Karnataka's protected heritage structures will soon be accessible on the metaverse. These immersive 3D models will allow virtual tourists to explore the unique features of these monuments from anywhere in the world.
Officials of the Department of Archaeology, Museum, and Heritage (DAMH) told Moneycontrol that the Karnataka Science and Technology department has digitally scanned and documented 530 protected monuments across the state identified for the project.
“This is probably the first time a state archaeology department is joining the metaverse. The idea is to emerge as a frontrunner in establishing a presence for monuments on the metaverse. Of the 530 monuments, 10 heritage structures will be covered in the first phase, incorporating digital data into a metaverse environment along with virtual reality” A Devaraj, DAMH Commissioner, told Moneycontrol.
The department will soon hire a private consultant to develop a hyper-realistic virtual reality walkthrough experience for the monuments.
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The 10 monuments selected for creating walkthroughs using immersive 3D and generative AI technology are: Bhoo Varahaswamy temple in Mysuru, Chamarajeshwara temple in Chamarajanagar, Bhuvaneshwari Mantapa and ancillary shrines in Melukote, Lakshminarasimha temples in Chitradurga and Shivamogga, Virupaksha temple and monuments in Hampi, Shor Gumbaz in Kalaburagi, Bijapur Arch & Afzal Khan's Mosque in Kalaburagi, Shri Veeranarayan temple in Gadag, and the Kashilinga temple in Belagavi, that's made of black stone.
“The work includes planning and recording voice-overs in English and Kannada, integrated with the immersive walkthrough. We have also included 19 Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) monuments in Karnataka in this project, including the Virupaksha temple and other monuments in Hampi. The 3D walkthroughs will highlight the historical and architectural significance of Karnataka's monuments, and will be enriched with audio narratives and embedded videos,” said an official.
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“People across the world will be able to experience the digital walkthrough and may be inspired to visit the monuments in person. This will also spark interest among the public, tourists, and historians to see the monuments in their real form. As footfalls increase, the area could become a tourist destination. It will also create awareness about heritage conservation and boost local employment,” said Devaraj.
He said DAMH possesses digital (3D and laser) data of 530 monuments, and is ready to share it with the public. "The data is freely available for anyone to use, and they can create games or other content with it," he added.
Swaminathan Natarajan, a heritage enthusiast, said, "With more than 800 state-protected monuments, Karnataka has one of the largest number of heritage structures in the country. Digitisation of state-protected monuments is a positive step, and it should be made accessible to everyone online. We should also focus on protecting and restoring all heritage monuments, starting with all state-protected monuments."
Meanwhile, Karnataka Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment) Bill, 2024 has been notified. It allows companies, societies, trusts (under their CSR programmes), NGOs, individuals, and others to become 'Smaraka Mitras' and adopt and help maintain ancient monuments, archaeological sites, heritage buildings and areas in Karnataka per government guidelines. The state government has also launched a website, Namma Smaraka (nammasmaraka.in), for those interested in adopting a monument in Karnataka.
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