As anyone who reads this site knows all too well, Punjab’s built heritage is in a woeful state and in need of serious attention to save it. The silver lining of this dark cloud however has been the work of Gurmeet S Rai and her team at Cultural Resource Conservation Initiative (CRCI) which has been trailblazing in the field of Indian and especially Punjabi heritage conservation and restoration since 1996.
If ever there was a body worthy of absolute admiration and of a good news story worth celebrating it is CRCI. Their newly launched re-vamped website http://www.crci.co.in/ does credit to them and their efforts, reflecting their professionalism and achievements in a comprehensive and visually attractive way. The lavish 2010 calendar from Sikh Point also highlights their works and is available now via Anglo Sikh Heritage Trail (see http://www.asht.info/news/1186/2010-sikhpointcom-calendar.html).
Accredited and acclaimed by international institutions including Unesco, CRCI has worked alongside local communities, government and public bodies including the Archaeological Survey of India in preserving built heritage, combining best-practice in conservation with a multi disciplinary approach including issues of sustainability, inclusivity, urban and rural development and planning into the mix, fusing seemingly disparate strands into a thoroughly commendable whole.
Examples of their projects past and present – including the heart-warming story of Guru Ki Maseet a mosque built by the Sixth Guru, Sri Guru Hargobind Singh Ji and maintained by Nihangs, as well as the conservation of Maharajah Ranjit Singh’s Summer Palace, Baba Atal and Anglo-Sikh battle sites – can be seen and admired on the new calendar.