Website launched to conserve heritage

The Academy of Archaeology and Sciences of Ancient India (AASAI) has launched a
unique web portal with the aim to preserve ancient heritage here.

The portal, http://www.conserveheritage.org/, launched by Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala on Sunday, also offers a new online course on ancient Tamil Epigraphy.

AASAI is the educational wing of REACH Foundation, a non-governmental organisation founded by noted archaeologist T Sathyamurthy.

Mr Sathyamurthy said the Academy would train young people from rural areas as tourist guides, besides providing training in reading stone inscriptions and palm leaves.

Tamil Nadu had at least two temples for every village, he said, adding that the base structure of most of the temples was strong and it was only the superstructures that required maintenance.

Volunteers, including those from the IT field, helped to clean temples and uproot vegetation growing in the crevices of temple walls, he said.