After year-long confabulations, the plan to provide Central Security Industrial Force (CISF) security cover to the four iconic monuments — Sun Temple in Konark in Odisha, Daulatabad Fort, Bibi Ka Maqbara (Tomb of the Lady) and Ellora caves, all three in Aurangabad in Maharashtra — is now all set to see the light of the day.
Sources in the Union Culture Ministry said that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard will be signed soon between the CISF and the Archeological Survey of India (ASI). “Nitti gritty has been almost finalized in the matter. The pact can be inked anytime soon,” said the sources.
The ASI had approached the CISF personnel in these monuments to meet security challenges such as encroachments and for managing crowds which increase on weekends and festivals.
Presently, Taj Mahal and Red Fort are the only two ASI-protected monuments in the country that are being guarded by the CISF, a central force set up by the Union Home Ministry for protection of country’s industrial units and airports.
The CISF protected museums include Salarjung Museum in Hyderabad, National Museum in Delhi and Victoria Memorial in Kolkata. When contacted, Superintending Archeologist (Aurangabad Circle) Dr. Dilip Kumar Khamari confirmed that the three monuments will be under CISF ambit if a proposal in this regard is given the green signal. But he refused to divulge further details of the proposal which was conceived early last year.
However, sources said that the four top heritage sites are facing security threats, encroachments and unmanageable crowd flow. “The decision to deploy CISF personnel at these four monuments was taken early last year after completion of a technical survey by the paramilitary force, which figured out the modalities of the new posting such as number of personnel that would be required, the security equipment needed and the kind of security that needs to be provided at these tourist centres,” said the sources.
Located on a pyramid-shaped hilltop to the north-west of Aurangabad, Daulatabad fort is considered as one of the most spectacular forts in the country while the Bibi Ka Maqbara is a tomb built by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s son Azam Shah in the memory of his mother (posthumously known as Rabia-ud-Daurani). It bears a striking resemblance to the famous Taj Mahal, the mausoleum of wife of Shah Jahan.
Aurangabad is also home to Ellora — one of the largest rock-cut monastery-temple cave complexes in the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, featuring Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monuments, and artwork, dating from the 600-1000 CE period.
Dedicated to the Hindu ‘God Surya’, what remains of the Sun Temple complex has the appearance of a 100-foot (30 m) high chariot with immense wheels and horses, all carved from stone. Once over 200 feet (61 m) high, much of the temple is now in ruins.
There are 3686 centrally protected monuments/sites under the ASI, majority of which are manned by private security agency. The Taj Mahal has 280 CISF security personnel while the Red Fort has 290.