World Heritage Day: Free entry at ASI sites, INTACH wants two more added to list

Raghav Guleria

Dharamsala, April 17

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has announced free entry for all its protected monuments in the country on April 18 — World Heritage Day.

The day is observed annually to spread awareness about the importance and significance of the heritage sites, and to safeguard these for the future generations.

Kangra district, which is one of the oldest settlements in the world, is bestowed with unique heritage — both tangible and intangible — which, according to art connoisseurs, needs to be preserved for posterity.

There are forts, palaces, temples, ponds, wells and gateways dating back to several hundred years. Some of these have already been declared protected and are in the safe custody of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), whereas many others are less fortunate as these still await the ‘protected’ status.

Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage (INTACH) (Kangra Chapter) Convener L N Aggarwal has been organising activities every year on this day such as monument sight-seeing, quiz competitions and painting competitions for schoolchildren.

This time, it is proposed that students would be taken for a museum walk so as to acquaint them with the monumental and cultural heritage of the area.

According to him, there are several architectural heritage properties in and around Dharamsala — both private and government-owned — that need to be preserved.

The old Boys School in Dharamsala, for instance, came into being in 1926 as a high school.

The school emerged as model multi-purpose higher secondary school in 1961 and was upgraded to Senior Secondary School in 1986.

Aggarwal said, “Its building has been constructed in the typical hilly style. The government may consider to declare it as heritage property and preserve it.”

Similarly, Government College, Dharamsala, has a unique heritage building dating back to the years when Kangra district was part of Punjab. The alumni proudly associate with this building, known as the Old Main Block. The building’s foundation stone was laid on May 4, 1912, by Sir Louis Dane, the then Lt Governor of Punjab.

It was the first college in undivided Punjab to introduce the faculties of Arts, Science & Commerce.

In 1984, it became the first college in the state to introduce masters in geology. The INTACH convenor has made an ardent appeal to the government to declare both these structures as protected monuments.

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