About Us

We are happy to collaborate with DHF India and offer our assistance in preserving the Rang Mahal Gardens and Pavilion. This is consistent with Sonata’s ongoing “Sustainability” programmes, one of which is Protection of National Heritage, Art and Culture, which includes restoring historical places, artwork, and buildings, as well as establishing public libraries and promoting traditional crafts and arts.

I have lived and worked in India for eight years and travelled extensively in the country over the past 50 years. Yet the Deccan Heritage Foundation, through its highly informative lectures and beautifully presented publications, has opened my eyes to a part of Indian history and culture that has been sadly shortchanged by the traditional emphasis on Mughal and Rajput dynasties. A wonderful world of Hindu and Jain temples, of Sultanate architecture and of highly refined arts emanating from all faiths is regularly presented by the Foundation’s expert historians and photographers as a labor of love for the region. For DHF members like me, their message is clear and serves as a beacon encouraging us to Deccani destinations and experiences to come.

Since we first heard one of his lectures nearly two decades ago at Christie’s in London, we have been enthusiastic fans of George Michell’s scholarship. We have continued to learn from his lectures and enjoyed reading his books. We have been blessed, from time to time, with the pleasure of his company and his keen intellect in New York, London and Goa.

For over a decade the annual winter arrival in Mumbai of the members of the Deccan Heritage Foundation has been an event that we have all looked forward to with great pleasure.

Through the DHF we have become acquainted with many of the artistic and architectural treasures of this region that, over the years, seem to have lost their prominence and are in danger of crumbling or being overrun. We are truly indebted to them for these contributions to our understanding of the Deccan as part of the heritage of our nation.The small guidebooks that the DHF has produced have been eye openers to the region. Their comprehensive texts, excellent layouts, maps, and photography have encouraged more travel to these somewhat unexplored parts, and have served travellers such as us very well in navigating these regions, their towns, and the sites within.

Kudos to them for their unflagging work.

Congratulations on all the DHF has accomplished in the Deccan and on the new projects you have launched.  Successfully translating scholarly research into practical action is rare indeed.  A great work to celebrate.

Today we commemorate World Heritage Day – an international day to recognise the monuments and sites that encapsulate the depths and diversity of our histories.

Take, for instance, a US partnership with the University of Mysore and Deccan Heritage Foundation, which provided a $300,000 lifeline to preserve the treasures of the Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion in Mysuru, Karnataka. The treasures preserved and now presented for display at the Mansion’s Folklore Museum – musical instruments, dancers’ costumes, and puppets of mythological figures – transcend the simple cloth, wood, and metal from which they are made. They open a window to the past and grant us a glimpse into the lives of their users; costumes open a window to ages past. The insights they provide on our identity and place in the world are priceless.

These projects inspire visitors, create employment for local artisans, and empower communities to take ownership of their shared story. The reinstated Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion will become a centre of learning in Mysuru, drawing in new tourists and bringing economic benefits to the whole area.