Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 19
The Architectural Heritage Division (AHD) of Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has called for preserving the Second American Missionary Bungalow at Impur, Nagaland and listed the same on its “Heritage at Risk Register.”
In an update on its official Twitter handle, INTACH AHD informed that the 2nd American Missionary Bungalow (Upper Bungalow) was constructed in 1896 under the supervision of American Missionary, Rev SA Perrine.
After the arrival Rev Perrine to Nagaland, the centre of the Ao Mission Field was shifted to Impur in 1894, as per the Nagaland Baptist Church Council record.
“Nepalese sawyers were employed to cut the lumber; Nagas did not have the instruments at the time,” it said, adding: “As many as 200 Nagas in one day brought the lumber on their backs from the forest from 2 to 3 miles distance.
Chinese carpenters built it under the direction of the Garo Mission. The site faces pressures of urbanization,”
According to its website, the INTACH is currently running a pan-India initiative called ‘State of Built Heritage of India: Case of the Unprotected (SoBHI)’ to highlight the challenges and apathy concerning unprotected built heritage as well as recommend the way forward.
‘Heritage at Risk Register’
The ‘Heritage at Risk Register’ is an ongoing database of endangered built heritage – bringing cases to light, in the hope of assistance, it said, adding that the register can serve as a “ready shelf of potential conservation initiatives, from which state and local authorities as well as private/ corporate bodies can take up cases.”
Accordingly, since the World Heritage Day on April 18, 2021m the INTACH launched a year-long social media campaign to bring attention to the lesser known unprotected built heritage of India and an endangered historic site is highlighted each day from the Heritage at Risk Register, it added.
The 2nd American Missionary Bungalow was Heritage at Risk Register entry 28 H@R 28/365, INTACH AHD highlighted on the Twitter post, highlighting the same to others including the Union Culture and Tourism and Ministry, Archeological Survey of India, NITI Aayog, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, State’s Lok Sabha representative Tokheho Yepthomi and State Tourism.
The Division further called for collaborating to save India’s built heritage and stated that it seek “assistance in providing a connect with the local authorities” in order to facilitate “saving” the heritage.
“Join us in raising awareness or campaign for preservation, leading to generating funds or help in kind,” it said adding that conservation initiatives for the sites can be taken up by private/ corporate bodies with local authorities and community.
INTACH is a non-profit charitable organisation registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and aimed at promoting public awareness on the need to preserve natural and cultural heritage.
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