Adopt a Heritage Scheme: List of Adopted Monuments & Amenities

The government launched the ‘Adopt a Heritage: Apni Dharohar Apni Pehchaan’ project on 27 September 2017 on World Tourism Day. The ‘Adopt a Heritage Scheme’ is a unique scheme of the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to develop heritage sites, monuments and tourist sites across the country and make them tourist-friendly. It envisages enhancing the cultural importance and tourism potential of monuments in a phased and planned manner.

This project aims to provide quality and inclusive facilities and amenities across natural, heritage and tourist sites through the active participation of public and private sector organisations and individuals. The private companies or organisations will adopt a heritage site or monument to improve their quality and provide facilities to improve tourism. These private companies or organisations are known as 'Monument Mitras'.

The project plans to entrust the development, maintenance and upgradation of facilities and amenities at the natural, heritage and tourist sites to the Monument Mitras, coupled with technology interventions and innovation to increase awareness of these incredible treasures.

Objectives of Adopt a Heritage Project

• To develop basic tourist infrastructure in and around monuments, heritage and tourist sites.
• To develop amenities and facilities for improving the tourist experience at monuments, heritage and tourist sites.
• To promote the heritage and cultural value of India and develop avenues to create awareness about the heritage and tourist sites in India.
• To promote and develop sustainable tourism infrastructure and ensure proper maintenance and operations.
• To develop employment opportunities and support the livelihoods of local communities at the heritage and tourist sites.

List of Tourist Amenities under Adopt a Heritage Project

At present, many heritage, natural and tourist sites and monuments lack basic tourist facilities and amenities. They should be provided with basic and advanced amenities according to tourists’ requirements, ensuring world-class facilities. The tourist amenities have been divided into basic and advanced amenities as per the project guidelines.

The list of basic amenities to be provided at heritage, natural and tourist sites and monuments are as follows:

• Public conveniences (toilet facilities) 
• Drinking water facilities or water kiosk 
• Ease of access, barrier-free monuments, or accessibility for all, such as differently abled-friendly toilets, wheelchair facilities, ramps, braille signages, monument models, etc. 
• Cleanliness of site or Swachh Monument, including complete polythene ban
• Illumination (interior and exterior) 
• Signage (Directional and information signages) 
• Benches 
• Dustbins 
• Wi-Fi 
• App-based multilingual audio guide 
• Point of Sale Terminal (PoS) machines at the ticketing counters to promote cashless transactions 

The list of advanced amenities to be provided at heritage, natural and tourist sites and monuments are as follows:

• Snack counter (ready-to-eat snacks and drinks) 
• Basic souvenir shop promoting local craftsmanship and art
• Facilitation night visits to monuments under adaptive use within permissible guidelines of the nodal department (ASI, state government and heritage byelaws) 
• Advanced surveillance systems, like PTZ-based CCTV cameras
• Tourist facilitation cum interpretation centre or tourist multi-purpose centre) with facilities like a shopping, souvenir shop, museum, cloakroom, toilet, drinking water, money exchange, etc. 
• Technology-based interpretation techniques (Virtual Reality, augmented reality, etc.) 
• Digital interactive kiosk and digital (LED) screening 
• Light and sound shows 
• Cultural shows 
• Battery-operated vehicles  
• Advanced tourist flow management system linked with the carrying capacity of the monuments

Implementation of Adopt a Heritage Project

The Adopt a Heritage project or scheme allows private and public sector corporations and organisations to adopt India’s top heritage sites and improve tourism in such sites. Private and public sector companies, NGOs, trusts and Individuals are eligible to adopt heritage sites or monuments under this project. 

This project is essentially non-revenue-generating. The Oversight and Vision Committee will select corporations or organisations willing to adopt a heritage site or monument based on the unique concept of the vision bid. However, financial bids are not involved in this project. These selected corporations and organisations that adopt heritage sites or monuments are known as ‘Monument Mitras’. They will be responsible for operating, building and maintaining tourism infrastructure at the monuments and natural heritage sites they adopt. 

The process for applying to adopt a heritage site or monument and be a Monument Mitra is as follows: 

• Select a tourist place 
• Submit the Expression of Interest (EOI) 
• Shortlisting EOI 
• Vision bidding and evaluation
• Selection of Monument Mitras 
• Signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

After selection, an MoU will be signed between the Monument Mitra, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Tourism, Archaeological Survey of India and other concerned stakeholders as applicable for the site. The Ministry of Tourism can terminate the MoU of the Monument Mitras when they do not comply with guidelines and EOI or any other reason for non-performance.

The response to the Adopt a Heritage project has been very encouraging since the agencies that have come forward for adoption include not only public and private industries or individuals but also law firms and schools.

List of Monuments Adopted under Adopt a Heritage Project

The list of the ten monuments adopted by Monument Mitras under the Adopt a Heritage scheme is as follows:

• Gandikota fort
• Red fort
• Mt. Stok Kangri Trek in Ladakh
• Area surrounding Gangotri Temple and the trail to Gaumukh
• Suraj Kund
• Jantar Mantar
• Ajanta caves
• Qutub Minar
• Leh Palace
• Hazara Rama Temple in Hampi

The scheme has had little success since it was introduced, as only 10 of the 93 monuments were adopted. The state departments found it difficult to engage corporate bodies under this scheme.

Thus, on 16 May 2023, the government decided to revise the Adopt a Heritage scheme due to the difficulty in adopting several sites and the lack of applications for adopting heritage sites. The government will soon launch the Adopt a Heritage revamped scheme. A pilot of the revamped scheme was implemented at Delhi’s Red Fort at Delhi, which has shown results. Officials stated that apart from projection mapping, sound and light shows will be introduced in these sites.

Officials also said that a website would be launched for the Adopt a Heritage scheme, and road shows and other activities would be carried out to publicise the scheme among people.