Introduction

In this introductory chapter, the colonial legacy of creating distinctive sacred spaces relating to architectural form defined in religious terms such as Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Muslim, etc. is discussed along with a second thrust on the theme of categorisation of monuments, which were placed in a hierarchy ranging from national heritage to unprotected heritage. This hierarchy of “national”, “state”, “living” and unprotected monuments has continued even after the Independence of India on 15 August 1947 and has also determined the listing of many of these on the World Heritage List. This has resulted in a disconnect between the Indian government’s avowed policy of building on India’s ancient past for sustaining diplomatic overtures with its neighbours.