New Delhi: A total of 24 historical monuments across India are untraceable at the moment, a majority of which are in Uttar Pradesh, the Ministry of Culture has said. In a report submitted before the Parliament last month, the ministry had defined untraceable monuments as those which could not be traced on ground for a considerable time due to multiple factors, despite efforts by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI)'s field officers.
It further said that 14 monuments were affected due to rapid modernisation, while 12 more were submerged under reservoirs and dams. Ministry officials noted that the untraceable moments were protected monuments under the ASI, whose exact location and condition could not be determined due to various factors such as urbanization, non-availability of proper details about their location in gazette notification, difficulties in tracing remote locations, and dense forests.
Also read: Taj Mahal: Govt mulls night tourism at marble monument
The officials from the Ministry of Culture also briefed a Parliamentary Committee about the present situation involving the historical monuments. The ministry, on the other hand, noted that the chances of tracing such monuments with the help of scientific tools and archival records could not be ruled out.
"Field exploration and periodic surveys are being conducted from time to time by the field offices of ASI and with the help of old revenue records, revenue maps, and published reports, these monuments may also be traced out," the ministry said.
Some of the monuments/sites in question are:
Guns of Emperor Sher Shah, Sadia, Tinsukia (Assam), The Ruins of Copper Temple, Paya, Lohit (Arunachal Pradesh), Kos Minar, Mujesar, Faridabad and Kos Minar, Shahabad, Kurukshetra (Haryana), Kutumbari Temple, Dwarahat, Almora (Uttarakhand), Bara Khamba Cemetery and Inchla Wali Gumti at Mubarakpur Kotla (Delhi), Rock Inscription, Satna (Madhya Pradesh), Old European Tomb, Pune and One Buruj, Agarkot (Maharashtra), Inscription in Fort, Nagar, Tonk and 12th century Temple, Baran (Rajasthan), Ruins of Fort. Bamanpukur, Nadia (West Bengal).
11 of these ruins are situated in Uttar Pradesh, marking the highest singular count among all Indian states. Untraceable monuments in the state are listed as follows: Ruins of three small linga temple circle 1000 A.D, Ahugi, Mirzapur; Three sites with megaliths on the western and northeastern toes of the hill, Chandauli; Tablet on treasury building, Varanasi; Telia nala Buddhist ruins, Varanasi; A Banyan grove containing traces of ancient building, Amavey, Ballia; Closed Cemetery, Katra Naka, Banda; Gunner Burkill's Tomb, Mehroni, Lalitpur; Three tomb, Lucknow Faizabad Road, Lucknow; Cemeteries at miles 6 and 7, Jahraila Road, Lucknow; Cemetery at Gaughat, Lucknow; Large ruined site called Sandi Khera, Pali, Shahabad, Hardoi.
There are 3,693 centrally protected monuments and 4,508 state-protected monuments in the country, the ministry informed.
