Hyderabad: ‘Revitalizing Heritage’ design competition held on occasion of World Heritage Week 2024

To engage young minds in heritage preservation, a design competition titled "Revitalizing Heritage: Mudumal Megalithic Menhirs" for graduate architecture students was organised on the occasion of World Heritage Week Celebrations-2024 by Department of Heritage Telangana & Deccan Heritage Academy Trust (DHAT) in collaboration with JBR Architecture College, Hyderabad on Monday.

Hyderabad: To engage young minds in heritage preservation, a design competition titled “Revitalizing Heritage: Mudumal Megalithic Menhirs” for graduate architecture students was organised on the occasion of World Heritage Week Celebrations-2024 by Department of Heritage Telangana & Deccan Heritage Academy Trust (DHAT) in collaboration with JBR Architecture College, Hyderabad on Monday.

Vedakumar Manikonda, Chairman, DHAT, who presided over the awards distribution ceremony of the design competition, highlighted the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the Mudumal Megalithic Menhirs site, shedding light on its historical and cultural significance.

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Dr Vedakumar detailed the collaborative efforts by the Department of Heritage Telangana and the Deccan Heritage Academy Trust (DHAT) in conducting research, documentation, and conservation studies aimed at securing the site’s inclusion in the UNESCO Tentative List of World Heritage Monuments.

He further emphasized the critical role of heritage conservation in ensuring that such treasures are preserved for future generations, allowing them to continue enriching humanity’s shared cultural legacy and maintaining Telangana’s prominence on the global heritage map.

Dr. Deependra Sharma, Governing Council Member, INTACH, New Delhi, appreciated the cultural richness of Telangana and also lauded DHAT for organizing impactful heritage preservation initiatives.

Dr. E. Sivanagi Reddy, Archaeologist and CEO of ‘Sthapathi’, underscored Telangana’s cultural significance as a cradle of heritage, referencing its diverse treasures, including miniature paintings, wall paintings, cannons, inscriptions, and calligraphy, all of which require careful preservation.

Narayana and Nagaraj, Deputy Director, Department of Heritage Telangana, Kotaiah Vinjamuri, ASI, Prof.Jayanti, OU, P. Anuradha Reddy, Convenor, INTACH Hyderabad Chapter and others were present.