ASI to spotlight lesser known heritage this Independence Day

Aurangabad Circle encourages public participation at 75 lesser-known sites

Rafique Aziz

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Responding to the clarion call from its headquarters to promote lesser-known monuments, the Aurangabad Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will celebrate this Independence Day by encouraging local communities to participate in the ''''Har Ghar Tiranga'''' campaign. Between August 2 and 15, villagers, including senior citizens and respected individuals, will be encouraged, through mediation by ASI staff, to take selfies holding the tricolour in front of lesser-known monuments in their vicinity. These photos are to be uploaded on the official website harghartiranga.com.

Superintending archaeologist of the Aurangabad Circle, Dr Shiv Kumar Bhagat, said, “There are 75 monuments under our jurisdiction, spread across Marathwada, Ahmednagar, and Nashik districts. Of these, five are ticketed monuments—Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Daulatabad Fort, Bibi ka Maqbara, and Aurangabad Caves—all located in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, while Pandav Leni Caves is the sole ticketed monument in Nashik. The officials have been instructed to reach out to villagers through ASI staff deployed at each lesser-known monument. Villagers, especially senior citizens and respected social leaders, will be encouraged to visit the monument in their neighbourhood with a tricolour flag (of any size), take a selfie or group photo with the monument in the background, and upload it to the official website.”

An ASI official added, “All monuments, regardless of their popularity, are equal in the eyes of the ASI. The classification of ‘lesser-known’ simply refers to monuments other than the ticketed ones, which are often unknown to the general public. This tricolour initiative is part of the nationwide ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign launched by the Government of India to mark Independence Day.” Dr Bhagat also appealed to citizens, saying, “Please ensure that the national flag is not made of plastic. This will help us keep our monuments free from plastic pollution.”