Allahabad High Court issues Notices to centre, State on petition seeking UNESCO World Heritage tag for entire Vrindavan and protect of all heritage structures, including the 48 Ghats along Yamuna in Vrindavan, and kunds in the Braj-Vrindavan region
More than 5000 ancient monuments/structures of more than 100 years existing in Braj-Vrindavan, which have never been identified and protected; Priceless heritage structures in Braj-Vrindavan disappearing and turning into shambles, states the petition
By Vrindavan Today Bureau
26th March, 2026, Prayagraj / Vrindavan: In a significant update, taking note of the dilapidated condition of heritage sites and structures at various places in Uttar Pradesh, such as Vrindavan, Mathura, Agra, Jhansi, Lucknow and Hastinapur, the Allahabad High Court has issued Notices to the Ministry of Culture, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), National Monuments Authority (NMA), Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Uttar Pradesh government and the UP State Archaeology Department.
The court has asked the concerned departments in the state and the Ministries in the Central government to respond within eight weeks.
The court passed the Order on a petition preferred by Akash Vashishtha, a heritage and culture proponent and lawyer, who agitated that some of the most priceless heritage sites and structures, situated in various districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Mathura, were turning into shambles and dilapidated structures due to the abject failure of the concerned public authorities to protect and preserve them.
The petition, inter alia, seeks protection of all heritage structures, including the 48 Ghats along Yamuna in Vrindavan, and kunds in the Braj-Vrindavan region (Mathura district) and directions to get UNESCO World Heritage status for entire Vrindavan. The petition also seeks directions to the concerned public authorities to prepare the List/Compendium of Ancient Archaeological Monuments/Heritage sites and structures of 100 years or more, existing in each district of the state, including in the Braj-Vrindavan region, which are lying unprotected/unconserved and place the same on website(s), and duly protect and preserve the same.
The petition places reliance on the News story, titled, ‘Bleeding Heritage’, dated: April 2022, published by Vrindavan Today, which reported that several important heritage structures such as the Potra Kund, Davanal Kund, Govind Kund, Hariji Kund, Narad Kund, Madhusudan Kund, Vihval Kund, Priya Kund and Vrishabhanu Kund were facing neglect at the hands of the public authorities.
The petition states that the Braj-Vrindavan region (Mathura district) alone has more than 5000 ancient monuments/structures of more than 100 years old, including old Havelis, Temples, Kunds and 48 Ghats (along Yamuna River), which have never been identified and listed, let alone been protected and their owners/occupiers have never been incentivised/encouraged for protection or conservation.
Some of the archaeological heritage marvels in Vrindavan, as identified and sought to be protected, by the Braj Vrindavan Devalaya Samiti include but not limited to: Keshi Ghat, Laxmi Rani Kunj, Kishori Rani Ghat, Rao Ji Ghera, Pandawala Ghat, Jugal Ghat, Cheer Ghat, Govind Ghat, Tikari Wala Ghat, Himmat Giri Ghat, Ganga Mohan Cutcherry, Gwalior Mandir, Jaipur Mandir, Shringaar Vat, Jugal Bihari Temple, Prask Nandan Ghat, Vanshi Vat, Nidhi Van, Madan Singh Kunj, Lala Babu Mandir, Kunjas in Ram Bagh, Kunjas in Gyan Godari, Charkhari Wali Kunj, Favaria Kunj, Radha Bawri and ancient Havelis in Vrindavan. In a meeting held on 20.04.2025, the Braj Vrindavan Devalaya Samiti requested the Petitioner to apprise the Hon’ble High Court about the vast rich archaeological and cultural heritage existing in Braj-Vrindavan region and to seek protection for all heritage structures in the region and to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for entire Vrindavan.
The petition further states that Radha Ballabh Temple in Vrindavan have been critically damaged by defacement, desecration and defiling. The Jugal Kishor Temple monument in Vrindavan also remains closed most of the daytime and the ASI has not deployed any staff personnel at most of the protected monuments in Vrindavan.
Out of 5416 heritage/historic buildings in the state, as enlisted by INTACH, 1005 ancient structures are situated in Mathura district alone, the petition highlights.
Appearing for the Petitioner, Mr. Sanjay Upadhyay, Senior Advocate (along with Mr. Pawan Kumar Tiwari, Eisha Krishn and Mansi Bachani, Advocates), argued that as many as about 3500 archaeological heritage monuments and ancient sites exist across the state, which are lying completely unprotected, as per the official records, out of which only 212 are purportedly claimed to be protected by the State Archaeology Department.
“As per the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, which is an institution of national repute, there are as many as 5416 heritage/historic buildings across the state. However out of these, only 421 are being protected, that is, 212 by the UP State Archaeology Department, 154 by ASI, Agra and 55 by ASI, Lucknow). The remaining 4995 ancient structures are in shambles and on the verge of complete disappearance.”
“All these heritage structures enlisted by INTACH are in dire need of protection by the authorities concerned. Both the state as well as the Central government are under a mandate under the Ancient Monuments Act to protect these structures. Some of the most important heritage structures under the jurisdiction of the Agra circle do not have the necessary Heritage Bye-laws required under the scheme of the Ancient Monuments Act, till date, Mr. Upadhyay submitted.
Responding to the court’s query if old heritage structures in Varanasi could be termed as abandoned, Mr. Upadhyay replied, “Whether a heritage structure is lying abandoned or unprotected, it is to be protected under the law. Assuming even if a structure is protected but encroached, even then the encroachments are to be removed and the monument is to be protected.”
The petition agitates that in addition to the recognized monuments, numerous structures such as Temples, Havelis, Ghats and Sarais which are much more than 100 years old fall outside the protection regime and are neither proposed by the UP State Archaeology Department nor ASI for any kind of protection.
The petition further raises that the State government has completely failed in its duty to identify and inventorize the archaeological sites and heritage structures which are lying unprotected and protect them in terms of the mandate assigned to it under Sections 3 and 20 of the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1904, as set out under Schedule I of the UP Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Preservation Act, 1956.
Notwithstanding provisions in the Policy/Project for the Development of Ancient Monuments and Sites, January 2021, launched by the Department of Culture (Directorate of State Archaeology), Government of Uttar Pradesh, no substantive action has been taken towards the preservation of the Ancient Monuments and heritage sites and historic structures by the Directorate of State Archaeology.
The ASI, Agra Circle has failed to prepare the Heritage Bye-laws for even a single Centrally Protected Monument out of 154 such Monuments under its jurisdiction under Section 20E of The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. Only Composite Maps have been prepared in respect of 09 out of 154 Monuments, the petition states.
The ASI, Agra Circle as well as the National Monuments Authority have failed to prepare Heritage Bye laws and detailed site-plans for even the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, namely the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri, even after elapsing of 15 years from the date of coming into force (i.e. 29.03.2010) of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010. Between 08.09.2023 and 08.04.2025, i.e. in a period of more than 18 months, no new and further offence in addition to the existing 3913 offences, has been registered by the ASI, Agra Circle, when on the contrary numerous, large-scale illegal and unauthorized constructions and encroachments are being carried out within the Protected Area of the Monuments as well as the Prohibited and Regulated Areas, thereof.
Out of 55 Centrally Protected Monuments/Sites under its jurisdiction of the ASI, Lucknow Circle, Heritage Bye-laws have not been prepared for 16 monuments. Due to the failure of ASI and NMA to frame the Heritage bye-laws and prepare the detailed site plans for each Protected Monument, the very heritage styles, the facades, lanes etc. of most of the Protected Monuments/Protected Areas have resultantly lost their majestic archaeology and heritage value.
The number of ancient monuments and heritage sites and structures in Uttar Pradesh far outnumber the monuments in any other state. As a consequence of non-protection, some of the most ancient archaeological monuments, heritage sites and structures are being usurped, encroached and/or put to some other non-heritage uses by private individuals as well as public authorities. Several monuments and structures have been demolished to raise constructions of new structures, completely oblivious to the rich heritage and tourism value of such structures, the petition canvasses.
Because of non-protection, several ancient monuments have completely been removed unscrupulously, while leaving no trace of such monuments at the places they existed. Even protected monuments have been badly damaged by defacement, desecration and defiling, the petition states.
The petition seeks urgent directions for protection of all 5416 heritage buildings documented by INTACH and the identification and inventorization of all heritage sites and structures of 100 years or older in all districts of the state and effective and efficacious protection to all such structures, so that the culture flowing therefrom is preserved for posterity.
What is sought in the Petition:
- to protect all 5,416 Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Heritage/historic sites and structures in the state, as documented/listed by INTACH (in terms of Para- above);
- to identify and thoroughly document all the 3500 heritage sites and structures existing across the state which are lying completely unprotected and duly protect the same;
- to prepare the Heritage bye-laws and detailed site plans in respect of each Centrally Protected Monument/Protected Area, in Uttar Pradesh under Section 20E of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, in a reasonable, time-bound period, place the same on website, and strictly implement and enforce the same;
- to prepare the List/Compendium of Ancient Archaeological Monuments/Heritage sites and structures of 100 years or more, existing in each district of the state which are lying unprotected/unconserved, place the same on website(s), and duly protect and preserve the same;
- to protect all heritage structures, including the 48 Ghats along Yamuna in Vrindavan, and kunds in the Braj-Vrindavan region (Mathura district) and take steps to get UNESCO World Heritage status for entire Vrindavan;
- to deploy adequate number of personnel such as Archaeologists, ticketing and security staff, supervisors, maintenance workers, gardeners and horticulturalists at each centrally or state-Protected Monument/Protected Area;
- to erect and install large-display Signages and Boards at each centrally or state-Protected Monument/Protected Area, bearing the details of such Monument or Heritage site or structure, along with the caution/warnings and offence-related provisions in case of causing damage, defacement, encroachments etc., thereon;
- constitution of a ‘Heritage Protection and Development Board’, with a multi-tier structural and functional framework, conferred with adequate, wholesome powers to deal with all kinds of issues related to damage, defacement, encroachments etc. at any monument or heritage site or structure in Uttar Pradesh;
- to implement all the recommendations made in the Working Group Report on Improving Heritage Management in India, prepared by Niti Ayog, in a time-bound manner;
- to implement the provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Policy 2022 with regard to heritage conservation and set up District Tourism Promotion Council in all districts of the state;
- to implement the provisions of the Policy/Project for the Development of Ancient Monuments and Sites, prepared in January 2021 by the Department of Culture (Directorate of State Archaeology), Government of Uttar Pradesh;
- constitution of a Monitoring Committee, with independent members, to be headed by a former Judge of this Hon’ble Court, to deal with all issues pertaining to heritage preservation in the state.
