The Archaeological Survey of India is responsible for protecting and maintaining archaeological sites and monuments of national importance across India. It regulates archaeological activities according to relevant laws and is divided into regional Circles for maintenance. It employs archaeologists, conservators, and other experts to conduct research projects, excavations, and conservation efforts to preserve India's cultural heritage. Key activities include structural conservation of monuments, chemical preservation of objects, and managing over 3,650 ancient monuments, archaeological sites, forts, temples and other historic structures across India.

1. ARCHITECTURAL CONSERVATION

2. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), under the Ministry of Culture, is the
premier organization for the archaeological researches and protection of the
cultural heritage of the nation.
 Maintenance of ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of
national importance is the prime concern of the ASI.
ASI as an attached office under the Department of Culture, Ministry of Tourism
and Culture, is the premier organization for the archaeological researches and
protection of the cultural heritage of the nation.
Besides it regulate all archaeological activities in the country as per the
provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act,
1958.
It also regulates Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972.
 For the maintenance of ancient monuments and archaeological sites and
remains of national importance the entire country is divided into 24 Circles.
The organization has a large work force of trained archaeologists, conservators,
epigraphist, architects and scientists for conducting archaeological research
projects through its Circles, Museums, Excavation Branches, Prehistory Branch,
Epigraphy Branches, Science Branch, Horticulture Branch, Building Survey
Project, Temple Survey Projects and Underwater Archaeology Wing.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA
HISTORY
It was founded in its current form in 1861 by Sir Alexander
Cunningham with the help of the then Viceroy Canning.
It regulates all the archaeological activities in the country as per
the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites
and Remains Act, 1958 and the Antiquities and Art Treasure Act,
1972. According to the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological
Sites and Remains Act, 1958, an ‘Ancient Monument’ is defined as
follows:- “Ancient Monument means any structure, erection or
monument, or any tumulus or place of interment, or any cave,
rock-sculpture, inscription or monolith which is of historical,
archaeological or artistic interest and which has been in existence
for not less than 100 years and includes—
•Remains of an ancient monument
•Site of an ancient monument
•Such portion of land adjoining the site of an ancient monument as
may be required for fencing or covering in or otherwise preserving
such monument
•The means of access to, and convenient inspection of, an ancient
monument;”
It defines archaeological site and remains as, “any area which
contains or is reasonably believed to contain ruins or relics of
historical or archaeological importance which have been in
existence for not less than one hundred years, and includes—

3. CONSERVATION & PRESERVATION
Structural Conservation
The earlier attempts to give a legal framework for preventing
vandalism were the two legislations namely the Bengal
Regulation of 1810 and Madras Regulation of 1817.
The monuments and sties that received nominal funds and
attention way back in 19th century was Taj Mahal, Tomb at
Sikandara, Qutb Minar, Sanchi and Mathura. Based on the
proposal submitted in 1898, 5 Circles were constituted to do the
Archaeological work in India. These Circles were required to
devote themselves entirely to conservation work.
Later the ‘Ancient Monuments and Preservation Act, 1904’ was
passed with the prime objective to ensure the proper upkeep
and repair of ancient buildings in private ownership excepting
such as those used for religious purposes. From the first decade
of the last century therefore many monuments could be taken
up for conservation.
One of the foremost conservators, J. Marshall who laid down
the principles of conservation was also instrumental in
preserving a number of monuments some of which are now
under the World Heritage List. The conservation work of stupas
at Sanchi earlier lying in a maze of ruins gave the site its pristine
looks.
Before
conservation
After
conservation
FUNCTIONS AND POWERS
Archaeological Survey of India is an attached office of department of
Culture with headquarters in New Delhi.
It has 24 regional Circles and 5 Regional Directorates.
Its main functions are:
• preservation, conservation and environmental development of centrally
protected monuments and sites, including World Heritage Monuments and
antiquities
• maintenance of gardens & development of new gardens surrounding
centrally protected monuments and sites
• exploration and excavation of ancient sites
• specialized study of inscription and various phases of Indian architecture
•maintenance of Archaeological site Museums
•Operation of the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act
• Research and Training in different areas of Archaeology ASI is the successor
of The Asiatic Society of India.
•Such portion of land adjoining the area as may be required for fencing or covering in
or otherwise preserving it,
•The means of access to, and convenient inspection of the area;”

4. Chemical preservation
The Archaeological Survey of India’s Science Branch is
responsible mainly for the chemical conservation treatment
and preservation of some three thousand five hundred
ninety three Protected monuments besides chemical
preservation of museum and excavated objects
countrywide.
To ensure the stability as well as proper conservation of our
cultural heritage, there is a need to give more thrust to the
scientific research in conservation options must be based on
a preliminary investigation which includes the knowledge of
physical nature of the object (constituent materials,
architectural characteristics, production techniques, state of
decay) and of the factors which induce or could induced its
decay.
The role of scientific discipline is vital to both these steps of
conservation activities.
Accordingly, a specific objective of scientific research
activities in conservation being carried out by the Science
Branch is aimed to study:
•Material deterioration process.
•Basic studies of intervention technologies.
•Basic studies on materials.
•Diagnostic technologies.
Before preservation
After preservation
MONUMENTS
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) under the provisions
of the AMASR Act, 1958 protects monuments, sites and
remains of national importance by giving a two-month’s notice
for inviting objections, if any in this regard.
After the specified two-month’s period, and after scrutinizing
the objections, if any, received in this regard, the ASI makes
decision to bring a monument under its protection.
There are at present more than 3650 ancient monuments
and archaeological sites and remains of national importance.
 These monuments belong to different periods, ranging from
the prehistoric period to the colonial period and are located in
different geographical settings.
They include temples, mosques, tombs, churches,
cemeteries, forts, palaces, step-wells, rock-cut caves, and
secular architecture as well as ancient mounds and sites which
represent the remains of ancient habitation.
These monuments and sites are maintained and preserved
through various Circles of the ASI spread all over the country
Red fort,Delhi

5. .The Circles look after the research on these
monuments and conservation activities, while the
Science Branch with its headquarters at Dehradun
carries out chemical preservation and the Horticulture
Branch with its headquarters at Agra is entrusted with
the laying out gardens and environmental
development.
EXCAVATIONS
Various Branches and Circles of the ASI carry out
archaeological excavations in different parts of the
country. Wing. Since independence various agencies
like the Archaeological Survey of India, State
Departments of Archaeology, Universities and other
research organisations have conducted archaeological
excavations in different parts of the country Adichchannallur, Tirunelveli
Thrissur Circle of Archaeological Survey of India was
established in April 1997, separated from Chennai Circle with
the Monuments/Sites in Kerala and adjoining districts of
Tamilnadu viz. Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Nilgiri.
There are totally 28 monuments and 9 sites protected under
the purview of Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites
and Remains Act, 1958 and Rules 1959 are under the
administrative control of the Circle. Most of this monuments
and sites were under the protection of erstwhile states of
Cochin and Travancore.
The monuments protected include Temples, Jaina
monuments, a church, Forts and a Palace. Most of the
Temples in Kerala are wooden edifies with granite or laterite
plinth. The inner walls of the Mattancherry palace and outer
walls of temples are generally covered with valuable mural
paintings carried out in traditional Kerala style, while the sites
are megalithic in nature.
THRISSUR CIRCLE OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA
BURIAL CAVE ,CHOWANNUR :
The megalithic rock cut cave at Chowannur is situated
about 3km northeast of the town of Kunnamkulam, district
Thrissur. It is entered through a recessed opening on the
east. The other sides of its chamber are circular and its
vault hemispherical. On its northern and southern sides are
two benches and there are five circular blocks along the
western side of the chamber, which appear to be intended
as stands for vessels.
The site is a centrally protected monument under the
control of Archaeological Survey of India since 1951 .
Siva temple, Peruvanam
,Cherpu
Rock cut cave ,Vizhinjam

6. ARIYANNUR UMBRELLAS ,ARIYANNUR :
Ariyannur is a megalithic site with huge umbrella-like stones (
Topikkal ) covering the burial. Six Umbrella stones stand here in a
group. Of them four are intact and two are partly broken. An
umbrella stone consists of a curvilinear laterite stone with a
wide circular flat base resting on four clinostats. The clinostats
bevelled on the outside and each one of them faces cardinal
direction. The umbrella stone looks like an oversize mushroom
lopping a stem of truncated paraboloid figure. It would seem
that the stone structures erected over an urn burial. Locally it is
called as Kudaikkallu (Umbrella Stone).
Recent excavations at Ariyannur have revealed two urns, small
one and large one. The bigger urn has the ring chain decorations
with parallel symmetrical ends.
The site is a centrally protected monument under the control of
Archaeological Survey of India since 1951.
EXCAVATION AT CHERAMANGANAD
(1990-91 AND 2002-03):
The centrally protected Megalithic burial site at Cheramangad
have different types like the topical ( umbrella stone ) hood-
stone, multiple hood-stones, stone circle, and burials marked
by a capstone only on the surface. One each of five types of
burials was opened with a view to understanding the
interrelationship between them.
Megalith-I, marked by a hood-stone revealed on excavation
an internment of an urn within a pit measuring 1.05m in
depth. The burial furniture inside the urn included highly
disintegrated bones, a vase in red ware, russet-coated white
painted ware bowl of concave profile with featureless rim.
However, from outside the urn, a red ware vase, three bowls
in black-and-red ware and an unidentified iron object, placed
at different levels, were obtained. It is sealed with nearly
dressed semi-hemispherical laterite hood stone.
Megalith- II was of multiple hood-stone type made of eight
clinostats. Excavation up to 1·95 m below the ground level did
not yield any kind of interment. It was observed that the
clinostats were buried in a pit dug specially for them.
Megalith- III was of topikal or Umbrella-stone type. The
surface feature of this burial is characterised by four
clinostats jointing p in to a square at the base on the outside
and bevelled in such a way to close up along with diagonals
of the square to carry a semi-hemispherical capstone. This
burial too had no interment

7. .Megalith-IV, marked by a granite capstone (1·75 x 1·50 m), revealed similar internal
features like that of megalith I with an urn interred in a pit cut into the lateritic natural
soil; the urn contained, in all, eleven pots, majority of them being of red ware with
fragments of bones deposited at the bottom No iron implement was recovered from this
burial.
Megalith V was marked by a circle of laterite stones on the surface. Excavation revealed
that within the circle; there were three pit-burials.
The excavation revealed several interesting features. The characteristic Topical and the
multiple hood-stone type probably symbolic burials did not yield any interment.
Secondly, Megalith V seems to be an important burial within the site because of its
collective nature, large number of artefacts including the copper bowls, and the
individual architectural features.
REFERENCE:
http://www.gktoday.in/archaeological-survey-of-india/
http://asi.nic.in/asi_aboutus_history.asp