A plea to all concerned responsible citizens to lend a helping hand and join in our online effort to protect our past from literally falling into ruin:
Students we are, looking afar
Hoping to heal an unfortunate scar;
With courage and care, we hope to ensnare
He who scratches our monuments bare.
Bring him to book, that ruthless crook
Who rapes our heritage, while we only look!
So join in our fight, to give us the might
To save our MOURNuments from their awful plight!
masjid moth- this monument is also used as a hanger
humayun's tomb- the crippled gate
humayun's tomb-scratches on the skin of monuments
lodhi gardens- even the trees bear scars
lodhi gardens- litter litter all around
... the withering heights at the Qutab Minar complex
14 comments:
I'm on.
Would be nice if you guys could profile a few monuments and highlight their mishandling. So that poeple can see for themselves.
Also, the real menace to monuments exists from that class of people who don't regularly use the net. This plea will not get to them. So what is it that we can do to stop them from defacing monuments?
But great initiative. Way to go!
Its a good plan and a good project that you guys have taken up (and as a historian in the making!) I think we really need to preserve this plethora of heritage we have been left with.
The richness in the monuments is being tarnished everyday due to sheer ignorance and complete disregard that people have. Monuments and sites of historical significance are being turned into dumps (shows how much respect people have for the past) and the Ruins are living up to their name because they actually are in "ruins" !
Please put up some of the pics that you guys have taken to show the extent of damage.And here's wishing you guys have all the success in creating awareness in your venture !!
thanks so much for your participation so far. you have no idea how thrilling it is to see people stand up for what they believe in.
yes, we need to put in some pictures and we have done that now. any more suggestions will be most welcome.
please spread the word about this blog and about our effort to all your friends.
thanks once again! you guys rock!
Heyy,, really nice to see ur blog..
Well i feel sad for the state of our monuments since all they depict these days are,"love and wedding" messages,, "popular pan brands( red corners and walls)" and how popular plastic is becoming(litter). Well, the blog so far is tremendous interms of display and content, i just hope it helps save our heritage.
Best wishes and keep up the great work
Hi,
Its really bad that people have totally forgotten about the importance of our ancient monuments, and have started considering them as GARBAGE.................
Today they are so unclean and smelly......there is garbage, pan spit,food and plastic bags everywhere.
Its really very nice that you people are taking the initiative to highlight and bring this to notice.
Kindly send this poem to ASI, they might just get inspired and do something more than digging at Ayodhya. Also, flood their office with the pictures of the desecrated monuments, its high time these marvels of history get their deserved respect!!
in our generation a person at ease using a PDA however finds the dustbin , a mind numbingly complex device.its heartening to see uve taken the task of educating these hygienically challenged people. i hope ur endeavor will translate not only into getting people to respect historic monuments but the environment beyond their air conditioned cars in general as well..
and men, to proclaim your love, making a taj mahal will go down better than defacing one that already exists ..
on a practical note what are the current regulations involved in the upkeep of the monuments and the people employed and how many monuments in delhi are covered by these.. i think it might be interesting to see the loopholes in the implementation of these and think of possible solutions .. keep me posted...
Absolutely.
Let's exercise our right to information and find out what's happening.
Delhi's monuments (most of them) zren't looked after, but even the taj, with all it's security, has scribbles on it. IN the inner sanctum, where photography is prohibitted, to protect the paintings (the light is harmful for them), people are constantly tryign to take pictures and escape the guards. And of course, these are not tourists from abroad but from India.
I think it's great you're trying to save our monuments. Any plan of action in the making?
Will you go visit a monument on the pretext of having fun? The only reason you went and did this was because you needed to do a project on SOMETHING. Werent you already aware that monuments in India esp Delhi were being blatantly ignored and trashed. If ppl are capable of defacing taj mahal (blackeneing due to industries, acid rain...stopped only recently) then how can you expect anyone to maintain something that doesnot invite any attention anyway. People from all over the world come to see the Taj...thats why it has been maintainned to a certain degree of respectablity, if not to perfection. To lure in tourists in order to earn money, and obviously to appreciate our own culture the government requires money. Do you rather have the ever increasing fiscal deficit of this country contributiing to save monuments rather than people. This country cannot afford to repair buldings that are currently inhabited by people, so how do you expect them to sheild the houses of the people who have been dead for a hundred years, or more. The government is intrested in profit. If a monument can bring them that, then they will go out of their way to safeguard it and make it presentable.
Im not defending the immoral defacement of our past. But in a country where you are allowed to litter the streets, urinate in public and deface public property at will, how can you expect any different treatment for the monuments. We allow people to urinate on walls. We allow people to throw garbage on the street. The fault lies withtin the system itself. Defacement of monuments or any kind of property, even the road, is wrong. Do we ever get out of our cars to stop a scooter waala from peeing on the road? . If you are defending our past then defend our present and future as much.
hey!!!!!! you cant have a present or a future without your past... its like your shadow which never forsakes.....save your memories save your past the few monuments we have left are really feeling leftout....
well i totally agree with ghazal. we need to save our heritage for our future.. It really is a disgrace to see some of the most beautiful monuments in such a pathetic condition.
Defacing walls is absolutely criminal and if you guys go to the archaeological park you'll see what i mean..the graffiti there in one of the monuments is totally pornographic.. its a shame.. and i'd like to help in whatever way i can.. n yeah this really is a great initiative so all the very best to you guys.
Agreed with Saattvic...
The class of people who do this to the monuments are not doing it with any malice... they just don't know any better! Its just a place where people can't see them poop
Some quick first impressions. The enthusiasm, interest and care taken to prepare this 'Hug Your History' site is obvious. Some nice posts, interesting pictures and even an introductory rhyming verse. All good.
Howver, I tend to agree with Shiva and Saatvic. The folks who post, read and comment at this site are neither the negligent caretakers, nor the defacers of monuments. So essentially this is a case of preaching to the converted.
Much more sensitivity is needed to reach out to people who, either know no better, or have no alternate shelter to use.
So this blog could be the start of a brainstorm, to reach a goal oriented, Action Plan that could actually save our monuments.
Good luck, People.
Valsa.
Next time we see people throw garbage, draw hearts and pee on a historical brick..we take action! Way to go and hope this grows into a huge youth movement :)
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