Latest news with #AncientMonumentsandArchaeologicalSitesandRemainsAct
Time of India
3 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Researchers demand better protection and preservation of ancient Buddhist caves and petroglyphs
Navi Mumbai: Over 300 ancient history researchers from the group 'Buddhist Caves Preservation Samiti' held a day-long agitation at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on Saturday. They demanded better protection and preservation of these priceless caves, which are over 2,000 years old and have the potential to become significant tourist sites. The researchers also urged the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to fully protect all ancient rock art forms or carvings (petroglyphs), most of which are over 10,000 years old, in the Konkan belt of Ratnagiri, Raigad, and Sindhudurg districts. "This matter of protecting the ancient Buddhist caves has been brewing for the past few years, as we are witnessing a lack of maintenance and shocking encroachments around these historic caves, despite having the heritage notices of ASI displayed at the sites," said a Raigad-based researcher, Vikas Dhanave. For example, Dhanave pointed out: "In Karjat taluka, there is a cluster of caves dating back to the 2nd century BC Satvahana era (over 2,000 years old), known as Kondhane caves and Ambivali Leni caves. These are beautifully cut into a rocky hill to make space for Buddhist viharas and other work areas of that era. However, some developmental works worth Rs 1 crore have started next to Ambivali Leni, including the construction of a 'changing room', as if the visitors are going to a five-star resort. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Launch at Godrej Sector 12 | Luxurious 3 BHK + S & 4 BHK Homes @₹2.90 Cr* Godrej Majesty Learn More Undo No permission from ASI was taken for such changes." You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai The researchers also pointed out that, like the famous Karla Buddhist Caves near Lonavala, which are thankfully protected and depict intricate, artful rock cuttings, the other neglected caves along the Konkan belt and other sites must also be fully preserved. The officials of ASI Mumbai circle, who met a delegation of the agitating researchers on Saturday, assured them that all their demands would be inquired into and action taken in accordance with the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. "There was a famous 'Keru Mata Caves Temple' at Dungi village, near Panvel. Unfortunately, these 5th century AD caves cut from a single rocky monolith have been fully destroyed to make the Navi Mumbai International Airport complex. This way, we slowly lose our connection with ancient history. Perhaps these Dungi caves were used as a resting place by merchants en route to the busy Panvel market. These can be fascinating relics," said another researcher. Regarding the exemplary petroglyphs (also known as geoglyphs), which display carvings of tigers, elephants, deer, rhinos, human shapes, and even marine creatures like sharks and starfish, environmentalist B N Kumar noted: "Imagine, 10,000 to 20,000 years ago, the Konkan region had such a rich biodiversity. This is why these animal shapes have been created on laterite rocks. Today, there are practically no elephants in these parts. Our ancient Indian heritage must be protected. We do not want another highway or a chemical factory to be built over these vulnerable petroglyphs." In August last year, the Maharashtra govt announced that they are declaring certain petroglyphs in Ratnagiri district as 'protected monuments'.
Time of India
4 days ago
- General
- Time of India
ASI declares Mizoram's menhirs ‘monument of nat'l importance'
Aizawl: Ancient carved memorial stones, also known as menhirs, found in Lianpui village in east Mizoram's Champhai district, have been officially declared a 'monument of national importance' by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), officials said on Friday. Lianpui village near the Myanmar border is home to the memorial stones, locally known as Lungphun Ropui. The village is situated 54km southeast of Champhai town near the India-Myanmar border . This is the second megalith site in Mizoram to receive national recognition after 'Kawtchhuah Ropui' or Great Entranceway in Vangchhia village, which hosts over 170 engraved menhirs and is located around 20km south of Lianpui village, they said. The formal notification declaring the Lianpui menhirs as a monument of national importance was issued by the ministry of culture on July 14, following years of research and inspection, they said. These antiquarian artefacts include 114 intricately carved memorial stones, anthropic holes, petroglyphs, Y-shaped wooden posts and ancient pathways. The upright memorial stones at Lianpui bear detailed carvings of human figures, birds, animals, mithun heads, gongs, lizards, and other cultural motifs reflecting the cultural practices of the Mizos before the advent of Christianity, officials said. The largest of such memorial stones measures 1.87 metres in height and 1.37 metres in width. Lianpui village was named after Lusei chief Lianpuia, who reportedly established the village in the 18th century CE. Mizoram's lone Rajya Sabha member K Vanlalvena had informed the Parliament in March that the ASI, after a thorough inspection by experts, had found Lianpui village to possess significant archaeological heritage worthy of national importance. According to officials, the process of declaring the site of national importance began in Feb 2021 with the publication of a preliminary notification in the Gazette of India, marking the commencement of a statutory procedure required under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, for declaring protected monuments. Meanwhile, residents of Lianpui village expressed happiness and thanked the art and culture minister C Lalsawivunga and K Vanlalvena for their efforts towards receiving the ASI's tag. PTI
The Hindu
4 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
ASI declares Mizoram's Lianpui menhirs monument of national importance
Ancient carved memorial stones, also known as menhirs, found at a village in east Mizoram's Champhai district, have been officially declared a 'monument of national importance' by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), officials said on Friday (July 18, 2025). Lianpui village near the Myanmar border is home to the memorial stones, locally known as Lungphun Ropui. The village is situated 54 km southeast of Champhai town near the India-Myanmar border, and it is famous for its rich repository of ancient artefacts. This is the second megalith site in Mizoram to receive national recognition after 'Kawtchhuah Ropui' or Great Entranceway in Vangchhia village, which hosts over 170 engraved menhirs and is located about 20 km south of Lianpui village, they said. The formal notification declaring the Lianpui menhirs as a monument of national importance was issued by the Ministry of Culture on July 14, following years of research and inspection, they said. These antiquarian artefacts include 114 intricately carved memorial stones, anthropic holes, petroglyphs, Y-shaped wooden posts and ancient pathways. Also read: Decoding Vangchhia's ancient art of holding water in rock amid Mizoram's hills The upright memorial stones at Lianpui bear detailed carvings of human figures, birds, animals, mithun heads, gongs, lizards, and other cultural motifs reflecting the cultural practices of the Mizos before the advent of Christianity, according to officials. The largest of such memorial stones measures 1.87 metres in height and 1.37 metres in width, they said. These menhirs are arranged into eight alignments, with four oriented north-south and the other four east-west, they said. Lianpui village was named after Lusei chief Lianpuia, who reportedly established the village in the 18th century CE. Mizoram's lone Rajya Sabha member, K. Vanlalvena, had informed the Parliament in March that the ASI, after a thorough inspection by experts, had found Lianpui village to possess significant archaeological heritage worthy of national importance. According to officials, the process of declaring the site of national importance began in February 2021 with the publication of a preliminary notification in the Gazette of India, marking the commencement of a statutory procedure required under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, for declaring protected monuments. On July 7 this year, ASI Director (Monuments) A.M.V. Subramanyam visited Lianpui village and confirmed that final steps were underway to declare the megalith site of national importance. With no objections filed, the Centre finalised the notification declaring Lungphun Ropui a monument of national importance and brought the site under national protection. Meanwhile, residents of Lianpui village expressed happiness and thanked the Art and Culture minister C Lalsawivunga and K. Vanlalvena for their efforts towards receiving the ASI's tag. Art and culture department director Carol VLMS Dawngkimi also expressed happiness due to the national recognition and dedicated the achievement to the hard work of many individuals, particularly former convener of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Mizoram chapter P. Rohmingthanga.
News18
4 days ago
- General
- News18
ASI declares Mizorams Lianpui menhirs monument of national importance
Aizawl, Jul 18 (PTI) Ancient carved memorial stones, also known as menhirs, found at a village in east Mizoram's Champhai district, have been officially declared a 'monument of national importance' by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), officials said on Friday. Lianpui village near the Myanmar border is home to the memorial stones, locally known as Lungphun Ropui. The village is situated 54 km southeast of Champhai town near the India-Myanmar border, and it is famous for its rich repository of ancient artefacts. This is the second megalith site in Mizoram to receive national recognition after 'Kawtchhuah Ropui' or Great Entranceway in Vangchhia village, which hosts over 170 engraved menhirs and is located about 20 km south of Lianpui village, they said. The formal notification declaring the Lianpui menhirs as a monument of national importance was issued by the Ministry of Culture on July 14, following years of research and inspection, they said. These antiquarian artefacts include 114 intricately carved memorial stones, anthropic holes, petroglyphs, Y-shaped wooden posts and ancient pathways. The upright memorial stones at Lianpui bear detailed carvings of human figures, birds, animals, mithun heads, gongs, lizards, and other cultural motifs reflecting the cultural practices of the Mizos before the advent of Christianity, according to officials. The largest of such memorial stones measures 1.87 metres in height and 1.37 metres in width, they said. Lianpui village was named after Lusei chief Lianpuia, who reportedly established the village in the 18th century CE. Mizoram's lone Rajya Sabha member K Vanlalvena, had informed the Parliament in March that the ASI, after a thorough inspection by experts, had found Lianpui village to possess significant archaeological heritage worthy of national importance. According to officials, the process of declaring the site of national importance began in February 2021 with the publication of a preliminary notification in the Gazette of India, marking the commencement of a statutory procedure required under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, for declaring protected monuments. On July 7 this year, ASI Director (Monuments) A.M.V. Subramanyam visited Lianpui village and confirmed that final steps were underway to declare the megalith site of national importance. With no objections filed, the Centre finalised the notification declaring Lungphun Ropui a monument of national importance and brought the site under national protection. Meanwhile, residents of Lianpui village expressed happiness and thanked the Art and Culture minister C Lalsawivunga and K Vanlalvena for their efforts towards receiving the ASI's tag. Art and culture department director Carol VLMS Dawngkimi also expressed happiness due to the national recognition and dedicated the achievement to the hard work of many individuals, particularly former convener of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritagem (INTACH) Mizoram chapter P Rohmingthanga. PTI CORR SBN SBN view comments First Published: July 18, 2025, 16:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
ASI declares Mizoram's Lianpui menhirs monument of national importance
Aizawl, Ancient carved memorial stones, also known as menhirs, found at a village in east Mizoram's Champhai district, have been officially declared a 'monument of national importance' by the Archaeological Survey of India , officials said on Friday. ASI declares Mizoram's Lianpui menhirs monument of national importance Lianpui village near the Myanmar border is home to the memorial stones, locally known as Lungphun Ropui. The village is situated 54 km southeast of Champhai town near the India-Myanmar border, and it is famous for its rich repository of ancient artefacts. This is the second megalith site in Mizoram to receive national recognition after 'Kawtchhuah Ropui' or Great Entranceway in Vangchhia village, which hosts over 170 engraved menhirs and is located about 20 km south of Lianpui village, they said. The formal notification declaring the Lianpui menhirs as a monument of national importance was issued by the Ministry of Culture on July 14, following years of research and inspection, they said. These antiquarian artefacts include 114 intricately carved memorial stones, anthropic holes, petroglyphs, Y-shaped wooden posts and ancient pathways. The upright memorial stones at Lianpui bear detailed carvings of human figures, birds, animals, mithun heads, gongs, lizards, and other cultural motifs reflecting the cultural practices of the Mizos before the advent of Christianity, according to officials. The largest of such memorial stones measures 1.87 metres in height and 1.37 metres in width, they said. These menhirs are arranged into eight alignments, with four oriented north-south and the other four east-west, they said. Lianpui village was named after Lusei chief Lianpuia, who reportedly established the village in the 18th century CE. Mizoram's lone Rajya Sabha member K Vanlalvena, had informed the Parliament in March that the ASI, after a thorough inspection by experts, had found Lianpui village to possess significant archaeological heritage worthy of national importance. According to officials, the process of declaring the site of national importance began in February 2021 with the publication of a preliminary notification in the Gazette of India, marking the commencement of a statutory procedure required under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, for declaring protected monuments. On July 7 this year, ASI Director A.M.V. Subramanyam visited Lianpui village and confirmed that final steps were underway to declare the megalith site of national importance. With no objections filed, the Centre finalised the notification declaring Lungphun Ropui a monument of national importance and brought the site under national protection. Meanwhile, residents of Lianpui village expressed happiness and thanked the Art and Culture minister C Lalsawivunga and K Vanlalvena for their efforts towards receiving the ASI's tag. Art and culture department director Carol VLMS Dawngkimi also expressed happiness due to the national recognition and dedicated the achievement to the hard work of many individuals, particularly former convener of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritagem Mizoram chapter P Rohmingthanga. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
