ASI Chennai to be divided with the second headquarters in Trichy
Posted on: 17/Dec/2019 9:59:10 AM
The state of TN is famous for its 411 monuments plus many heritage sites and these have been maintained well.
The latest news is the maintenance of monuments in archaeologically rich TN would get better as ASI or Archaeological Survey of India, Chennai Circle, would be divided with Trichy the second headquarters. It is known that ASI Chennai circle is the largest in entire India. The point is the division of Chennai Circle would ensure staffs and additional funds for the new circle.
In more than 60 years, ASI Chennai Circle has now sent a proposal to the headquarters in New Delhi. This was after the TN government made a representation to the union culture ministry. It is noteworthy to mention that Cauvery basin would be taken as a border and 15 districts present north of the river would continue with Chennai Circle and 22 districts would be part of the new circle that would include Kanyakumari, Tenkasi and Tirunelveli districts, presently part of Thrissur in Kerala.
There would be as many as 129 monuments in Chennai Circle and Trichy circle would have 122 monuments under its control. The proposal has been under the consideration and a final decision has been pending. This was as per the director of administration with ASI at New Delhi, Mr Kaladharan.
For the sake of annual maintenance, the Chennai Circle received just around Rs 5 crores and due to this several monuments have been affected. This was according to some sources. It is now revealed that the issue of funds would not be there once when the new circle comes to existence.
It was later brought out by Mr C. Santhalingam, the secretary of Madurai based Pandya Nadu Centre for Historical Research, that the focus on the Chennai Circle was mostly confined to UNESCO tagged monuments in Mamallapuram and Thanjavur. The superb information is more excavations and explorations would be there in south TN. He explained about how the maintenance of the monuments would be improved and how a superintendent archaeologist would be in-charge of Trichy. To take care of the monuments, an office with adequate staffs would be set up.
