In his letter, Patnaik cited a regional news report that claimed 40% of the artistic stone carvings have been replaced with plain stones. While the state government plans to take up the matter with the ASI Director General and set up an expert committee to look into the matter, ASI sources claimed that under UNESCO conventions, ASI cannot replicate original representations (carvings). Odisha Tourism Minister Ashok Panda, however, has countered that these rules were broken during conservation activities on Humayun’s Tomb, which was carried out by the Aga Khan Foundation. On its website, the Aga Foundation’s India chapter website says: “The (conservation) plan (on Humayun’s Tomb Complex) was implemented by master craftsmen using traditional tools, craft techniques and building materials”.

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Conservation of such sites is governed by the Culture Ministry’s National Policy for Conservation of the Ancient Monuments, Archaeological Sites and Remains (2014). Under the policy, “a monument or an archaeological site should be subjected to a minimum — whilst only necessary — interventions so as to maintain its authenticity and integrity”. While the policy allows reproduction and retrofitting, it states that any such activities should “be clearly discernible as a later alteration / repair / restoration, etc., to be able to clearly identify them from the original fabric of the structure”. 

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Ameya Bhushan Tripathy, Odisha convener of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), cites the above paragraphs to claim that reproducing of carvings is indeed permitted, if due care is taken. He has demanded that carvings on Konark should be restored by the ASI. INTACH has consultative status with UNESCO and conserves monuments not under the ASI’s wing. One of its senior members said INTACH attaches more importance to “revival of ancient craftsmanship that went into the ornamentation of such structures”.

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