INTACH and Sri Sri University Join Hands to Promote Heritage Conservation and Education

Bhubaneswar: In a major step towards promoting cultural preservation and heritage awareness among students, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sri Sri University (SSU) to establish a Heritage Club on the university campus. The initiative aims to strengthen academic collaboration, foster research in heritage studies, and encourage youth participation in conservation efforts.

The MoU was signed by Dr. Biswajit Mohanty, State Convener of INTACH, and Rajita Kulkarni, President of Sri Sri University, in the presence of Registrar Dr. Anil Sharma, Dean Prof. Anisa Azharunnisa, and Dean Rupal Shah. Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor Dr. Tej Pratap said that the partnership would enable both institutions to jointly organize training programmes on cultural education, heritage conservation, and tourism, and facilitate field visits, conservation training, photography, and content creation for students.

Highlighting the significance of the collaboration, Dr. Mohanty noted that INTACH has been declared a Centre of Excellence by the Government of India and currently operates 12 chapters in Odisha with more than 700 heritage enthusiasts as members. He emphasized INTACH’s three-decade-long contribution to conserving the state’s heritage monuments and promoting awareness about Odisha’s rich cultural legacy.

Anil Dhir, Convener of INTACH’s Bhubaneswar Chapter, drew attention to the alarming state of heritage protection in Odisha. “The State Archaeology Department maintains only 221 monuments, while the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protects 78, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Konark. That makes just about 300 officially protected monuments in total,” he said. Dhir added that INTACH has already listed and documented more than 6,500 heritage monuments across 19 districts, and ongoing surveys could push the number beyond 12,500, making Odisha one of India’s richest states in terms of built heritage.

The MoU with Sri Sri University, he said, will further strengthen these documentation efforts and engage students directly in field-level heritage mapping and research. The partnership marks a step forward in bridging academia and heritage conservation, ensuring that the next generation becomes active custodians of Odisha’s cultural identity.