Thursday, September 20, 2012

The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act


The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958 takes care of monuments of historical importance and going by this act/or law, an "ancient monument" means any structure, erection or monument, or any tumulus or place of interment, or any cave, rock-sculpture, inscription or monolith which is of historical, archaeological or artistic interest and which has been in existence for not less than 100 years.

According to ASI here are the following criteria which define ancient monument and the veracity and importance of it. • Remains of an ancient monument • Site of an ancient monument • Such portion of land adjoining the site of an ancient monument as may be required for fencing or covering in or otherwise preserving such monument. Last time I went to the Wikipedia meet at Hauz Khas, it emerged that Wikipedia is seriously doing something about historical monument. And yes they do it. My friend Ankit reminded me. There are over 3650 ancient monuments and remains of national importance, and supposedly protected by the ASI. Over 8,000 monuments are protected by the central government, including temples, mosques, tombs, churches, cemeteries, forts, palaces, step-wells, rock-cut caves, and secular architecture. S Suchindranath Aiyer a thinker from Bangalore feels the need to give importance to such moneuments across India and this memorial in particular, he said, "Its probably a good thing that its inside the golf course and the public don;t know about it. Else it might be banished to the grave yard of marble in North Delhi! "Soldier Sahibs" by Charles Allen gives a lot more on the Battle of Delhi and the men who forged the Empire." Why can not be this War Memorial elevated to a structure of national importance?

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