Chandigarh heritage items to go under the hammer in London

As many as 10 articles worth more than Rs 1.5 crore will be auctioned by auction house BONHAM on October 14.

Heritage items from Chandigarh, designed by Pierre Jeanneret and Le Corbusier, will be auctioned in London, England, on October 14.

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As many as 10 articles worth more than Rs 1.5 crore will be auctioned by auction house BONHAM. These include chairs, armchairs and tables designed for the high court and administrative buildings.

“The government needs to urgently intervene in the matter. The recent ASI order regarding banning the export of heritage items through sea and air ports evidences that our nation is committed to stop cultural trafficking,” said Ajay Jagga, a city-based advocate and member of the Heritage Protection Cell, Chandigarh.

Trafficking of Chandigarh’s cultural property is going on since 2007, with over 50 auctions having been held in various countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France.

“The auction of Indian heritage is causing huge loss to nation’s prestige, apart from violating the ASI ban. It is appealed that all Indian embassies be alerted and UN may also be approached reminding its international commitment to UNESCO to combat trafficking of cultural objects,” Jagga wrote in a letter to Union minister of external affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.