Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage

The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) is a non-profit charitable organisation registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
In 2007, the United Nations awarded INTACH a special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) was founded in 1984, in New Delhi, with the vision to create a membership organisation to stimulate and spearhead heritage awareness and conservation in India.
Since 1984, INTACH has pioneered the conservation and protection of India's natural and cultural heritage and is today the largest membership organisation in the country dedicated to conservation.
Today it has chapters in 215 Indian cities, as well as chapters in Belgium and the United Kingdom.
The Memorandum of Association and Rules and Regulations of INTACH constituted the first Governing Council of the Trust with the following members: Rajiv Gandhi, Pupul Jayakar, L. K. Jha, M. G. K. Menon, Kapila Vatsyayan, Rajeev Sethi, B. K. Thapar, Martand Singh, Bilkees I. Latif, Madhavrao Scindia, and J. B. Dadachanji.
In 2007, INTACH signed a memorandum of understanding with AusHeritage, Australia's noted heritage network, to collaborate on South Asian and South East Asian regional initiatives.
Among the tasks undertaken by INTACH are restoration of monuments and their management; advocacy for heritage property conservation; public awareness through heritage walks and buses; establishment of heritage clubs in schools; and holding of awareness workshop for teachers of schools and colleges and heritage walks to various unprotected sites.
INTACH has been involved in several protests against destruction and proposed to stop demolition of heritage structures, including Errum Manzil and Osmania Hospital in Hyderabad, and Janata Bazaar in Bengaluru.
Over the years, INTACH has taken up restoration and protection of hundreds of monuments that fall outside the coverage of Archaeological Survey of India and other government agencies, and at times local authorities hand over the upkeep and restoration of heritage structures to INTACH directly.
After developing Raghurajpur, Odisha, India, a place famous for its master ‘Pattachitra’ artists and ‘Gotipua’ dance troupes as a heritage village, which has now become a major rural tourist destination, it later used the same pattern to develop Padmanabhpur village, Ganjam district, Odisha, India, famous for its weavers and folk dancers, into another heritage destination.
In 2007, the government of Goa signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with INTACH for restoration, conservation and maintenance of 51 officially listed heritage and cultural monuments in the state. This includes the restoration and conservation of the 16th century Reis Magos Fort in Goa, then in 2008 INTACH signed another memorandum of understanding with the Government of Delhi for the conservation of 92 monuments in Delhi, in the preparations for the Commonwealth Games 2010.
The INTACH Logo, based on the anthropomorphic copper figure from Shahabad, Uttar Pradesh, belonging to the enigmatic Copper Hoards of the Ganga Valley (circa 1800—1700 BC) is the perceived brand image of INTACH. The classic simplicity and vitality of its lines make it a striking example of primitive man's creative genius.
INTACH's mission to conserve heritage is based on the belief that living in harmony with heritage enhances the quality of life, and it is the duty of every citizen of India as laid down in the Constitution of India. The objectives spelt out in the Memorandum of Association constitute INTACH's Mandate and Vision. Its stated mission to date continues to be:
To achieve the above-stated mission, at subsequent Visioning Exercises further measures were spelt out:
INTACH bestows the following awards:
INTACH has established chapters not only within India but also outside it. It now uses funds raised by its international chapters in Belgium and the United Kingdom, to take up restoration, conservation and protection projects of historical structures and heritage buildings across India.
The INTACH UK Trust, established in 1987, is a registered charity in the United Kingdom funded by the Charles Wallace bequest. The aim of this trust is to support the cause of heritage conservation in India.
Its two main activities are:
In recent years INTACH has been fortunate to receive support from the central government and several state governments, corporate houses and international agencies.