Bhubaneswar: In a major initiative to strengthen the conservation of Odisha’s rich cultural and architectural heritage, the Odisha State Archaeology Department on Friday signed non-financial Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and School of Planning and Architecture Bhopal at Sanskruti Bhawan in Bhubaneswar.
The collaborations aim to promote scientific conservation, documentation and sustainable development of historic monuments, temples and archaeological sites across the state through the use of modern technology and academic expertise.
Under the partnership with IIT Kharagpur, advanced tools and methodologies such as LiDAR, 3D documentation, structural analysis, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing and digital mapping will be used for heritage preservation and monitoring. The collaboration will also focus on research, innovation and interdisciplinary integration in heritage conservation.
The MoU with SPA Bhopal will support heritage planning, conservation architecture, museum and exhibition design, architectural documentation, technical advisory services and capacity-building programmes.
Speaking on the occasion, Odisha Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said the initiative would play a transformative role in preserving and promoting the state’s heritage assets.
He said around 82 monuments under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and nearly 212 monuments under the Odisha State Archaeology Department would benefit from the initiative.
“Our heritage and architecture have given Odisha a unique recognition at the national and international levels. It is our responsibility to preserve these historic sites and make future generations aware of their significance,” the minister said.
Suraj added that modern technologies would be used for scientific conservation, digital documentation and long-term protection of temples, monuments and historic structures across the state.
The government also announced that under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, ten students from Odisha would get internship opportunities at IIT Kharagpur in the field of heritage and architectural conservation.
During the programme, the official logo of the Odisha State Archaeology Department was unveiled.
Among those present were Dr. Bijay Ketan Upadhyaya, Deba Prasad Dash, Dr. Devjani Bhuyan, Dr. Chandra Sekhar Hota, Prof. Gaurav Das Mahapatra, Prof. Kailash Rao, Prof. Chandi Prasad Nanda and Prof. Prasanna Kumar Swain.
