Heritage in Digital Space to see recreations of Hampi traditions: Patel

Secretary of Department of Science & technology Shri Ashutosh Sharma was also present on this occasion.

The Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (IC), Shri Prahlad Singh Patel launched a month-long special exhibition titled Indian Heritage in Digital Space and a two-day-long first international heritage symposium today in New Delhi. The exhibition was organized in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. The exhibition will remain open for the public till 15th February 2020. Secretary of Department of Science & technology Shri Ashutosh Sharma was also present on this occasion.

Speaking on the occasion Shri Prahlad Singh Patel said that visitors in this exhibition will be able to see the recreations of the socio-cultural life and traditions of Hampi, architectural and conjectural reconstructions of several important structures and experience demystification of many murals. This is a good initiative, the use of technology in heritage is very important but it should not be limited to research only, it should reach people in such a way that they get a chance to know and understand the unseen aspects of heritage sites easily.

Shri Patel further said that the Prime Minister always says that we have world-class heritage and people from across the globe visit India to see our rich cultural and historical heritage. In such a situation, we should introduce the history and features of these heritages through the use of technology. A person who comes to the museum should be guided by the use of technology so that it enriches their experience of the visit.

This special exhibition showcase adaptation and infusion of technologies being developed under the Indian Digital Heritage (IDH) initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India in the cultural heritage domain of the country. The exhibition demonstrates the outcome of two flagship projects viz., A digital mini-spectacle to showcase the glory of Hampi and Augmented reality-based interactions with physical models of monuments; that is completed under the DST mentored initiative Indian Heritage in Digital Space (IHDS). These two projects are executed by a multi-disciplinary team from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, National Institute of Design Bengaluru, CSIR-CBRI Roorkee, Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology, and a women-led, IDH start-up Vizara Technologies, New Delhi. The goals of these projects are to create digital installations using 3D laser scan data, AR, holographic projections and 3D fabrication, to provide interactive and immersive experiences showcasing the glory of Hampi and five Indian monuments namely Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi; TajMahal, Agra; Sun Temple, Konark; Ramachandra Temple, Hampi; and RaniKiVav, Patan.

This special exhibition, first of its kind in India, has a major focus to display the latest interventions in the cultural heritage domain, that are being driven by cutting-edge technologies such as 3D fabrication, Artificial Intelligence, Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality, Holographic Projections and Projection-Mapping, etc.  A special installation named ‘ViRaasat’, consisting of a scaled-down 3D printed replica shall provide a mixed reality experience to visitors for selected monuments, using laser-scanning, 3D modeling and rendering, 3D printing, computer vision, and spatial AR.

(With Inputs from PIB)