan in Rajasthan, Benavali in Haryana and Dholavira in Gujarat. Another area where the ASI has excelled is academic research. The central library of the ASI, set up by Stein Know in 1902, is rated as one of the best research centres in the whole of South Asia.
Brij K. Chauhan,
New Delhi
I would like to highlight the role of K.R. Srinivasan who was the Director-General of the ASI and made solid contributions in the field of temple architecture in south India and, in particular, Pallava architecture. Learning history may have lost its charm in the age of technology, but history is not knowledge alone — it is life itself.
Venidevi,
Chennai
