Abha Narain Lambah fights to save India's historic sites

Abha Narain Lambah, a Mumbai-based architect, has spent three decades working to preserve some of India's major historic sites, from ancient Buddhist caves and Islamic tombs to Hindu temples and the Gateway of India.

Lambah, 56, told AFP her work began as a concerned citizen after seeing heritage buildings left to decay. She said many historic buildings in India are not protected by government rules, while local communities and owners often lack the money to maintain them.

Her work has included conservation planning for more than 20 world heritage sites, including a 15th-century Hindu temple at Hampi, Le Corbusier's buildings in Chandigarh, Rajasthan's Amer Fort and Bodh Gaya.

In Mumbai, Lambah has worked on sites including the David Sassoon Library, the Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue, Bandra railway station and the Royal Opera House. She is also working to conserve the Gateway of India, a landmark built under British rule but, she argues, shaped by Indian labour and architectural traditions.

Lambah said heritage rules have expanded in the past 30 years, especially in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kolkata, but remain limited. She said more young architects are now studying and practising conservation, though she described the task ahead as long and difficult.