Art Nature Architecture as National Treasures

What Constitutes Anant

The heritage buildings and sites eligible for inscriptions are cultural and natural landmarks with significant historical, cultural, natural or social values within India. These sites represent our country's rich cultural and geographical identity, showcasing its natural wonders and lifeline. They possess important historical narratives and contribute to the collective memory and heritage of the nation. They also symbolize national development, support national identity and embody diverse and multi-layered values. Such sites are often recognized for their representativeness, rarity, and exceptional or unique characteristics.

Preamble

India's cultural and natural heritage extends beyond the monuments, encompassing a wide range of sites and living traditions that reflect its historical evolution, societal values, and artistic traditions. While the AMASR Act provides legal protection to 3,696 monuments and there are additional sites protected under State Archaeology Departments, a significant portion of India’s heritage remains unrecognized and unprotected.
Cultural heritage is not only monuments and collections of objects of heritage significance but it also includes traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants such as the performing arts, social practices, rituals, festivals, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe, the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts etc. Cultural heritage lies in the wealth of knowledge and skills that is transmitted through it from one generation to the next. It is also recognized that our heritage is living and evolving in nature –changing with time, with community and with traditions.
INTACH's new initiative "ANANT" through the inscription of Heritage Sites, aims to establish a structured mechanism for identifying and recognizing sites of national importance that currently do not fall under any protection framework.
A key outcome of the programme will be the inscription of Heritage Sites of National importance. The inscribed sites shall receive a plaque and a certificate.
The Heritage Sites may be purely built or built with natural and/or intangible associations.

Key Dates

(APRIL – MAY) Call for Application
(JUNE – AUGUST) Application Submission to INTACH (Secretariat)
(SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER) Preliminary Review INTACH (Secretariat) and onward submission to Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) on basis of themes/subjects
(NOVEMBER – JANUARY) Evaluation and Recommendation by Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC)
(FEBRUARY) Final Review and Decision by the Apex Committee
(MARCH) Recognition of heritage sites of national importance
(18th APRIL) The inscribed sites shall receive a plaque and a certificate
MAXIMUM INSCRIPTION PER YEAR - 10
(regional participation and different typologies as per the criteria are encouraged)