‘Missing’ monuments

February 6, 2023

Context:

The Ministry of Culture has informed Parliament that Fifty of India’s 3,693 centrally protected monuments have gone missing, the Ministry of Culture.

About Centrally Protected Monuments:

Regulation: The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (AMASR Act) regulates the preservation of monuments and archaeological sites of national importance.
- The Act protects monuments and sites that are more than 100 years old, including temples, cemeteries, inscriptions, tombs, forts, palaces, step-wells, rock-cut caves, and even objects like cannons and mile pillars that may be of historical significance.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which is under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Culture, functions under this Act.
Apart from various conservation and preservation operations, ASI officials can also file police complaints, issue show-cause notices for the removal of encroachments, and communicate to the local administration the need for the demolition of encroachments.

How can a monument go “missing”?

As per ASI officials, many monuments and sites were lost to activities like urbanization, construction of dams and reservoirs, and even encroachments.

As per the ASI submission in Parliament, 14 monuments have been lost to rapid urbanization, 12 are submerged by reservoirs/dams, while 24 are untraceable, which brings the number of missing monuments to 50.

Some of the missing monuments include:

- the Guns of Emperor Sher Shah, Tinsukia (Assam); the Ruins of Copper Temple, Paya, Lohit (Arunachal Pradesh); Kos Minar, Mujesar, Faridabad (Haryana); Kutumbari Temple, Dwarahat, Almora (Uttarakhand); Rock Inscription, Satna (Madhya Pradesh); Old European Tomb, Pune (Maharashtra); 12th Century Temple, Baran (Rajasthan); and Telia Nala Buddhist ruins, Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh).

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI):

It is an organization under the Ministry of Culture, for the archaeological research and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation.
It regulates all archaeological activities in the country as per the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.
It also regulates the Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972

News Source: The Hindu, Indian Express