A pilot project to map and document monuments in Karnataka

The Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage has launched a pilot project in Mysuru taluk to map unprotected monuments.

A team of officials, including an assistant archaeologist, is part of the exercise, and so far 10 villages in Varuna hobli have been covered, with 55 hero stones and six inscrip-tions documented during the last three days alone.

The Commissioner for Archaeology, T. Venkatesh, told

The Hindu that this was a pilot project part of a broader plan to survey and map all the unprotected monuments in Karnataka. He said there were 844 monuments under the Archaeology Department currently, but this number has to be updated. “The pilot project will give us an idea of the kind of human and financial resources that will be required to take up the mapping exercise all over the State,” said Mr. Venkatesh.

Even in case the monuments and artefacts do not meet the criteria for protection as specified by the Archaeological Survey of India and the National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities, their documentation is important as it will help develop a registry and a database of monuments, he added. The mapping team is seeking the help of local gram panchayat members and senior villagers who tend to be aware of the presence of temples, hero stones and inscriptions within their village and gram panchayat limits.

According to experts, there are at least 35,000 to 40,000 unprotected monuments in the State. Officials believe that in case the exercise is not taken up, then there are chances of losing some priceless heritage monuments and artefacts strewn across the State as there is always the risk of theft and damage. In case of temples, the exercise will help determine their boundaries so as to prevent encroachment in future.