The demolition of the 17th-century Mubarak Manzil, a Mughal heritage site, by an Agra-based builder, has sparked outrage among many, including famed India-based Scottish historian William Dalrymple.

The razing of Mubarak Manzil in Agra, in collusion with police and administrative officials, speaks volumes about the sad state of ancient monuments and archaeological sites in our country.

It has been reported that apart from Mubarak Manzil, at least three other historical sites were demolished or naturally destroyed in the past four months in Agra. These included the Shahi Hammam (1620), Zohra Bagh, and a 500-year-old Ibrahim Lodhi-era mosque.

A flabbergasted Dalrymple posted: “It’s almost as if India is going out of its way to destroy its appeal as a tourist destination. Neglect your main heritage centres, allow developers to raze all its heritage properties, and then be surprised when this great country has fewer tourists than Dubai or Singapore…”

India, one of the oldest civilisations in the world, has a treasure trove of ancient heritage monuments and sites that date back centuries. These monuments stand as a testament to the architectural brilliance of their respective eras and provide a glimpse into India’s rich cultural heritage.

Dalrymple is right when he says that despite having a rich cultural heritage, India is attracting fewer international tourists as the country is neglecting its heritage monuments.

Lost Glory

We proudly showcase world-renowned monuments and sites like the Taj Mahal in Agra or, for example, Hampi in Karnataka to tourists. However, behind these few well-preserved monuments lie a slew of numerous heritage structures and sites in a dilapidated condition – unaccounted for, destroyed, and lost forever.

According to the Ministry of Culture website, as of January 2025, India has more than 3,696 ancient monuments and archaeological sites of national importance. These monuments are protected and maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The ASI is responsible for the research, conservation, and maintenance of these monuments under the AMASR (Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains) Act, 1958. The Act protects monuments and sites that are more than 100 years old.

An array of structures, including prehistoric sites, Stone Age rock shelters, Neolithic sites, megalithic burial sites, rock-cut caves, stupas, temples, mosques, tombs, churches, cemeteries, forts, palaces, step-wells, and ancient mounds and sites, form part of these monuments. Further, state governments and union territories have also declared monuments/sites as being of state importance under their respective Acts.

In the event of any damage or encroachment to a monument, ASI officials are authorised to file police complaints, issue show-cause notices for the removal of encroachments, and coordinate with the local administration for necessary action. Sadly, the officials have failed in their duty to preserve, protect, and conserve these monuments. So much so that some monuments have gone missing from the ASI’s list.

In a submission made to Parliament by the Ministry of Culture, it was reported that 50 of India’s 3,693 centrally protected monuments were ‘missing’. This was revealed in the submissions made by the ministry on December 8, 2022, to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism, and Culture as part of a report titled ‘Issues Relating to Untraceable Monuments and Protection of Monuments in India’. These included 11 in Uttar Pradesh, two each in Delhi and Haryana, and some in states like Assam, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

Among the old sites that had vanished according to the ASI were the Kos Minar, a medieval milestone in Haryana state; the Guns of Emperor Sher Shah in Tinsukia town; the Telia Nala Buddhist site in Varanasi; and the Barakhamba Monument, a 14th-century tomb building in Delhi. Interestingly, all these monuments had been earlier de-notified by the ASI.

Safeguarding Heritage

The ASI and the Ministry of Culture have erred by de-notifying some of these structures, meaning they are no longer classified as monuments of national importance. This has placed them in the dangerous reach of unscrupulous land developers and construction mafias looking for spaces to build, sell, and profit.

There are not enough security guards to oversee these monuments. The Parliamentary Committee (PC) was informed that security guards were posted at only 248 of the 3,693 monuments. “The committee notes with dismay that out of the total requirement of 7,000 personnel for the protection of monuments, the government could provide only 2,578 security personnel at 248 locations due to budgetary constraints,” the PC report said.

In the just-concluded winter session, the government informed Parliament that a survey undertaken by the ASI through its various field offices revealed that 18 protected monuments and sites were “not in good state of preservation”.

The government needs to address the specific challenges faced by the ASI in the upkeep of monuments.

The ASI needs to be provided with sufficient funds, personnel, and resources to maintain these heritage monuments. The local community around historical sites must also be involved in their upkeep and maintenance. A sense of pride and awareness should be instilled in the local community.

In a country where meeting the basic needs of citizens has become the primary focus of successive central governments, many monuments and sites have perished due to activities like urbanisation, the construction of dams and reservoirs, and even encroachments. A number of cases regarding unauthorised constructions carried out in prohibited and regulated areas in various states and UTs have also been highlighted.

Sadly, citizens often seek ways to circumvent the procedures for quick solutions, damaging the sites and structures. On November 27, an IIT researcher was killed in a pit collapse at the Harappan historical site of Lothal, Gujarat. The joint team of IIT Delhi and IIT Gandhinagar was carrying out a soil sample survey and hadn’t bothered to inform or seek permission from the ASI. The digging was carried out within the 100-metre prohibited limit of an ASI-protected site. The researchers even had an excavator working on a nearby road project to dig a 12-foot-deep trench, just 50 metres from the main gate of the Lothal site, which falls within the prohibited area.

Each monument and even the remains narrate a story of India’s glorious past, and they must be preserved as a legacy for future generations.

(The author is Contributing Editor, NDTV)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

New Delhi:

A lower court’s order of a survey at the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid of Sambhal that triggered massive violence in which four people died and many were injured, has been challenged in the Supreme Court. The Masjid Committee has sought an immediate stay on the order and demanded an early hearing from Chief Justice of India Sanjeev Khanna. 

The petitioners have claimed that this is an “extraordinary case”, so the court should take “extraordinary steps”. A bench led by the Chief Justice of India will hear the case tomorrow. 

In response to a petition that claimed that the mosque stands on a temple dedicated to Kalki, the court had ordered a survey on November 19. As the district administration and police carried out the survey, there was criticism from several quarters, including the Jama Masjid management committee.

The situation snowballed on November 24 as a second survey by the Archaeological Survey of India was scheduled. Locals, fearing a demolition of the mosque, gathered to protest and in the violence that followed, four people died and many were injured.

In their petition, the mosque committee has said the civil court had passed one-sided orders and directed survey to be conducted on the same day with undue haste. It did not call for response from the affected parties — the committee and the state government — or conduct any judicial proceedings. 

The manner in which survey was ordered in this case and in some other cases will have an immediate impact in a number of cases across the country that have been filed recently concerning places of worship. Such orders will have a tendency to inflame communal passions, cause law and order problems and damage the secular fabric of the country, the petition contended. 

The Muslim community has strongly opposed the survey, pointing to the Places of Worship Act, 1991. The law maintains that barring Ayodhya, status quo as on August 15, 1947, will have to be maintained for religious structures across the country. 

But in 2023, the Supreme Court had allowed a survey at Varanasi’s Gyanvapi Mosque, with then Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud arguing that the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 does not debar ascertainment of the religious character of a place of worship. 

The violence of November 24 in Sambhal and the subsequent decision of a court to hear a similar claim about the Ajmer Dragah has sparked a huge political row which resonated inside parliament and out. Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned shortly after they convened today. In the Lok Sabha, Opposition members gathered at the well of the House, raising slogans demanding action against the perpetrators of the Sambhal violence.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti, claiming that the violence at Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, was the direct result of this judgment, said, “Thanks to a former Chief Justice of India a Pandora’s box has been opened sparking a contentious debate about minority religious places”.

“Despite a Supreme Court ruling that the status quo should be maintained as it existed in 1947, his judgement has paved the way for surveys of these sites potentially leading to increased tension between Hindus and Muslims,” the PDP chief added, citing the top court’s remarks when a bench had decided that a Ram temple can be built in Ayodhya. 

Ziaur Rehman Barq, the Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal, condemned the move as an attempt to disrupt communal harmony. 

Earlier today, the Uttar Pradesh Police held a flag march in Sambhal ahead of Friday prayers.

A view of Shree Jagannath temple in Odisha’s Puri. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

“The Odisha government will unlock the ‘Ratna Bhandar’, the revered treasury of the 12th-century Jagannath temple in Puri, on July 14 after 46 years for an inventory of the valuables and the repair of the structure,” an official said. The treasury was last opened in 1978.

“The Ratna Bhandar of the Jagannath temple will be opened today at 1.28 p.m.,” said Justice Biswanath Rath, the chairman of the committee formed by the State government to supervise the inventory of valuables in the treasury. “The decision was taken at a meeting of the committee held in Puri,” he said.

“Members of the committee, including Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Arabinda Padhee, will visit the treasury after the reopening,” he added. “The place where the valuables will be kept temporarily has also been identified,” said the former Orissa High Court judge.

“The ritual of ‘Agnya’, in which approval is sought for the reopening of the Ratna Bhandar, was completed in the morning. The members of the committee will enter the shrine at 12 p.m. in traditional attire for the reopening,” said C.B.K. Mohanty, another member of the committee.

“Before reopening the treasury, we will seek the approval of Goddess Bimala, Goddess Laxmi, who is the owner of the treasury, and lastly seek the approval of Lord Lokanath, who is its caretaker,” Justice Rath said.

In the morning, Justice Rath and Mr. Padhee offered prayers before Lord Jagannath and his siblings at the Gundicha temple for the smooth completion of the works. “Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have been made for the entire process,” Mr. Padhee said.

“Three SOPs have been made. One is related to the reopening of the Ratna Bhandar, the second for the management of the temporary Ratna Bhandar, and the third one is related to inventory of the valuables,” he said.

“The inventory work will not start today. It will be done after getting approval from the government on the engagement of valuers, goldsmiths and other experts,” he added.

“The government has decided to prepare a digital catalogue of the valuables in the Ratna Bhandar that will have details such as their weight and make,” another official said.

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Superintendent DB Gadanayak said structural engineers, mechanical engineers and civil engineers will inspect the Ratna Bhandar for the repair work.

Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) personnel were seen entering the temple premises with lights that will be installed inside the Ratna Bhandar. It is also apprehended that there are snakes inside the treasury.

Snake Helpline member Subhendu Mallick said, “We have come here on the instruction of the State government. There will be two teams of snake catchers — one inside and another outside the temple. We will follow all instructions of the administration.”

New Delhi:

Another disputed temple-mosque site will come under the lens of the Archaeological Survey of India after Varanasi’s Gyanvapi mosque. This time, it is the Bhojshala at Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar, where it has to conduct a survey. The order came from the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court today following a petition by the right-wing group Hindu Front. This will be the fourth site to undergo excavation/survey after the ones in Ayodhya, Varanasi and Mathura.

“Get the survey done. Photos and videos should be made. The report should be given to the court before April 29, during the next hearing,” said a bench of Justices SA Dharmadhikari and Dev Narayan Mishra.

The ASI has been asked to use all the methods and state-of-the-art equipment at their disposal, including Ground Penetration Radar System and carbon dating to ascertain the age of the structure.

The petitioners have asked for the right to daily worship at the site if a survey shows the existence of a temple.

In its order, the court said the ASI must conduct a “complete scientific investigation, survey and excavation , through adoption of latest methods, techniques and modes of GPR-GPS survey of the site in question constituting the disputed Bhojshala Temple cum Kamal Maula Mosque complex”. This would include the entire 50m of peripheral ring area from the boundary of the complex.

A detailed scientific investigation also has to be conducted through carbon dating of various structures “both above and beneath the ground”. The ASI also has to open locked or sealed rooms, halls and prepare a complete inventory of each and every artifact, idol, deity, or any structure. But this should be done without “destroying, defacing, destructing the original nature of the whole complex”.

The survey should be conducted under the leadership of an expert Committee of at least five senior-most officials of ASI, headed by the Director General or the Additional Director General and the report submitted to the court within six weeks.

“Efforts should be made to have a representation of Officers of both the contesting communities (if available of the said position & rank) in the said Expert Committee,” the order read.

The bench said after it receives the report, it will hear the claim of petitioner for restoration of the right to daily worship. The court will also hear the matter of investigation into the Waqf of Kamal Maula Masjid.

The site at Dhar, where a temple complex dedicated to Goddess Saraswati exists, has long been a cause of friction. Currently, worship is allowed only on Vasant Panchami. The rest of the year, namaz is offered at the Kamal Maula Masjid.

The temple complex was part of a celebrated college built by king Bhoja (1000-1055 AD), said to be the greatest monarch of the Paramara dynasty.

The college came to be known as Bhojshala (banquet hall), where students came from across the country for a feast of knowledge. The structure was converted to a mosque during Muslim rule. The image of the Goddess Saraswati is now in a museum in London.

New Delhi:

A parliamentary panel has underlined that a large number of historical monuments are “not under any sort of protection” and asked about the procedure through which requests for restoration of “unprotected monuments” is made to the ASI.

It also asked how many such requests are pending before the central body.

The action taken report on recommendations or observations of the committee contained in its 340th Report on Demands for Grants (2023-24) of Ministry of Culture by the department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, was presented in the Rajya Sabha and laid on the table of the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

The panel has noted that under the head “Restoration of Unprotected Monuments – Minor Works”, the culture ministry has been allocated Rs 2.5 crore in the 2023-24 Budget Estimate against a projected demand of Rs 5 crore to meet anticipated expenditure for restoration of unprotected monuments such as Badrinath.

“It is submitted in this connection that ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) undertakes restoration of unprotected monuments, subject to the overall criticality/importance of the monument and as per manpower availability with ASI. The budget allocation of Rs 2.5 crore for restoration of unprotected monuments is considered sufficient in respect of presently ongoing work at Badrinath temple,” the ministry informed the panel.

The report said the committee wanted to know about the quantum of ongoing work at the Badrinath temple and the expected timeline of its completion. The panel would like to elicit the information regarding the expenditure made out of the total fund till date.

In its 294th Report on Development and Conservation of Museums and Archaeological sites – Challenges and Opportunities, the committee noted that in 2007, the National Mission on Monuments & Antiquities aimed to list 5,00,000 (five lakh) heritage buildings, it added.

“The committee notes that about 3,693 monuments fall under the protection of the central government while around 4,500 monuments are protected by the state/Union Territory governments. It is evident that a large number of valuable historical monuments are presently not under any sort of protection by the government,” the panel said in the report.

The ministry informed the panel that the “ASI evaluates the proposal following due procedures and accordingly undertakes conservation/preservation of other than ASI heritage buildings”.

The ASI was established in 1861 and currently operates through a number of circles across the country.

The panel further said it would like to “know the expenditure incurred by the Ministry on the restoration of unprotected monuments in the country by the ASI during the last three years, year-wise”.

“The committee further desires to know the procedure through which request for restoration of unprotected monuments is made to ASI, and how many such requests are pending before the ASI, at present,” it added.

In the report, the committee further said that it would like to “know the criteria governing the recognition of a monument that requires any kind of protection”.

The committee also wants to know “how categorisation of monuments is being effected for its protection at central/state level”.

On the panel’s observation that the Rs 5 crore sought by the ASI for the restoration of unprotected monuments is in itself a “minor amount given the huge number of such monuments”, the ministry has said, “As stated in the preceding ATN, ASI undertakes restoration of unprotected monuments subject to the overall criticality/importance of the monument and as per manpower availability with the ASI. Although the current allocation is considered to be sufficient, additional budget requirements as and when the need arises will be demanded from the Ministry of Culture.” 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)