Protection Conservation and Preservation Of Indian Monuments
Author: Nagar, Shanti Lal
Year: 1993 ISBN: 8173050147
Publisher: Aryan Books International, New Delhi, India
India has the pride possession of the cultural heritage in the form of temples, stupas, monoliths, monasteries, etc., some of which are over two thousand years old. These monumental edifices of the past are scattered all round the country in different and sometimes extreme climatic conditions. Being vestiges of the past they have to be protected as per the laws of protection in vogue in the country and have to be well kept and preserved to be handed down to the posterity in the reasonably well preserved conditions.
The book by S. L. Nagar is a work during his service at Archaeological Survey of India. The entire process of work of protection, conservation and preservation required detailed examination of each and every movement taken into consideration the material used in the initial construction work. The work while tracing the genesis and evolution of the idea of structural conservation and chemical preservation in different Silp texts, also deals with the fundamentals of such works which includes, retaining the original character of the building while carrying out the repairs and renovation etc. The environmental development of the of the cultural heritage has been of considerable importance, particularly in view of the urbanization of even the remote localities in which such edifices are located. An attempt has therefore been made to deal with the subject with its historical perspective. The genesis and evolution of the antiquarian laws in the country in vogue since the advent of British Rule with their historical background have also been highlighted in sufficient details, which would make the work quite interesting and useful for all concerned.
About the Author
Shantilal Nagar had served in the curatorial capacity in the Central Asian Antiquities Muesum, New Delhi, the Nalanda Museum and Archaeological Section of the Indian Museum, Calcutta. He has to his credit scientific documentation of over fifty thousand antiquities comprising sculptures, bronzes, terracotas, beads, seals and sealings, wood work, paintings, textiles and Pearce collection of Gems, ranging from the earliest times to the late medieval periods.