Mysore/Mysuru: A. Devaraju, Commissioner, Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage said: “All measures are being taken to conserve heritage sites and places in the world, especially in the State through digitisation of information gleaned from the monuments.” He was addressing a gathering of heritage experts, historians and students on the occasion of World Heritage Day celebrations organised by the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage at its office premises in Dasara Exhibition Grounds in the city this morning.

To celebrate Heritage Day in a meaningful manner, awareness is being created about the importance of protecting heritage sites. The uniqueness of the celebration this year is the involvement of students, to make them a part of conservation activities, he added.

Delving into the intricate details, Devaraju said: “The syllabus and books are framed on the basis of inscriptions found, bringing into light the rare information. If inscriptions are destroyed, it is equal to destruction of history. So, every learned citizen has a responsibility towards protecting inscription and archaeological sites.”

The Department has 844 protected monuments in the State and with the help of 3D scanning technology, the works related to digital documentation of 534 monuments have been completed. In the coming days, even if the monuments are destroyed, the digitised contents uploaded on the website will be available. The State has 16 museums and the information gleaned through 3D scan are available there. The world has 1,990 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and among them 42 are in India alone including four in Karnataka. If the number of these sites increase, the number of tourist footfalls will also increase and those directly and indirectly dependent on tourism may see improvement in their financial condition, said Devaraju.

A Conservation Project is being implemented wherein village wise survey is conducted and the contents of inscriptions found are being recorded. That apart, adoption scheme is being implemented and the corporate companies have been instructed to utilise Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds to adopt the monuments. It would be helpful in the conservation of heritage sites facing extinction, said Devaraju.

While in other countries, the emphasis is on uplift of social and economical conditions of the people, in India priority is given towards the promotion of art. Hence, we should be committed to protect the remnants of history, opined Devaraju.

Shalvapille Iyengar, Chairman, Department of Studies in Ancient History and Archaeology, Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), Mysuru, said: “The monuments and articles of antique value left behind by our ancestors are prized assets. The graffiti that mar beauty of heritage buildings should be stopped, besides restraining people from turning them into a dump yard. Several dynasties including Gangas and Chalukyas have ruled here, delivering a better administration, making it imperative to build a World Class Museum in Karnataka. We have two types of historical evidences that form the crux of documenting history; first is inscriptions which are considered as the source and primary evidence and second is substantiating proofs.

P.L. Udaya Kumar of Mythic Society, Bengaluru, who heads Inscriptions 3D Digital Conservation Project, delivered a lecture on ‘3D laser scanning in conserving stone inscription (shila shasana)’ with demonstration.