India should showcase its heritage with pride: Modi

New Delhi : "India should showcase its great heritage with pride and confidence to the world," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday.

Modi made the remarks while inaugurating Dharohar Bhawan, the new headquarters building of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Emphasizing the need for people to take pride in the country's history and archaeological heritage, Modi said everyone should take a lead in knowing about local history.

The Prime Minister said the ASI had performed significant work over the last 150 years and each archaeological discovery, painstakingly made by archaeologists over long periods of time, had its own story to tell.

He also talked about the importance of well-trained local tourist guides who are familiar with the history and heritage of their area.

The new headquarters of ASI is equipped with modern facilities including energy efficient lighting and rainwater harvesting. It has a Central Archaeological Library with a collection of about 1.5 lakh books and journals.