| Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | INTACH |
| Formation | 1984 |
| Type | NGO |
| Purpose/focus | Art, Cultural, architectural heritage preservation/restoration |
| Headquarters | Delhi |
| Website | Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) |
The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) is an autonomous non-governmental Indian NGO that seeks to preserve Indian Art and Cultural heritage. In 2007, the United Nations awarded INTACH a special consultative status with United Nations Economic and Social Council.[1][2]
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INTACH was founded in 1984 by Rajiv Gandhi who was also its first chairman. Its headquarters are in New Delhi,[3] and today it has chapters in 117 Indian cities, as well as chapters in Belgium, the UK and the United States.[4] INTACH is the only non-governmental Indian non-profit society working for the awareness and conservation of Indian culture and heritage.
In 2007, INTACH signed a memorandum of understanding with AusHeritage, Australia's noted heritage network, to collaborate on South Asian and South East Asian regional initiatives.[5]
Among the tasks undertaken by INTACH are restoration of monuments and their management; advocacy for heritage property conservation; public awareness through heritage walks and buses;[6] establishment of heritage clubs in schools;[7] and holding of awareness workshop for teachers of schools and colleges[8][9] and for the guides at various heritage sites.[10][11]
Over the years, INTACH has taken up restoration and protection of hundreds of monuments that fall outside the coverage of Archeological Survey of India and other government agencies,[12] and at times local authorities hand over the upkeep and restoration of heritage structures to INTACH directly.[13]
INTACH has established chapters not only within India but also outside it. It now uses funds mobilized by its international chapters in Belgium, the United Kingdom and the US, to take up restoration, conservation and protection projects of historical structures and heritage buildings across India.[2] After developing Raghurajpur, Orissa, a place famous for its master ‘Pattachitra’ artists and ‘Gotipua’ dance troupes as a heritage village, which has now become a major rural tourist destination , it later used the same pattern to develop Padmanabhpur village, Ganjam district, Orissa, famous for its weavers and folk dancers, into another heritage destination.
In 2007, the government of Goa signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with INTACH for restoration, conservation and maintenance of 51 officially listed heritage and cultural monuments in the state. This includes the restoration and conservation of the 16th century Reis Magos Fort in Goa,[2][14][15] then in 2008, INTACH signed anouth a memorandum of understanding with the Government of Delhi for the conservation of 92 monuments in Delhi, in the preparation of the Commonwealth Games 2010.[16]
INTACH bestows two yearly awards. The Anirudh Bhargava Award consists of Rs. 25,000 awarded to an individual who makes "exemplary contribution to the protection of environment through steps to stop environmental destruction or contributing to regeneration". [17] The SATTE - INTACH Heritage Tourism Award recognizes "inspiring and innovative work done by individuals/organization/ institutions" in a number of areas including "reuse of heritage concepts and properties for tourism purposes". [7]