Preserving the Distributed Fragments of Cultural Heritage: Need for Building a Sustainable Information System in India

Abstract Cultural heritage is an intrinsic segment of the life of the individual who is connected to it and is inherited from one generation to the other. Every heritage item embeds knowledge in historical, cultural, social, scientific, spiritual, and technological forms. Creating a digital database for discovery and expression of cultural heritage plays a significant role in enhancing its visibility and ensuring long-term sustainability. Many of the natural and cultural heritage items in India which are substantially rich in their content are not identified and documented, which consequently lose their social, cultural, historic, and economic utilities. The present study highlights the potential of developing a single-window comprehensive Cultural Heritage Information System (CHIS) to efficiently preserve, document, and manage the cultural heritage assets of the country. This also examines the prerequisites, issues, and challenges which can hinder its sustainable development. It is perceived from the study that there is no such integrated single-window national-level digital platform that prevails in the country to perform the cultural heritage documentation. The study points up the need of constructive efforts, both at individual and institutional levels in India, to ameliorate the situation to safeguard and promote the cultural heritage of the country. The information system developed can act as a unique source of reference and an extensive guide for researchers from different disciplines, tourists as well conservation activists.