Mysuru: Destruction of monuments is a “monumental cruelty” and must be resisted irrespective of religion or ownership, Isro senior scientist Srinath Ratnakumar said, underlining the shared responsibility of all stakeholders in protecting heritage structures.Ratnakumar was delivering a special lecture on the occasion of World Heritage Day at Shwetha Varahaswamy Temple premises in the city Saturday. The programme was organised by department of archaeology, museums and heritage.He said heritage structures required protection even in times of conflict, stressing that responsibility for preservation did not rest on one side alone. Destruction merely for satisfaction, he said, was unacceptable.Ratnakumar cautioned that threats to heritage were not limited to natural disasters or wars. He said ambitious development projects could also damage invaluable structures.Elaborating further, he said conflicts were not always external, and that internal pressures, such as infrastructure expansion, often endangered monuments. Pointing to road construction as a frequent risk, he said solutions such as shifting alignments or protective interventions were necessary to safeguard heritage structures.Referring to prominent temples, Ratnakumar observed that some continue as “living temples” spiritually but are structurally deteriorating. “Melukote temple is a living temple as puja rituals are continuing. But we feel sad when we see the overall structure. We get the same feeling when we visit Nanjangud temple,” he said. “We need practical solutions to address this,” he added.At the same time, he highlighted the need to reconstruct temples that are in a depleted state, citing developments in north India such as the Kashi corridor.Highlighting the role of technology, Ratnakumar said Isro’s Bhuvan platform offers high-resolution satellite images available since 2002, enabling users to study changes in landscapes, including at heritage sites such as Chamundi Hills. He said students could undertake projects to track how such sites have evolved over time.He also pointed out that while the history of major cities is well documented, many smaller villages with rich heritage remain unexplored. “Students must focus on documenting the history of such places,” he urged.Ratnakumar added that Isro’s Kasturi portal currently hosts digital data on 20 monuments and will expand further.Historian Kengeri Chakrapani also delivered a lecture on Karnataka’s temples. Director of department of archaeology, museums and heritage A Devaraju and deputy director (heritage) CN Manjula were present.
