The first-ever International Heritage Symposium and Exhibition (IHSE) was inaugurated by Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel at the National Museum, Janpath on January 15. Jointly sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology (KSCST), the event was organised by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi. It also marked the beginning of the month-long exhibition Indian Heritage In Digital Space, which highlights the work done under DST initiatives for digitising heritage.

It was a rare public showcase of digital preservation work undertaken in India using cutting edge AR, VR, MR and AI technologies. The exhibition also showcases 3D fabricated models of five Indian monuments, including Kashi Vishwanath, Taj Mahal, Sun Temple Konark, with interactive virtual walk-throughs and projection mapping, and a room-scale 3D model of a Hampi Temple, with AR, VR and Holographic interactions. The two-day event saw interdisciplinary dialogues between scientists, academia, historians, social scientists, practitioners, musicologists and policymakers, allowing for adoption of best practices and technology to preserve heritage.

Four-panel discussions were held – Performing Arts: Preserving the tradition (Intangible), Conservation Technologies in Art, Design and Archaeology, Understanding Traditional Engineering Systems for Future (Tangible) and Harnessing the Digital for the Museum Experience. All stakeholders working in the digital and cultural heritage domain came together to identify pressing issues confronting management of Indian heritage. Two books on digital heritage, Digital Hampi: Preserving Indian Cultural Heritage and Heritage Preservation: A Computational Approach, were also launched on the occasion.

“This exhibition is a culmination of the efforts made in the field of digital preservation during the last five years. Our cultural heritage has been recreated by Vizara Technologies using AR, VR, MR and AI technologies etc. The future is about convergence of technology in all aspects of our life, and this event is a step towards discussing key challenges in preserving our heritage,” said Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, DST.