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India helping SE Asian countries to repair, restore archaeological sites

By R Dutta Choudhury

GUWAHATI, Oct 7 - As improving relations with the South East Asian countries hold the key to the success of the Act East Policy, the Government of India has started providing assistance, both financial and technical, to the neighbours to repair and restore archaeological sites. As part of the initiatives, experts of the neighbouring countries are also trained up in India. Highly placed sources in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) told The Assam Tribune that Government of India has been extending help to various countries, including Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, etc., to repair and restore heritage sites. Experts from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have been pressed into service for the purpose, while India is also providing funds for it.

Sources said that a number of pagodas and stupas in Myanmar are being repaired under the project. Sources pointed out that India has deep cultural ties with South East Asian countries and from time to time it carries out restoration work at temples overseas. Several other overseas restoration and conservation works, including Angkor in Cambodia, Cham Monuments in Vietnam, Thiruketee-Swaram Temple in Sri Lanka, Wat Phou Temple Complex in Laos, and Pashupatinath Temple in Nepal among others had been taken up by the ASI.

Giving details of the projects in Myanmar, sources said that after a brief disruption due to the coronavirus pandemic followed by suspension of work owing to extreme weather conditions, the Government of India has restarted the restoration and conservation work of pagodas and stupas in Myanmar that suffered damages due to a severe earthquake four years back.

Located in the ancient city of Bagan, which is a UNESCO World Heritage City, the ASI has taken up the renovation of 12 pagodas in the first phase. While the project had commenced in January 2020, it had to be suspended after the coronavirus pandemic hit the world earlier this year. The project is being fully funded by the Ministry of External Affairs under its diplomatic outreach initiative.

Sources said that dozens of ancient structures dotting the plains of Bagan had suffered damages after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar in August 2016. There are over 2,200 pagodas, temples, monasteries and other historical structures built between 11th and 13th centuries in the spectacular plains of Bagan.

Sources revealed that during the visit of�Myanmar President Htin Kyaw to the country, India had agreed to offer technical and financial help for the conservation and restoration of the damaged structures and paintings at the site.

�A memorandum of understanding was subsequently signed between India and Myanmar for the conservation of earthquake-damaged pagodas in Bagan in May 2018. The ASI identified 12 pagodas to be renovated in the first phase for Rs 21 crore, which was funded by MEA,� sources said.

Due to extreme weather conditions, it becomes difficult for conservation experts and workers to carry out any restoration work in Bagan for a period of four months between June and September every year as greater variation in relative humidity affects masonry elements. That is why the effective working season in the area is from October to May.

Meanwhile, the ASI had also taken up the conservation work of historical Ananda Temple, a prominent Buddhist pilgrimage centre and a masterpiece of Mon architecture built in the 12th century. While the structure had suffered damages in an earthquake in 1975, the restoration work was started in May 2012.

The conservation and restoration of the Ananda Temple was completed in 2018 for a cost of Rs 11.54 crore. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also visited the temple and offered prayers at this historic temple during his trip to Myanmar in 2017.

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