Putting Rs100 crore culture preservation plan on the fast track, the Punjab Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to prepare an appropriate and specialised policy for preserving the State’s culture and heritage.
“Punjab has chosen the professional model to preserve State’s cultural heritage — first State in the country — as the State was rich in tangible and intangible cultural heritage ranging from archaeological remains of 5,000-year-old Indus Valley civilisation to planning and construction of Chandigarh,” said a spokesman of the Department of Cultural Affairs.
Heritage of the State displayed rich evidence of being a thriving and much sought about gateway to the subcontinent and a key stop along important trade routes such as linkages to the Silk Road and later the Grand Trunk Road; encompassing not only tangible assets of archaeology and architecture, but a rich philosophy, poetry, spirituality, crafts, artistry, music, cuisine and multifold traditions, he said.
Already, the Department of Culture, Archaeology and Museum had taken an initiative to develop a State Cultural Heritage Policy in order to use Rs100 crore funds in helping and improving institutional, legal and other frameworks for better preservation, management and sustainable use of cultural heritage, he said.
In the first phase, focus would be on preservation of monuments and museums identified by UNESCO, the spokesman said. He said the archival heritage had been identified as a major strength of the State Government and efforts were made to preserve these by adopting modern and scientific techniques.