Mumbai: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Mumbai Circle, on Tuesday celebrated World Heritage Day at the Elephanta Caves with a slew of events.
With a view to create awareness about the state’s rich heritage, the ASI organised a photo exhibition showcasing changes in the caves from the day of their discovery. It had invited students of St Xavier’s College, Patkar College and Konkan Gyanpeeth College of Uran to sensitise them about heritage related issues. The stress was on protecting and conserving heritage structures. The theme was ‘Preserve our monuments, for our future’.
We should feel proud that we live in Mumbai
Prof Kurush Dalal of the history department of St. Xavier’s College delivered a talk on ‘Mumbai and its environs in the early medieval era 8th-15th AD’. “We should feel proud that we live in Mumbai. It’s the only city that has so many monuments, but we forget to notice them in our busy lives. We should not depend on our government to preserve them. We should also take some steps so that we can showcase them to our future generations,” Prof Dalal said.
Prof Anita Rane-Kothare delivered a lecture on ‘Art history and culture of Elephanta Caves’ and encouraged the audience to buy stuff from stalls near the caves as it’s the native people’s only source of income. “Tourism is the main source of income for these villagers and they do not earn anything during monsoons,” she said and explained the importance of different monuments to students in great detail.
