RangSutra and INTACH Event

The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and RangSutra are holding an event on traditional Indian crafts. They describe it as an invitation to discover "our traditional crafts and unique products".

RangSutra describe themselves as "a company of a thousand artisans from remote regions of India – the deserts of Rajasthan, hill regions of Uttaranchal and Assam.

Our goal is to ensure sustainable livelihoods for artisans and farmers, by creating top quality hand made products based on the principles of fair trade and a celebration of India’s rich craft heritage."


71 Lodi Estate, New Delhi
2-4th March, 11am to 9pm.

Images: INTACH logo, promotional poster for the event.

Restoring Humayun's Tomb

Here's an interesting piece about restoring Humayun's Tomb.

Image- Humayun's Tomb, 2010. Copyright Alex Adwick.

Delhi: Photography and Archaeology Exhibition

An exhibition starts tomorrow, 7th September, on 'The Marshall Albums: Photography and Archaeology'.

Sir John Marshall was the first Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and this exhibition showcases his career and the use of photography at the beginning of organised archaeological work in India. Marshall, among other things, directed the excavations at Mohenjo-daro (now in Pakistan).

The exhibition is accompanied by a publication on the subject by Dr Sudeshna Guha (Cambridge University), available with a discount.

Where: Shridharani Gallery, Triveni Kala Sangam
205 Tansen Marg (Mandi House), New Delhi

When: 7th September 17:30 to 17th September 19:00

Delhi: Archaeologists vs. Wakf Board

A little controversy in the news right now; The Hindustan Times did a write-up on a debate over heritage structure ownership in Delhi. Click on the link for the full article.

The Delhi State Archaeological Dept. issued notifications for the protection and conservation of 39 monuments in Delhi. The Delhi Wakf Board has objected to 25 of these monuments, on the grounds that they are already wakf and hence should not be treated as "mere monuments". A wakf or waqf is an inalienable religious endowment in Islam, like land or a building for religious or charitable purposes (thanks Wikipedia).

Clashes between archaeologists and those who live on or around monuments and sites are not uncommon. It's impossible to save everything and keep monuments untouched, and I don't know any archaeologists who think that way. However, it is important that the monuments that we do have are well looked after.

I don't know what kind of conservation scheme the Archaeological Dept. has proposed, and I don't know if or how it'll interfere with the religious uses of the wakf, but I do hope they can find some kind of compromise. People still live in and use a lot of the medieval monuments around Delhi and Haryana, and frankly, it isn't always possible to relocate them.

There should be a way to protect monuments, and simultaneously ensure that the continued usage of them is sustainable.

Heritage Walks in Delhi

If you've had a look at the major sites in Delhi, and been to the National Museum, try the website or facebook page of cultural heritage protection group INTACH. The group, or occasionally its members, advertise archaeological and heritage walks. These lead through areas such as the Mehrauli Archaeological Park, last a few hours, and are usually very reasonably priced. Try the website, or for a more community-based group, a simple search on facebook should lead you to their page.

http://www.intach.org/home.htm