The Government of India has taken several steps to preserve ancient civilizational ethos, protect cultural and spiritual heritage and propagate Indian Knowledge systems and traditions across the world. Bringing Our Gods Home is one such initiative that is rooted in preserving, promoting and propagating our heritage.
While speaking on the efforts being made, the Union Minister said, “The impact of the Government’s focus on India’s heritage is clearly visible with tangible outputs and outcomes. Since 2014, more than 230 antiquities have been repatriated; Of the total 244 invaluable antiquities of Indian origin that have been brought back to India from abroad, 231 have been brought back after 2014.
Close to 72 antiquities are in the process of being repatriated from various countries including the USA, UK, Singapore and Australia. On numerous foreign visits, our Prime Minister has discussed this matter with global leaders and multilateral institutions and today, innumerable countries are themselves reaching out to India to send back stolen artefacts and antiquities”.
In 1982, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) announced 18 April as World Heritage Day. This was approved by the General Assembly of UNESCO in 1983, to enhance awareness about the importance of cultural heritage, and monuments and conserving them. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has a total of 1,154 monuments designated as world heritage sites from all over the world. Apart from India only Italy, Spain, Germany, China and France have 40 or more World Heritage sites.
On the increase in sites from India to UNESCO’s world heritage sites, the Union Minister said, “Out of 40 World Heritage Inscriptions, 10 have been done in the last 9 years with a wide range of diversity from across India. India’s Tentative List has increased by 37 from 2014 to 2022, from 15 in 2014 to 52 in 2022. This provides huge potential to India to attract a large number of foreign travellers to India. Considering that 52 more sites are on India’s World Heritage Tentative list, our heritage monuments will play a huge role in transforming the tourism sector”.
After many decades’ various sites of civilizational significance have been redeveloped and revived through the efforts of the Narendra Modi government. Speaking on the work done to ensure world class amenities in all the spiritual heritage locations the Union Minister said, “Continuous focus has been given on the revival and redevelopment of heritage sites across India.
Numerous such examples are like the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor and various other projects in Varanasi which have transformed the by lanes, ghats, and temple complexes in the city. In fact, this is the first transformational project in Kashi in close to 250 years since Ahilybhai Holkar in 1777. The 900 km Char Dham road project which will provide seamless all weather road connectivity to the four holy Dhams of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri. The Somnath Temple reconstruction project,The Ujjain Mahakal Corridor and the ongoing Ram Mandir construction in Ayodhya, are other examples where we are redeveloping our spiritual heritage”
