SRINAGAR: Two media delegations from Jammu and Kashmir, organised by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Srinagar and Jammu, respectively, explored significant archaeological and cultural heritage sites in Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu as part of ongoing press tours aimed at providing journalists first-hand exposure to India’s diverse history, culture and developmental landscape.
A 10-member delegation from Jammu began its Madhya Pradesh tour on September 14 with visits to the historic Siva Temple at Bhojpur and the prehistoric rock shelters of Bhimbetka, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The delegation is scheduled to continue its tour in Bhopal and Indore, covering other significant cultural and developmental locations.
At Bhojpur, the journalists were briefed on the history and architectural character of the imposing Siva Temple located on the banks of the Betwa River. Officials accompanying the delegation explained the monument’s distinctive architectural features, massive stone construction and the enormous Shiva Lingam housed in its sanctum.
Particular attention was drawn to the unfinished character of the temple, which provides important evidence of the construction techniques, craftsmanship and architectural practices of its period. The journalists were also briefed on efforts to preserve the monument as part of Madhya Pradesh’s archaeological heritage.
The delegation then travelled to Bhimbetka, one of India’s most important prehistoric archaeological sites. Archaeologist Vishnu Shridhar Wakankar discovered the site in 1957-58. About 750 rock shelters have been identified in the area, with hundreds containing prehistoric paintings.
During the visit, the journalists were shown several shelters and briefed on paintings depicting hunting, gathering, animals, dancing and other aspects of prehistoric life. Executed largely with natural pigments, the paintings offer an important record of early human habitation and artistic expression.
The archaeological evidence at Bhimbetka extends across a long span of human history, with the shelters preserving evidence of human activity from prehistoric times through later periods. The visit enabled the journalists to examine directly a heritage record that is often encountered only through written accounts, photographs and archival material.
Meanwhile, a 13-member media delegation from Jammu and Kashmir, organised by PIB Srinagar, visited the Dakshina Chitra Heritage Museum at Muttukadu in Tamil Nadu on September 14 as part of a press tour being conducted from September 13 to 19.
The delegation was briefed by museum curator Lakuma Chebrolu on the traditional architecture and heritage structures preserved at the institution. Dakshina Chitra houses reconstructed traditional homes from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, offering visitors an insight into the architectural traditions and living environments of southern India.
The journalists were told that several of the houses had been carefully dismantled and reconstructed at the museum with the involvement of regional artisans and traditional master builders. They also explored the traditional streetscapes and living environments recreated at the site.
Sharath Nambiar, Director of Dakshina Chitra, interacted with the delegation and outlined the museum’s history and its role in preserving India’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage. He also highlighted government support, particularly from the Ministry of Culture, which provided land for the institution and continues to extend assistance.
The visit offered the journalists an opportunity to examine how traditional architecture, indigenous crafts and performing arts are being preserved and presented to contemporary audiences.
Later, the delegation met Shri Sanjay Ghosh, Deputy Director, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Chennai.
The Srinagar delegation is led by Shri Shahid Mohammad Lone, Field Publicity Officer, Central Bureau of Communication, as Conducting Officer, with Shri Ifham Ul Islam, Information Assistant, PIB Srinagar, accompanying the group
The tour also carries significance under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat initiative, under which Jammu and Kashmir and Tamil Nadu have been paired to promote greater understanding of each other’s cultural traditions and heritage.
Taken together, the two tours have given journalists from Jammu and Kashmir an opportunity to see markedly different layers of India’s civilisational heritage — from the prehistoric paintings of Bhimbetka and the monumental architecture of Bhojpur to the living architectural traditions preserved at Dakshina Chitra.
