TEMPO.CO, New Delhi - The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), one of the world’s oldest cultural preservation institutions, has highlighted its expanding role in heritage conservation both within and beyond India’s borders. During a briefing with visiting journalists from Southeast Asia, on Friday, September 26, 2025, Director General (DG) of ASI, Yadubir Singh Rawat, outlined how the organization’s international projects have strengthened not only cultural ties but also India’s soft diplomacy through heritage-led cooperation.
Established in 1861, the DG explained that ASI operates under India’s Ministry of Culture and is responsible for the protection, maintenance, and restoration of the country’s vast historical and archaeological wealth. He continued to add that the ministry oversees 53 cultural organizations, including museums, libraries, art galleries, and heritage bodies, with ASI serving as the key agency for implementing national heritage laws and coordinating with UNESCO.
“We are engaged in the exploration and excavation of historical, prehistoric, and medieval sites, while also maintaining and conserving monuments of national importance,” the DG said. “We regulate excavations, oversee the protection of antiquities, and act as the nodal agency for India’s heritage matters at UNESCO.”
Rawat added that ASI currently manages 3,685 monuments, 52 site museums, and six excavation branches across India. The agency also regulates illicit trafficking of antiquities with the help of customs, police, and international cooperation. “In the last ten years, we have retrieved around 655 antiquities from the United States, Britain, Australia, and other countries,” the DG noted, emphasizing India’s ongoing efforts to safeguard its cultural heritage abroad.
Highlighting India’s commitment to heritage education, Rawat mentioned that the country’s Institute of Archaeology trains archaeologists from across Southeast Asia and offers specialized diploma programs. He added that ASI also conducts underwater archaeology and has undertaken research on submerged settlements and port towns, expanding the understanding of India’s ancient maritime networks.
ASI’s International Conservation Projects
Adding to the discussion, Dr. Janhwij Sharma, Additional Director General of ASI, elaborated on the organization’s international conservation projects. “All our conservation works abroad are undertaken at the behest of the Ministry of External Affairs,” he said. “These projects contribute to what we call archaeology-led soft diplomacy.”
Sharma explained that ASI currently has ongoing projects in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, and the Maldives, while new works are being planned in Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and Indonesia.
“In Cambodia, we are conserving the Ta Prohm and Preah Vihear temples; in Laos, the Wat Phu temple complex; in Vietnam, the My Son group of temples; and in Myanmar, the Bagan pagodas,” Sharma said. “Our approach is guided by UNESCO’s conservation principles — minimal intervention, maximum authenticity, and respect for original fabric.”
He described India’s conservation methodology as evidence-based and multidisciplinary. “We collaborate with institutions like the Forest Research Institute and IIT Chennai for structural and environmental studies,” he said. “At Ta Prohm in Cambodia, for example, we had to preserve massive 30-meter trees growing through ancient walls. Rather than removing them, we devised structural solutions that allowed both the trees and the temples to coexist — a unique conservation challenge.”
The ASI’s commitment to documentation is extensive, with some projects involving up to 12,000 detailed drawings and technical records for a single monument. Sharma added that local archaeologists and technical experts are always involved in projects as part of a capacity-building and knowledge transfer process. “Each project is not just about preservation; it’s about sharing expertise,” he said.
Beyond field conservation, ASI plays a vital role in World Heritage governance. India currently has 44 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the largest number in Asia-Pacific after China. “We are active members of the World Heritage Committee and continue to submit nomination proposals each year,” Sharma said. “Recently, 12 forts of Maharashtra were inscribed, and Sarnath — one of the most important Buddhist sites — is currently under evaluation.”
He also introduced Project Mausam, a flagship ASI initiative launched in 2014 during the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee in Doha, Qatar. The project seeks to revive ancient maritime cultural and trade linkages across the Indian Ocean region, connecting 39 countries from East Africa to Southeast Asia. “Project Mausam looks at our shared heritage through the lens of oceanic routes — an area that has rarely been explored,” Sharma said. “We are planning an international workshop in early 2026 to bring together experts from Southeast Asia and beyond to study the role of islands in the propagation of culture and trade.”
Indonesia’s Prambanan Temple Conservation Plan
Nearing the end of the discussion, Tempo asked about ASI’s conservation plan on the Prambanan Temple compounds, which are located on the border between the two provinces of Yogyakarta and Central Java on the Java Island of Indonesia.
ASI revealed that the institution plans to send a team to Indonesia in the future to assess the difficulty scale and observe the location, allowing ASI to gain a clear understanding of their intended actions there.
ASI also discussed the likelihood of completing the work on the Prambanan Temple compounds in multiple phases. Each phase has a 10-year period, so if ten years have passed and the 240 temples in the compounds haven’t been completed yet, then there is a probability that ASI will continue the conservation in the next phase.
Sharma concluded the meeting by underscoring that India’s conservation work abroad reflects the country’s broader diplomatic vision — one rooted in shared heritage, mutual respect, and cultural collaboration. As Sharma summarized, “Each monument we conserve is not just a structure — it’s a bridge between civilizations, a testament to how history can connect nations.”
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