Odisha Ties Up With IIT Kharagpur, SPA Bhopal for Technology-Driven Heritage Preservation

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has initiated a major collaborative effort to modernise conservation of the state’s monuments and heritage structures by signing agreements with premier academic institutions for scientific documentation and preservation of archaeological sites.

The Odisha State Archaeology Department on Friday entered into non-financial Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and School of Planning and Architecture Bhopal at Sanskruti Bhawan in Bhubaneswar.

The partnerships are aimed at integrating advanced technology, research expertise and conservation architecture into the protection and development of Odisha’s historic monuments, temples and archaeological sites.

Officials said the collaboration with IIT Kharagpur would focus on the use of modern scientific tools such as LiDAR, 3D digital documentation, structural analysis, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing and digital mapping for monitoring and conservation of heritage assets.

The institute will also support interdisciplinary research and innovation in heritage conservation practices.

Similarly, SPA Bhopal will provide expertise in heritage planning, conservation architecture, museum and exhibition design, architectural documentation, technical consultancy and training programmes for capacity building.

Odisha Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj described the initiative as a landmark step towards preserving the state’s rich cultural and architectural legacy through scientific and sustainable methods.

He said the initiative would benefit nearly 82 protected monuments under the Archaeological Survey of India and around 212 monuments managed by the Odisha State Archaeology Department.

The minister said Odisha’s temples and heritage structures have earned the state national and international recognition, making their preservation a collective responsibility.

He further stated that modern technologies would be extensively used for digital documentation, structural safety assessment and long-term preservation of heritage sites across Odisha.

In another important development, officials announced that ten students from Odisha would be provided internship opportunities at IIT Kharagpur under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in the field of heritage and architectural conservation.

The programme also witnessed the unveiling of the official logo of the Odisha State Archaeology Department.

Among those present were Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department Secretary Bijay Ketan Upadhyaya, Special Secretary Deba Prasad Dash, Deputy Director Devjani Bhuyan, Odisha Sahitya Akademi Secretary Chandra Sekhar Hota, IIT Kharagpur professor Gaurav Das Mahapatra, SPA Bhopal Director Kailash Rao, Utkal University Vice-Chancellor Chandi Prasad Nanda and Culture University Vice-Chancellor Prasanna Kumar Swain.