Why List ?

We are losing our built heritage at an alarming rate particularly in the smaller towns and rural areas. We do not have a comprehensive national heritage list that covers the entire country. Our built heritage is a non- renewable resource and we need to list and document it in its entirety, not just our monuments, if we hope to conserve it.

Listing is the first step to protecting our heritage
What is a heritage building?Though the term ‘heritage’ covers ‘monuments’, in India as both the words are covered under different Acts, the following definitions apply.

Monuments: Monuments are buildings/sites which are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) or Departments of Archaeology of the respective states. Monuments cannot be lived in and there are strict regulations for control of development around monuments. Lists of these monuments can be found on the website of ASI or the State Archaeological Departments. These monuments are protected by the Ministry / Department of Culture.

Heritage Buildings & Sites: Heritage buildings and sites can be lived in and reused, they are part of State Lists or city / town lists. Very few states / towns have heritage lists. These are protected by the local authorities under the Town Planning Acts.

Natural heritage: Natural heritage is heritage of natural value such as geological and physiographical formations and delineated areas that constitute the habitat of threatened species of animals and plants and natural sites of value from the point of view of science, conservation of natural beauty. It includes lakes, rivers, natural reserves, botanical gardens.
For the purpose of our website, monuments are included as heritage structures and sites