Archaeological Survey of India

July 21, 2026 12:40 PM

ASI Conducting Excavations at 16 Sites Across India; 121 Permissions Issued in Five Years

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is currently undertaking excavations at 16 archaeological sites across the country, with discoveries including structural remains, burials, pottery and a range of antiquities, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Monday. According to the Ministry of Culture, the excavations have yielded artefacts such as coins, beads, ornaments, agricultural tools and bone objects. Wherever required, samples recovered during excavations are sent to specialised instit...

June 18, 2026 12:07 PM

Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi: How India’s heritage renaissance is reshaping cultural preservation, tourism and global recognition

Over the past twelve years, India has witnessed an unprecedented expansion of its heritage conservation and cultural development ecosystem under the vision of "Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi" - a development model that seeks to balance economic growth with the preservation and promotion of the country's civilisational legacy. From restoring ancient temples and redeveloping pilgrimage centres to digitising manuscripts, reclaiming stolen antiquities and expanding India's footprint on UNESCO's global heri...

May 15, 2026 6:26 PM

Dhar-Bhojshala case: Madhya Pradesh HC grants Hindu side the right to worship

In a significant development in the long-standing Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque dispute, the Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has delivered a historic verdict, granting the Hindu side the right to worship and recognising the complex as belonging to Raja Bhoj. Addressing media personnel after the court's order, Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side, termed the judgment as "historic," noting that the court has partially set aside the Archaeological Survey of India's (ASI) o...

May 14, 2026 12:43 AM

India repatriates historic temple bronzes from US, Gajendra Shekhawat calls it milestone in fight against illicit trafficking

Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Wednesday said that India has successfully repatriated Chola-period and other significant bronze artefacts from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in the United States. The identified antiquities include: -Saint Sundarar with Paravai sculpture (16th century, Vijayanagara period): photographed in 1956 at the Shiva Temple in Veerasolapuram village, Tamil Nadu. -Somaskanda (Shiva and Uma) (12th century, Chola p...

October 25, 2024 10:30 PM

Varanasi Court dismisses Hindu side’s plea for additional ASI survey at Gyanvapi complex

The Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) Fast Track Court in Varanasi on Friday dismissed a plea by the Hindu side seeking an additional survey by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at the Gyanvapi complex. Hindu side advocate Vijay Shankar Rastogi expressed disappointment over the decision, saying, “The court has rejected our application for an additional ASI survey of the entire Gyanvapi area. We will approach the High Court within the 30-day limitation to challenge this decision.�...