Rare exhibition by ASI Agra brings curtains on heritage week

World Heritage Week celebrations across the country came to an end today with an exhibition at Fatehpur Sikri carrying rare monochrome images of pre-Mughal era site excavations in northern India and a cleanliness drive at Delhi's Hauz Khas monument being the highlights.
The nearly 130-year-old Agra Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) held a three-day-long exhibition at the iconic 16th century monument starting November 23, besides an outreach programme for school children and college students during this period.
"Our exhibition which had opened the Heritage Week on November 19 at the Agra Fort, at its Diwan-i-Aam, travelled to the Mughal's city of Fatehpur Sikri thereafter, where it was hosted at the Panch Mahal.

"The photographs, which date from late 1940s to 21st century, reflect the history of Agra, assumed only as a Mughal city, and other neighbouring region, from 2000 BC to 2000s," ASI's Superintending Archaeologist (Agra Circle) Bhuvan Vikram told PTI over phone.
He said ASI is now approaching schools and institutions to take the exhibition there and educate and enlighten the young minds about the area's ancient history that existed thousands of years before the Mughal reign began.
Spanning in length to over 200 ft, the exhibition displayed old photographs and texts relating to excavation of areas associated with ancient history, such as Hastinapur (1960s excavations) and Ahirchatta (1940s excavations) mounds.

During this week, a host of programmes were also conducted in Delhi, home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites -- Red Fort, Qutub Minar and Humayun's Tomb.

"We held a 'Swachch Bharat' drive at the Hauz Khas Complex in south Delhi yesterday, in which children from various schools of the capital participated," an INTACH official said.
Situated cheek-by-jowl with the Hauz Khas Village, the 13th century Delhi Sultanate-reign complex is a popular haunt among the youth, and contains a water tank, an Islamic seminary, a mosque, a tomb and pavilions.
Headquartered in Delhi, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), a non-profit organisation established in 1984, besides ASI, works on protection, conservation and promotion of tangible and intangible heritage, through its 187 chapters spread in various cities.

The World Heritage Week, from November 19-25 was designated by UNESCO as a period to celebrate heritage around the world, a few decades ago.
INTACH on November 20 held a session on 'Dastangoi', a traditional way of storytelling through theatrical narratives, and a 'Dhrupad' performance by noted artist Ustad F Wasifuddin Dagar the following day to mark the occasion.
In Ahmedabad, where the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation had become one of the first municipal bodies in the country to open a 'heritage cell', a whole host of colourful activities were held to celebrate the week, considered a festive occasion by heritage lovers around the world.