ITRHD Reaffirms Rural Heritage as a Pillar for Sustainable Development and Community Empowerment

New Delhi: The International Conference on the Preservation of Rural Buddhist Heritage continued its proceedings today in New Delhi, featuring in-depth sessions on conservation strategies, community-led frameworks and the planned National Academy for training and research.

The day underscored the need to deepen knowledge of Buddhist architectural culture, living traditions, and the interdependence of tangible and intangible heritage. Scholars from India, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and the United States shared perspectives on conservation practices, participatory approaches, historical reconstruction, skill development, sustainable pilgrimage, and heritage knowledge systems.

A key addition to the day’s proceedings was the address by Dr Amitabh Kant, Former Chairman of NITI Aayog, who underscored the contemporary relevance of Buddhist teachings amid global conflict and uncertainty. He said that India, as the historic centre of Buddhist civilisation, carries a moral responsibility to conserve both the physical and spiritual dimensions of its Buddhist sites. Dr Kant stressed that conservation must be treated as a national mission and advocated for meaningful Buddhist tourism that deepens reflection, learning, and community benefit rather than encouraging material consumption.

Chairing the session on Developing Knowledge of Buddhist Architectural Culture and its Conservation, Professor (Dr) Amareswar Galla highlighted the urgent need for India to strengthen documentation, academic training, and people-centred conservation.
He said, “India cannot protect what it has not yet understood. Thousands of rural Buddhist sites remain undocumented and vulnerable, and our institutions lack the capacity, training, and legal awareness to safeguard them. We must invest in mapping, digital documentation, and community-led conservation, and urgently modernise our universities to teach international heritage law and contextual, India-centred heritage studies.”

Dr Prajapati Trivedi of Harvard University called for India to learn from nations with strong Buddhist populations that have successfully preserved their heritage. Proposing an international showcase of best practices—an “Oscars of heritage preservation”—for next year’s conference, he emphasised the need for measurable standards, the protection of “living heritage,” and stronger institutional frameworks for heritage management.

Throughout the day, multiple sessions explored the pillars that will shape the curriculum for the proposed National Academy at Nagarjunakonda, a five-acre site granted by the Andhra Pradesh Government. Panels focused on skill development, pedagogy, knowledge systems, material culture, conservation ethics, community engagement, and capacity building. The Academy is envisioned as a first-of-its-kind institution dedicated not only to the conservation of unprotected Buddhist heritage but also to empowering rural communities through heritage-linked economic opportunities.

The conference reiterated the core philosophy of ITRHD, which holds that conserving and nurturing rural heritage is essential for sustainable economic growth and for strengthening community identity and livelihoods. India’s rural heritage spans not just monuments and sites but also agricultural traditions, water practices, crafts, languages, performing arts, rituals, and medicinal knowledge. ITRHD was created to bridge gaps in policy, coordination, and community participation, and to enable heritage-based rural development.

The discussions of Day 2 provided strong direction for the future of rural Buddhist heritage preservation and the establishment of the National Academy. As the conference enters its final day, efforts will focus on consolidating recommendations, identifying actionable strategies, and strengthening India’s position as a global leader in Buddhist heritage conservation.