Scottish experts 'to digitally scan ancient Indian landmark'

Rani Ki Vav Stepwell in Gujarat to be preserved digitally

PTI | March 15, 2011



A Scottish team is to digitally scan the Rani Ki Vav Stepwell in Gujarat, one of India's most historic landmarks, in an effort to preserve its every detail, British media reported.

The project -- a collaboration between Glasgow School of Art and Historic Scotland and the Archaeological Survey of India -- involves digitally recording the Rani Ki Vav Stepwell which dates back to 1050 and is made up of decorated stepped terraces descending into the ground, the 'BBC' reported.

The Scottish experts said that they were aiming to use laser technology to create exact digital models of the site -- that will help with conserving and maintaining it.

Rani Ki Vav has only been fully excavated in the past 50 years and is currently on the UNESCO tentative list to be considered for World Heritage Site status.

Scotland's Minister for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop said: "This is a great collaboration with the Scottish and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on behalf of the Indian government...

"I am delighted that Scotland is able to provide the expertise to ensure this nationally important and breathtaking site is captured in its entirety and conserved for future generations.

"The Scottish 10 is a project which is establishing Scotland as world leader in the use of digital documentation technology, innovation and is allowing us the chance to share our knowledge in heritage conservation and preservation while capturing some the world's most important heritage sites."

In fact, the project is part of a global programme by the design team to record sites of historical significance.

Among the sites already scanned are New Lanark's 18th Century mills, Mount Rushmore and Neolithic sites in Orkney.

The images created will be shared with the American organisation CyArk, founded by Ben Kacyra, inventor of the laser scanner. It is collecting the data from 500 world heritage landmarks to hold in a global archive.
 

Comments

 

Other News

BJP set to capture West Bengal

The political map of the country is set to be redrawn with the BJP set to win the West Bengal assembly elections, apart from Assam and the union territory of Puducherry. In Kerala, meanwhile, the Congress-led UDF is set to regain power. The filmstar Vijay-led TVK has emerged as the front-runner in Tamil Na

Beyond LPG: Is PNG ready for India’s next cooking fuel transition?

India, the second-largest importer and consumer of LPG after China, faces growing pressure due to supply constraints. Most of India`s LPG imports transit through the Strait of Hormuz, a focal point of global turmoil. Given that LPG forms the backbone of household kitchens and the restaurant industry, any s

Maharashtra adopts hybrid model for Census 2026 data collection

The government has initiated preparations for Census 2026 in Maharashtra, introducing a hybrid approach that combines optional self-enumeration with comprehensive door-to-door data collection to ensure complete coverage across the state.   According to senior officials, the Self-

What the nine Indian Nobel winners have in common

A Touch Of Genius: The Wisdom of India’s Nobel Laureates Edited by Rudrangshu Mukherjee Aleph Books, Rs 1499, 848 pages  

Income Tax dept holds Ghatkopar Outreach on new IT Act

The Income Tax Department organised an outreach programme in Ghatkopar, Mumbai, to raise awareness about the key features of the Income Tax Act, 2025, effective April 1, 2026. The initiative is part of a nationwide effort to promote taxpayer awareness, simplify compliance, and strengthen a transparent, eff

Making AI work where governance is closest to people

India’s next governance leap may not solely come from digitisation. It will come from making public systems more intelligent, more adaptive, and more responsive to the dynamics at the grassroots. That opportunity is especially significant at the panchayat level, where governance is not an abstract po


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter