MORE pages of history will get a scrub to smarten up the Capital before 2010 Commonwealth Games. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has now included as many as 46 monuments that will be spruced up for the event.
This is almost a three-fold rise in the ASI’s restoration list – from the earlier 15 – and includes some that lie largely unnoticed.
“The list includes monuments that make a telling story of the architectural relevance of a particular era,” a senior ASI official said, “and thereby the stress on them.” (See box for list of structures covered).
“We will work on better signages, explanations and will do up environs of the monuments apart from their restoration,” the official said. “Even if tourists do not stop by these monuments, we would like them to notice the rich architectural heritage of Delhi.”
The agency has also roped in some private concerns for upgrading particular sites. The Aga Khan Trust, for instance, will give a face-lift to Aga Khan’s tomb in the Nizammudin dargah complex, while SAIL will help with five protected monuments in Lodhi Gardens.
Ismailimail 
This is such a fitting match, the Aga Khan Trust becoming involved with the Archeological Survey of India to refurbish so many historical sites in preparation for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Dehli. I can tell you they(the Chinese government) are doing the same in China in preparation for the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Having just returned from an extensive tour of China, including Beijing, Shanghai and 5 cities on the Chinese portion of the ancient and fabled Silk Route(Xian, Dunhuang, Turpan, Urumqi and Kashgar), I can tell you there is feverish activity to ensure that all the main tourist spots in China(and there are many of them) are in tip-top condition in time for the Olympics next year, when many visitors to the Olympics are expected to extend their stays in China to tour other parts of the country. The Chinese are sparing no effort to also ensure that many heritage sites pertinent to the Islamic minorities, mostly in the western half of the country, are spruced up.
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