Ashwanth Vidhya, Mumbai Uncensored, 18th June 2021:
In the 224-page order from the Madras High Court bench comprising of Justices R Mahadevan and PD Audikesavalu, guidelines for protection of monuments and temples in order to conserve Tamil Nadu’s cultural heritage have been issued for the direction of the state government. These guidelines have been issued after they noted and chided the failure of the State Government through its Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (HR&CE) in protecting those of high national value and is held in high account by the international community through their acceptance of the legends associated with it.
The order emphasised the need for the younger generation to know about their rich cultural heritage , that the roots of discoveries and developments made through science were through the “spiritual sphere” and the importance of preserving the “historical imprint for future generations”.
“The intelligence, knowledge and skill of the people of this land have been far superior and precocious even in fields that science is yet to find answer.In proof, not only have the primogenitors of this land left behind theories beyond human comprehension, but also astonishing and illuminating monuments and scriptures. The object of such creation was not just a personal achievement, but a conscious effort to leave a historical imprint for future generations”, the bench added.
The order authored by Justice R Mahadevan starts with quotes from Albert Camus and Victor Hugo about culture and devotes a significant portion to describe the grand cultural legacy of Tamil Nadu. “Tamil Nadu’s ancient culture is one of the most glorious ones to have existed in the world’s history, dating back more than 2,000 years. Its immortal creations of resplendent architecture, design and construction of forts to temples, murals to paintings, sculptures to scriptures, made of lime mortar to clay bricks, from stones to rocks, from herbs to fruits in an era of might is right, have stood bent on to unite this glorious land.
Tamil Nadu is famous all over the world for its magnificent and ancient temples. The monuments here are the remembrances of the living witnesses about the golden historic era of over a thousand years. They exemplify the valor of this land and are the symbols of cultural expressions. More particularly, the temples, many of which are more than 2000 years old, are repositories of knowledge and treasure houses of arts & architecture. They are continuing legacy, which connect the present with the past and vice versa and are living symbols of unique culture; and the festivities connected there to make them vibrant and colorful. Our people are also deep rooted in heritage”,
“The entire state is strewn with great examples of ancient Tamil architecture that goes as far back as two thousand years. Apart from the temples, the state is also home to several historical forts and other modern architectural marvels from its medieval heritage to colonial history. It comprises of the oldest inhabitants of the world, as it is the motherland to the world’s oldest language, Tamil, in usage. The state has remained a cultural hub for various activities like debates, art, innovations, architecture, music and commerce from time immemorial. The culture, tradition and practices were connected with religious beliefs. The record of valorous and historical events, found in many places like temples and forts, monuments and heritage sites, exemplify the indomitable claim towards the ancientness of the language, belief, tradition and culture of the people”, the judgment said.
The order has been issued according to ‘parens patriae’ which lets the court behave like a parent. The state government has been instructed to form a new commission on heritage comprising 17 members. Any structure or item falling under either Central or a State Act will not be altered or repaired without the approval from the Commission. The Commission also has the role of identifying and listing the monuments, temples and antiques of importance and guide the state’s hand in their maintenance and repair. The details regarding antiques must be available on the HR&CE website. They also ordered the Central Government to declare all structures older than 100 years as national monuments as per the Ancient Monuments Act.
