World Monuments Fund Announces Partnership with Government of Madhya Pradesh

Bonnie Burnham, President of World Monuments Fund (WMF), and officials of Madhya Pradesh, announced today a partnership to conserve a portfolio of historic sites in the Indian state. The initial focus will be on a group of seventeen significant buildings at various locations throughout the state, with WMF committing up to $5 million for assessment, documentation, and development of conservation management plans, as well as monitoring the implementation of selected conservation projects to completion. The Madhya Pradesh government will fund the implementation of the projects with funds from the Indian government’s 13th The agreement between Madhya Pradesh and WMF, signed in December 2011, was followed by discussions to select the sites that will be the focus of the conservation partnership. The first project will be at a collection of significant seventeenth-century monuments in Orchha in need of immediate documentation and conservation, including the Laxmi Temple (1662), known for its exceptional mural paintings, and Rai Praveen Palace and Gardens, built in honor of poet and musician Rai Praveen in 1618 and notable for its octagonal Mughal garden. The project is expected to last from 2012 through 2015. Finance Commission