French archaeologists look for new heritage sites in India

Gwalior, Mar 4 : French archaeologists along with their Indian counterparts are looking for heritage sites in Madhya Pradesh that could be included in the UNESCO's heritage list.

Presently, the team is in Gwalior to identify heritage sites that are nearly 80 years old or more.

"Our motto is to identify buildings in cities in which only monuments have been documented. We came here to survey and analyse the heritage buildings which are a part of the selected monuments", said Professor Surg Sentele, Dean of Architecture, Paris.

"We are not surveying and documenting monuments which are very well known like the Fort in Gwalior. But, we are documenting houses, temples and ordinary buildings which create the urban fabric of the cities," Professor Sentele added.

The team is of the view that there are so many houses and monuments that could be saved and even proper procedure needs to be followed to safeguard them.

According to them, Gwalior itself is so rich in heritage that it deserves a place in the world heritage map.

India has always been the most sought after destination for excavations of historical sites while the less known urban structures have suffered due to people's ignorance.

"We have plans of generating awareness and for that we are planning to conduct the heritage walk, so that the youngsters could value such heritage," said Savita Raje, President of Living Heritage Alliance, Bhopal.

ANI