INTACH Belagavi Chapter to be inaugurated

The Belagavi Chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) is slated to be inaugurated on 3rd September 2016 at the hands of the national Chairman, Maj. Gen. (Retd. ) L.K. Gupta, AVSM. Dr. A. Ravindra, IAS (Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of Karnataka), Convener, INTACH Karnataka, presides over the function which is to be held at IMER Auditorium, Hindwadi at 5.30 p.m. and graced by several dignitaries from Belagavi.

In 1984, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) was registered as a society and founded with the vision to create a membership organization to stimulate and spearhead heritage awareness and conservation in India. Today INTACH is recognized as one of the world’s largest heritage organizations, with over 170 Chapters across the Country.

A few members from Belagavi, led by Shri Jinadatta Desai and Shri Vinod Doddanavar, initiated the Belagavi Chapter of INTACH with a view to conserve and document Belagavi’s rich heritage as well as to create awareness about the same. Soon, passionate people joined this initiative and supported by Shri N. P. Bhat (Retd. IRS), Convener of the Dharwad Chapter, the Belagavi Chapter was approved. Shri Jinadatta Desai has been appointed as the Convener of the Belagavi Chapter while Dr. Meena Mohite, Professor and HoD (History dept.), B.K. College and Shri Vinod Doddanavar, Trustee of Bharatesh Education Trust and Chairman of Bharatesh Global Business School have been appointed as the co-conveners.

So far, INTACH Belagavi has registered 25 members from diverse fields as architecture, history, built-heritage conservation, writers, activists, professionals, educationists, businessmen and others.

It aims to initiate several initiative to achieve the aim of INTACH and to cherish Belagavi’s rich heritage in the coming years. The tasks that we plan to undertake include conservation and documentation of Tangible heritage like architectural monuments, buildings, natural heritage sites like water-bodies, mangroves, forests, Devar kadu ( Holy forests), intangible heritage like music, art, literature, cuisine, traditions, especially of the Belagavi area which is rich in all of this.

Belagavi, with its rich history and heritage, strongly merits an independent museum of its own. INTACH Belagavi, would be a part of an initiative to establish such a museum in the days to come. INTACH Belagavi chapter would like to invite like-minded people and institutions to join in this endeavor.

INTACH’s mission to conserve heritage is based on the belief that living in harmony with heritage enhances the quality of life, and it is the duty of every citizen of India as laid down in the Constitution of India. The objectives spelt out in the Memorandum of Association constitute INTACH’s Mandate and Vision. Its stated mission to date continues to be:

• Sensitize the public about the pluralistic cultural legacy of India

• Instill a sense of social responsibility towards preserving India’s common heritage

• Protect and preserve India’s living, built, and natural heritage by undertaking necessary actions and measures

• Document unprotected buildings of archaeological, architectural, historic and aesthetic significance, as well as the cultural resources, as this is the first step towards formulating conservation plans

• Develop heritage policies and regulations, and make legal interventions to protect India’s heritage when necessary

• Provide expertise in the field of conservation, restoration and preservation of specific works of art; and encourage capacity-building by developing skills through training programmes

• Undertake emergency response measures during natural or man-made disasters and support the local administration whenever heritage is threatened

• Foster collaborations, Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) and partnerships with government and other national and international agencies

• Generate sponsorships for conservation and educational projects

Any person, passionate about heritage conservation and desirous of becoming a member, can contact on the following address:

INTACH Belagavi Chapter
Bharatesh Education Trust
B.C. 188, Old P.B. Road, Near Fort, Belagavi 590016

Phone: 0831-2421513 Email: [email protected]