Media and Press Release

DATE: 28 January 2025

Place: Gadag 

The Deccan Heritage Foundation is pleased to announce the commencement of a new restoration project in Sudi, Gadag District, Karnataka.

With the full endorsement of the Government of Karnataka and the generous support of Mrs. Rajashree Pinnamaneni, in memory of her late father Dr. Subba Rao Devineni, the Deccan Heritage Foundation (DHF) has begun the restoration of the Nagakunda stepwell and surrounding monuments in Sudi under the Government’s “Adopt a Monument” scheme. Sri H. K. Patil — the Minister for Tourism, Mrs. Rajashree Pinnamaneni and her team from Gandipet Welfare Society (GWS), and the DHF co-founders Dr. Helen Philon and Stephane Bloch Saloz attended the signing of the agreement on the 28th of January in Gadag.  

Sudi, a town in north Karnataka, and once a historic stronghold of the Kalyani Chalukya dynasty, boasts remarkable 10th and 11th-century temples, and the stepwell represents a unique example of subterranean architecture combined with ancient water management systems. The project will involve restoring the natural hydrological balance of the stepwell to supply drinking water to the people living nearby, as well as creating pathways between the nearby temples and the stepwell, preserving the monuments’ deep cultural and social significance. The DHF will collaborate with Heritage Matters and the Water Literacy Foundation on this important undertaking. 

In the same vein as the DHF’s other restoration efforts, this project not only aims to preserve the heritage of Sudi but also to place it on the map as a significant cultural destination, only two hours from Hampi and one hour from Badami. Through this initiative, the DHF hopes to restore the site to its former grandeur, while engaging local communities and promoting sustainable tourism in the area. 

About the Deccan Heritage Foundation

Founded by architectural historians Dr. Helen Philon and Dr. George Michell, with Stephane Bloch Saloz as co-founder, the Deccan Heritage Foundation is comprised of a committed group of scholars, philanthropists and heritage workers from around the world, united by a common purpose — to restore, maintain and inform the public about the Deccan’s built heritage. The DHF's mission is to preserve, restore and promote the architectural heritage of the Deccan region of India by bringing together specialists, communities and patrons to undertake conservation and educational programmes. Central to the DHF's approach is keeping the values of local entrepreneurship, community ownership and the environment at the forefront.

www.deccan-heritage-foundation.org