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In Pictures · VARISTH's Journey

Moments of impact.

Heritage missions to the temples of Raebareli · IIT Roorkee field visits · INORC training in Turkey · NCC engagement · academic recognitions · Yonmengaiki workshop with Kyoto DPRI. Curated photographs from VARISTH Global Foundation's journey since October 2021.

Krishna Temple interior - marble inlay floors and painted ceilings
Heritage · Mathura

Krishna Temple — marble inlay floors & painted ceilings

A documented site during VARISTH's heritage reconnaissance — exemplifying the craftsmanship of pre-modern Indian artisans. Col. Ritesh visible during the visit.

Ancient Temples of UP - VARISTH publication cover
Publication · 2022-23

Ancient Temples of UP — Documentation & Way Ahead

VARISTH's first heritage publication, conceptualised by Col. Ritesh Kumar & Dr. Vijaya.

Raebareli temple shikhara - intricate stone carving
Heritage · Raebareli

Temple Shikhara — Lalganj Tehsil

One of the 18 documented temples · 11 formally adopted via UP State Archaeology MOU.

Mission Shakti Phase 4 event poster
Recognition · 25 Aug 2022

Mission Shakti Phase 4 · Lucknow University

Col. Ritesh Kumar & Dr. Vijaya invited as speakers. A UP Government initiative. Patron: Prof. Alok Kumar Rai, Hon'ble VC. Convener: Prof. Madhurima Lall.

Mission Shakti event photo
Recognition · Event Day

Mission Shakti — Felicitation moment

Felicitation at Department of Western History, University of Lucknow.

NCC women cadets attending VARISTH event
Defence · NCC Engagement

NCC Women Cadets · Heritage Awareness

Under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat. VARISTH proposed inclusion of heritage walks in NCC training curriculum.

INORC tethered hot air balloon training
INORC · Indo-Norwegian Collaboration

Hot Air Balloon Training — for heritage tourism

Tethered hot-air balloon training for proposed deployment at Ayodhya, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Agra, Shravasti, and Kushinagar — under VARISTH's INORC partnership.

Balloon training site
INORC · Training Site

Field reconnaissance — rock-cut chimneys

Studying terrain analogies for India's heritage-circuit balloon program.

ICSSR-JSPS Disaster Risk Reduction final report
Research · Indo-Japan

ICSSR-JSPS Final Report · DPRI Kyoto

An Integrated Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation — collaboration with Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University.

Yonmengaiki workshop discussion
Research · Yonmengaiki

Yonmengaiki Workshop — circular dialogue

VARISTH researchers in deliberation with Indo-Japanese counterparts on disaster preparedness.

Yonmengaiki workshop in session
Research · Discussion

Strategy session · Climate & Disaster

Building shared research vocabulary across cultures.

Col. Ritesh Kumar speaking at academic event
Academic · Lecture

Col. Ritesh Kumar — academic address

Bridging defence and academia · Mission: Zero Casualty.

VARISTH event in progress
Academic · Engagement

VARISTH event — engaged audience

A research-and-advocacy presentation at a university partner venue.

Field mission in the Himalayas
Field · Uttarakhand

Mountain mission · solar-powered route

Munsyari border-region work — Inclusive Village Development with IIT Roorkee.

Team group photo outdoor
Field · Team

Foundation team gathering

VARISTH researchers · planning session in the Doon valley.

Team near Himalayan stream
Field · Mountain Streams

Himalayan field work · water studies

Reconnaissance for water-body restoration projects (VSPL JV).

Kashmir Dal Lake houseboat
Field · Kashmir

Dal Lake · houseboat ecology

Heritage tourism scoping in J&K.

Gold temple dome detail
Heritage · Architecture

Temple dome — burnished gold finial

Detail study from documentation pipeline.

Architectural temple elevation sketch
Documentation · IIT Roorkee

Temple elevation — IIT Roorkee sketch

Measured-drawing output from the 30 student-architect field mission, 4 March 2023.

Architectural sketch of temple
Documentation · Sketches

Heritage drawing · gateway study

Plate from the Detailed Restoration Report submitted to UP State Archaeology.

AWS Disaster Response Hackathon
Recognition · AWS 2021-22

AWS Disaster Response Hackathon

2nd globally · Top 7 of 1,465 teams · Thunderstorm & Lightning Prediction using ML on Amazon SageMaker Studio Lab.

Indigenous botanical species
Environment · NBRI

Indigenous flora study

Tree-plantation campaign · scientific oversight with National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow.