Bengaluru: In a significant step towards preserving India’s vast cultural legacy, the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) has launched a new digital heritage-mapping portal named “KASTURI”, aimed at creating a comprehensive and dynamic database of the country’s historical assets.
The launch coincided with the first death anniversary of renowned space scientist K. Kasturirangan, underlining his contributions to science and national development. The initiative reflects a growing push to integrate technology with heritage conservation.
The portal—KASTURI (Knowledge-base of Archaeology and Heritage using Spatial Technologies: Unified Resource for India)—is designed as a national-level digital platform that goes beyond conventional documentation methods. Unlike traditional heritage records that primarily focus on protected monuments, KASTURI aims to map entire cultural landscapes, including temples, forts, settlements, ancient water systems, and historic routes, even those that fall outside officially protected zones.
What makes the platform distinctive is its integration of advanced technologies. It combines satellite imagery, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), archival records, historical maps, and field-based documentation into a unified spatial framework. This multi-layered approach enables users to visualize and analyse heritage data in a far more comprehensive manner than earlier systems.
According to project lead MB Rajani, the initiative is intended to support a wide range of stakeholders, including researchers, urban planners, conservationists, and policy-makers. By offering a centralized and data-rich platform, KASTURI is expected to enhance decision-making related to heritage preservation and urban development.
Experts note that India’s cultural heritage extends far beyond its officially listed monuments, with thousands of historically significant sites remaining undocumented or vulnerable. In this context, the portal’s broader scope could help identify and protect lesser-known heritage assets, ensuring they are not lost due to urban expansion or neglect.
The launch also aligns with India’s broader push towards digitisation and cultural preservation, where technology is increasingly being used to safeguard historical knowledge. Similar efforts in recent years have focused on creating national databases and digital repositories to document manuscripts, monuments, and intangible heritage.
Importantly, KASTURI is not just a static database but a dynamic and evolving knowledge platform. Its design allows for continuous updates and expansion, meaning new data can be added over time, making it a living archive of India’s cultural geography.
Scholars believe that such initiatives could also transform academic research and public engagement with heritage, as digital accessibility makes information more widely available. The integration of spatial technologies further opens up possibilities for interactive mapping, predictive analysis, and heritage risk assessment.
With the launch of KASTURI, NIAS has positioned itself at the forefront of heritage science and digital humanities in India, reinforcing the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in tackling complex cultural challenges.
As India continues to balance rapid urbanisation with the need to preserve its past, platforms like KASTURI could play a crucial role in bridging the gap between development and conservation, ensuring that the country’s rich and diverse heritage is documented, understood, and protected for future generations.
