SIVASAGAR, Nov 20 - Keshab Mahanta, Minister of Water Resource, Science & Technology and Cultural Affairs today inaugurated a national seminar on heritage preservation on the occasion of �World Heritage Week 2019� beginning today at the Yuva Dal Auditorium.
Mahanta, Sivasagar DC, Dr MS Lakshmipriya, Lakhikanta Mahanata, Dr Nizzamuddin Tahir, former Director, Archeological Survey of India, Jiten Borpatragohain together lit the ceremonial lamp to kickstart the seminar. Mahanta in his speech said that the State government has earmarked Rs 450 crore for Archaeology, Tourism and Heritage development in the districts of Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Charaideo and Tinsukia. Each district will get Rs 100 crore and Rs 50 crore will be under the Chief Minister�s discretion, he added. Further, under Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, the Centre may grant additional amounts for heritage development in Assam.
Mahanta said that the efforts to develop the Charaideo Moidam sites in line with the mandatory documentations and regulations of World Heritgae Site tag are on. Dr MS Lakshmipriya welcomed the scholars and guests and hoped that the outcome of the discussions would help �Soulful Sivasagar� to take to its wings and usher in a new era of tourism in the district. The function began with a Sanskrit recital by noted vocalist Pronoti Baruah.
Dr Nizzamuddin Tahir, speaking on �Preventive Conservation and Minimum Interventions : Case Studies� said that we cannot capture time but we can at least document monuments that showcase the people�s struggles with the passage of time. He further said that the Archaeological Survey of India must stick to the basics of Indian tradition rather than following the west in the art of preservation of monuments.
Arshe Ali, a young Egyptologist, impressed the gathering with a comparative demonstration of Ahom maidam archaeology with Egyptian, Greek, Brunaian, Chinese, Japanese and Thai culture of maidam-making tradition over the last two millennium. Jahnovi Gogoi Nath of Dibrugarh University delivered her paper on the �Paik System and the Role of Wet Rice Economy in Ahom State Formation.� Sikhamoni Konwar, Professor, KHS College, spoke on �The Maidams of Charaideo: An Overview�.
Jiten Borpatragohain delivered a speech on the �Historical Significance of Charaideo� while Dr Mamoni Gogoi Dhar of Gargaon College spoke on �Maidams of the Ahom Period and some aspects of their administration.� Dr Manzil Hazarika of Cotton College read out his paper on �The Growing list of World Heritage Sites: Prospects of the North East�. Dr Neel Kamal Sing of Bodoland University spoke on �Early Brick Structures of the Brahmaputra Valley: Dimensions and Dynamics.�
