Over 1,000 temples declared as protected monuments under ASI: Government

NEW DELHI: Over thousand temples have been declared as protected monuments under the Archaeological Survey of India, the government informed Parliament today.

In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma said that a total of 1,076 temples have been declared as protected by the ASI.

"There are 506 monuments and sites including 242 temples declared as protected in Karnataka under the ASI," he said.

"The monuments including temples are in a good state of preservation.

"The conservation work of ancient monuments including temples is attended as per established guidelines, conservation norms, conservation charters, maintaining the original character of the site as well as retaining its authenticity and integrity and heritage values associated with the particular site," Sharma said.

An ancient monument which is declared to be of national importance by or under Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Declaration of National Importance) Act, 1951, or by section 126 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 is called a protected monument.

A total of 3,686 historical monuments and archaeological sites have been declared protected by the ASI.