Preserving the Culture of India

As Minister of Culture, He worked hard to ensure focus on Culture of India was not forgotten even as we modernize. Culture has been the backbone of survival of civilizations. Swami Vivekananda rightly emphasized that countries, which lacked culture, have been destroyed in course of time. As the oldest civilization in the world, we have a huge responsibility to the world. AnanthKumar, himself a champion of Indian culture gave this department a boost when he envisaged & implemented some landmark projects, which every Indian would be proud of.
It was a matter of interesting coincidence that India saw the new millennium & 50 years of being a Republic both in the year 2000. Hence in the year 2000, AnanthKumar offered to the nation a series of programs to imbibe the spirit of Indian culture & tradition.
The following is a partial list of his contributions.
The Sindhu darshan in Leh is a historical event in the cultural upheaval of India. The Sindhu cultural study center is established here with improvement of ghats & other tourist infrastructure. To promote Sindhu culture, the highest airport in the world was upgraded for the benefit of tourists. The culture ministry has established Sindhu darshan as a national event thereby making it a matter of India’s pride.
He reconstituted the Indira Gandhi National Center for Arts [IGNCA] in 2000 inviting highly accomplished members to its board.
Golden Jubilee of Independence: As a part of the Golden jubilee celebrations of India’s independence, the first-ever National theatre festival christened as ‘Bharat Rang Mahotsav’ was organized, involving 70 theatre groups representing the entire spectrum of theatre from the entire country.
A series of birth centenary celebrations of the eminent personalities, was the grand finale of the year- long celebrations of the 300 years of the birth of Khalsa & of the 2600th birth anniversary of Tirthankar Mahavir’s, Janma Kalyanak Mahotsav mahasamiti was organized.
Digitization of major works of nine contemporary artists including Rabindranath Tagore, Nandlal Bose, Amrita Shergil, Nicholas Roerich etc. have been taken up. A national catalogue of all the antiquities and art objects available on CD’s was initiated. Virtual walk-through CD’s for heritage sites like Hampi, Taj Mahal, Khajuraho, Konark, Someshwara have been created for the benefit of tourists.
The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) took up more than 500 monuments for conservation and structural repairs, chemical preservation and environmental development in the year 2000. Mind -boggling discoveries, which can rewrite Indian history, itself, have been found at Rakhigarhi, Gulbarga, Lothal, Hampi, Purana Quila, Kurukshetra among others.
Cultural exchanges: India signed agreement of regular time bound programs of cultural exchanges with 76 Countries. The first ever Cultural cooperation programs have been signed with Cambodia and Croatia.
A magnificent view of the Mahabharat, was recreated in Kurukshetra, by creating the panorama of Mahabharat in 34 feet high painting, 400 feet long circular structure, which is unique in India. It was during his tenure that UNESCO classified the beautiful Hampi, as a World Heritage site.