Parliament Question: Conservation of Cultural Heritage of Shahdol

**Executive Summary** This document is a response from the Minister of Culture and Tourism to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha regarding the conservation of cultural heritage in Shahdol. The response outlines the number of protected monuments, the ongoing conservation efforts, and details of surveys conducted in the region, to be answered on December 8th, 2025. It also includes expenditure details from the past three financial years (2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25) for these efforts. **Key Points / Main Content** * **Monuments under ASI Jurisdiction:** There are five centrally protected monuments/sites under the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in the Shahdol Lok Sabha Constituency. * **Conservation Efforts:** Conservation, preservation, and maintenance of these monuments/sites is a continuous process based on requirements and resource availability. All monuments are in a good state of preservation. * **Exploration/Survey:** ASI conducted exploration/survey at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in 2022-23 and 2023-24. Many structures were found during the exploration. * **Structure Findings:** Structures found during exploration included temples, temple remains, inscriptions, rock-cut caves, rock-cut sculptures, rock-cut water bodies, stupas, sculptures, coins, and ancient structures. * **Expenditure Details:** Annexure-I provides details of expenditure on conservation work carried out during the last three years (2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25) for the following monuments: * Virat Temple and Remains at Sohagpur Distt. Shahdol * Shiv Temple at Amarkantak Distt. Anuppur * Temple of Pataleshwar at Amarkantak Distt. Anuppur * Karan Temple at Amarkantak Distt. Anuppur * Caves bearing Inscriptions of 1st century AD at Silhara Distt. Anuppur **Impact Analysis** **Ministry of Culture and Tourism/ASI** * **Impact:** Accountable for the conservation, preservation, and maintenance of centrally protected monuments/sites in the Shahdol Lok Sabha Constituency. * **Action Required:** Continue ongoing conservation efforts, allocate resources as needed, and report on expenditures. **Local Community (Shahdol Lok Sabha Constituency)** * **Impact:** Benefits from the preservation of cultural heritage and potential tourism opportunities. * **Action Required:** Awareness of the cultural heritage in the region.

Key Entities Referenced