Experts Call for Technology-Driven Conservation, Community Participation, and Sustainable Development
New Delhi: The Indian Trust for Rural Heritage and Development (ITRHD) successfully concluded its International Conference on the Preservation of Rural Buddhist Heritage today, adopting the milestone Delhi Declaration at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi. The conference assembled distinguished scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to develop actionable solutions for revitalizing rural Buddhist heritage across India.
A key outcome of the conference is the proposal to establish a National Academy for Rural Heritage Conservation and Development Training at Nagarjunakonda. The Andhra Pradesh government, under the leadership of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, has allocated five acres of land for the academy, marking a significant step toward creating India’s first institution dedicated to rural Buddhist heritage capacity-building, coordinated conservation, and community-focused development.
Reflecting on the need for a decisive path forward, S. K. Misra, Chairman of ITRHD, said that the Delhi Declaration will serve as the guiding framework for implementation. He called for annual progress reviews to ensure accountability and steady advancement of the outlined initiatives.
The final day of the conference highlighted the shift from conceptual understanding to measurable action. The final day of the conference emphasized moving from understanding to concrete action. Participants explored in depth technology-driven conservation, community-led initiatives, educational outreach, sustainable tourism, and the global relevance of India’s rural Buddhist heritage, highlighting practical strategies to protect and revitalize these invaluable sites.
Dr. Prajapati Trivedi, Senior Fellow at Harvard University, stressed the importance of a shared definition of success, noting that aligned objectives are essential for coordinated, long-term heritage outcomes.
Reflecting on the proposed academy, Prof. A. G. K. Menon, renowned conservation architect and academic, called for a structured approach to managing rural Buddhist sites. He pointed out persistent gaps in inter-agency coordination and stressed that heritage and development must be understood as complementary, noting that India’s progress must be measured as much through its villages as its cities.
The conference also received high praise from international participants. Dr. Victoria Demenova, Dean of the Department of Art History, Culture Studies, and Design at Ural Federal University, Russia, described the event as “uniquely insightful and inspiring,” noting its depth of discussion and potential to serve as a global model for heritage preservation.
The Delhi Declaration reaffirms that rural Buddhist heritage is a living cultural resource, capable of generating livelihoods, strengthening community identity, and enhancing India’s cultural diplomacy. With the Andhra Pradesh government’s land allocation, a strong institutional foundation has now been established for a coordinated national effort to preserve and revitalize India’s rural Buddhist legacy.
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