Rajasthan’s amazing heritage is its identity. Rajasthan’s ancient heritage has won its glory not only in the country but also abroad. Hawa Mahal, Parkota, Bada Rasta, Jantar-Mantar, City Palace in the Jaipur Heritage area of Rajasthan are world-famous but there are many places which are unmatched but far from common information and less known. Digital mapping of these places has been done by the state government to bring them into the limelight so that people can be made aware of them digitally.

Digital Mapping of Monuments

The ‘Map Our Rajasthan’ competition has been launched by the Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK) under the ‘Digital Mapping of Monuments of Rajasthan‘ program. Its objective is to create a Heritage Map of Rajasthan through a Crowd-Creative Campaign. This will help to rediscover and share famous and lesser-known heritage sites of Rajasthan and keep it engaged. The last date to sign up for the contest is 14 November 2020. The competition will be held from 15 November 2020 to 15 January 2021. The competition is being organized by the Department of Arts and Culture, Government of Rajasthan, JKK, and Design Cohort in collaboration with India Lost and Found (ILF).

Tourism will increase

The monuments are not limited to forts and palaces, they are spread everywhere in the state in various forms. Even today, they can be seen as step wells, temples, wells, monasteries, etc. In the remote places of Rajasthan, there are many monuments of which people are less aware. Digital mapping initiatives will be good for the development and conservation of these monuments, this will increase tourism potential and the region will develop economically.

Proper use of technology

This state government initiative aims to unite people in this difficult time of the coronavirus and to use technology effectively in art and archeology. This will help in the preservation and digitization of our monuments. Especially monuments that are less known. One can visit various monuments and take photos from any digital device. Inexperienced, housewives, students, or professionals, anyone can participate in the competition. This competition gives equal opportunities to all.

Contest stages

– Like and follow ILF’s Facebook page (@IndiaLostFound) and the Instagram page (@indialostandfound) to participate in the “Map Our Rajasthan” contest

– Click on the link given in the bio on the Instagram page or the pinned post on the Facebook page

– This will open a form in which necessary details have to be filled and the district of Rajasthan has to be selected for which digital mapping has to be done.

– Upon registration, each participant will receive a docket of competition rules and guidelines.

The competition will feature prizes for the winners and runners-up in various categories. These categories are – The QuickSilver (Fastest Database Compilation), The Sharpshooter (Comprehensive Database), The Shutterbug (Best Picture), The Hidden Gem (Rarest Searches), The Savior (Most Threatened Site), The Multiplier (Double the Number of Entries ) And The Ranger (purely sub-urban or rural exploration). An exhibition of selected entries will also be held at the end of the competition. For this initiative by the state government, citizens of any region can register and contribute to preserving the monuments. Digitization will go a long way in maintaining these legacies for a long time and making them easily accessible among the people.