The Sun Temple at Konark, the architectural marvel for which Odisha is best known worldwide, has been given the coveted Adarsh Monument tag by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) along with three other monuments of eastern India.
A total of 25 monuments out 3,680 protected ones in the country have been selected under the Adarsh Smarak Yojana. While the list includes some of the biggest crowd-pullers like Taj Mahal, Khajuraho, Qutab complex and Red Fort, it has three other monuments Hazarduari Palace in Murshidabad, Vaishali-Kolhua in Bihar, Rang Ghar in Assam’s Sibsagar, besides the Sun Temple at Konark.
These monuments will be the focus in the international tourism promotion plan being developed by the Central Government. The Union Ministry of Culture believes these can be of immense interest to international tourists.
An official in the ASI’s Regional Director’s office (eastern region) said the ASI is developing amenities of international standards, including washrooms, drinking water, signs, cafeteria,
audiovisual centres, Wi-Fi connectivity, interpretation centres and encroachment-free areas around these
monuments.