Gujjar heritage sites and other monuments representing the history and culture of the pastoral agricultural ethnic group are crumbling across India, a scholar and researcher said on Sunday and made a
Gujjar heritage sites and other monuments representing the history and culture of the pastoral agricultural ethnic group are crumbling across India, a scholar and researcher said on Sunday and made a passionate appeal to the government to initiate measures towards their restoration.
Speaking at a discussion in Jammu organised by the Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation, a frontal organisation of Gujjars in Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Javaid Rahi said the comunity has voiced its concern over the “crumbling condition” of various world class architectural sites, including buildings, forts, sculptures, temples and other structures built by Gurjar-Pratihara rulers in the north-western states of India between the sixth and 11th century AD.
Apart from appealing to the government at the Centre to take the required steps, he asked for a joint effort by the ethnic community to restore the pristine glory of all historic monuments related to their history. Quoting from history, he said that the Gurjara-Pratihara kings were great builders of India. “This dynasty built a number of forts, buildings and temples which are presently at the verge of extinction,” he said. He added that notable structures from this period include temples standing at Osian, Abhaneri and Kotah, and the sculpture of Sursundari in Gwalior. These are in shambles now, he said. The speakers on the occasion said hundreds of prestigious monuments of the Gujjar period are dying a slow death or facing a great threat of extinction. They appealed the community members, social organisations, trusts, and NGOs to join hands together to restore the work of their ancestors. They said the royal memorabilia from the Gujjar era are located in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and adjoining states.
Mr Rahi said that the foundation has written fresh letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union minister of culture to declare the main forts, temples, coins and other works of art from the Gurjar-Pratihara rule as “protected monuments of India”. He added, “We have also sent a list of the most threatened monuments of the Gujjar period to the government of India with an appeal for immediate steps for their restoration”.
He said the foundation has also written to chief ministers of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and other states with a plea to start restoration of all historic building of Gujjar period. “But I would also seek a community initiative required urgently to rebuilt some of the historic buildings which are going to extinct during next couple of years if not attended to immediately,” Mr. Rahi said. He urged the community members to help the foundation in identifying more such under threat monuments built by Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty of medieval India so that the issue of their restoration is taken up with Government of India or other relevant agencies.
