Ever since the country went into lockdown due to COVID-19, the sound and light shows at heritage monuments have remained suspended. Now they seem to be back with a bang. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has announced musical shows in 12 new places in India.
Of the heritage sites which have sound and light shows, the memorable ones include the Golconda Fort in Telangana, Chittorgarh Fort in Rajasthan and Purana Qila in Delhi. Among the 12 new locations approved by the Ministry of Culture, worthwhile mentions are the Leh Palace in Ladakh, Shore Temple in Tamil Nadu and Raigad Fort in Maharashtra.
The new events will take place every week to attract more tourists. Reports indicate these can be held in ticketed monuments only which account for about 143 sites out of the total 3,691 monuments managed by the ASI.
The proposal for this initiative includes amenities such as food kiosks for encouraging the tourists. Currently the search is going on for a private company to arrange the events along with maintaining the sites. The rich culture and heritage of India will come alive through these musical shows. The revenue generated from this initiative will go into the maintenance of the heritage sites.
Only 13 heritage sites in Delhi need an entry ticket from the visitors out of the 170 sites. This includes Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Purana Qila, Humayun&rsquos Tomb and Hauz Khas.
The Department of Archaeology under the Delhi government had similar initiatives planned for places under it as a way to promote heritage.
The ASI hopes that increasing the frequency of such events will get these the attention of people and the monuments will not be neglected.