Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Chairman Maj Gen lK Gupta addressed an elite gathering of over 100 citizens here on Wednesday. The audience comprised retired Vice-Chancellors, scholars, dancers, sculptors and writers. The function, organised by the INTACH Bhubaneswar Chapter, was held at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan.
Gen Gupta lamented the tendency of people to look upon the Government as the custodian of culture. He said it is time that people reclaimed the heritage of their communities as every village, district and State has its own ethos and people of the area make it a dynamic entity over generations.
He said the State should act only as a patron and not as the owner of heritage and culture. The Government could fund conservation projects, and local people with their age-old skills should themselves undertake such works. He assured full expert support and some funding from the INTACH for such projects.
INTACH State Convenor AB Tripathy informed that the Odisha Government has entrusted the job of restoring 24 monuments to the INTACH, which is in the process of completing the works through its Odisha Conservation Centre. He expressed disappointment over the snail’s pace in conservation of the Konark Sun Temple, which should have been taken up with the utmost urgency.
Two volumes of documentation containing valuable materials on 200 structures along the Jagannath Sadak within Odisha were presented to Gen Gupta by Anil Dhir, who piloted the project. A documentary on the Sadak produced by past Convenor Anant Mahapatra was also screened n the occasion.
Earlier, Convenor of INTACH Bhubaneswar Chapter H Balakrishnan mentioned about the forthcoming project for documenting artefacts and monuments of the Prachi Valley civilisation to be undertaken by the Bhubaneswar Chapter.
During his visit, Gen Gupta will also visit Cuttack, Jajpur and Sonepur. Two new INTACH Chapters at Jajpur and Sonepur will be inaugurated by him which will put Odisha on top in the INTACH map in terms of coverage.