Chandigarh’s heritage furniture designed by city’s designer Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret will be auctioned in London, UK on October 14.
Ten items worth more than Rs 1.5 crore will be auctioned by auction house BONHAM in the UK. The heritage items include chairs, armchairs and tables designed for the High Court, administrative buildings.
“There is an urgent need for the government to intervene in the matter. Such auctions of Chandigarh’s heritage have been going on since past many years. The recent ASI order again banning the export from sea and air ports further evidences that our nation is committed to stop this cultural trafficking,” said Ajay Jagga, city based advocate and member of Heritage Protection Cell, Chandigarh.
Jagga also wrote to the Union Ministry of External Affairs raising the issue.
“The auction by foreign auction houses of Indian heritage is spreading and going on and on, causing huge loss to nation’s prestige apart from violation of ban and as such it is appealed that all foreign embassies ( of India ) may be alerted and UN may also approached reminding its international commitment to UNESCO to combat trafficking of cultural objects,” Jagga wrote in his letter.
In the past one decade, renowned foreign auction houses in US, UK, France have shoveled in millions through the auction of Chandigarh’s heritage items including tables, teak stools, arm chairs, lounge chairs, book cases, manholes, coffee tables, executive desks and others.