Parliament Question: Preservation of Heritage Sites in Aurangabad

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2349 TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.08.2026 PRESERVATION OF HERITAGE SITES IN AURANGABAD 2349. SHRI ABHAY KUMAR SINHA: Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has identified or supported preservation of heritage sites such as Deo Sun Temple and Umga Sun Temple in Aurangabad district of Bihar; (b) the details of funds allocated or schemes implemented for cultural conservation and promotion of historical places in Aurangabad Lok Sabha Constituency; (c) whether any cultural festivals or events linked to the district’s heritage including links to Chhath Puja traditions have received central support during the last two years; and (d) if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT) (a) D eo Sun Temple and Umga Sun Temple in Aurangabad district of Bihar are not centrally protected & monuments under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). (b) The development and promotion of tourist destinations and tourism products is primarily undertaken by the respective State Government/ Union Territory (UT) Administration. However, the Ministry of Tourism, under its various schemes such as Swadesh Darshan (SD), Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0), Challenge Based Destination Development (CBDD) and Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) supplements the efforts of the States/UTs by providing financial assistance for the development of tourism related infrastructure and experiences across the country including religious, historical and cultural sites in Bihar. There are 70 centrally protected monuments under the care and maintenance of ASI in Bihar State including one monument in Aurangabad Lok Sabha Constituency namely; ‘Tomb of Shamsher Khan’. ASI undertakes for conservation and maintenance of centrally protected monuments as per requirement and availability of resources. The details of funds allocated and expenditure incurred in the last three years on these 70 monuments are given as below: (Amount Rs. Crore) S. No. Year Allocation Expenditure 1. 2023-24 16.00 16.00 2. 2024-25 8.73 8.73 3. 2025-26 15.30 15.30 (c) Chhath-related songs are presented during various programmes organized by Sangeet Natak & Akademi (SNA), thereby promoting and recognizing the festival. These performances are (d) documented as part of the Akademi's cultural records. -----