The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has announced the creation of 6 new circles and expansion of 3 others to promote conservation and protect ancient sites and monuments.
The new circles created are Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu, Rajkot in Gujarat, Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, Meerut and Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, and Raiganj in West Bengal.
With this Tamil Nadu will have 2 circles – Chennai and Tiruchirapalli.
The Tiruchi circle has been created keeping in mind the rich archaeological significance of the land of Cheras, Chozhas, Pandyas and Pallavas. Also, Tamil Nadu is home to thousands of temples that are 3000-4000 years old.
Along with the creation of new circles, the Delhi mini circle has been merged with Delhi circle and the Hampi mini circle has been expanded to a full-fledged circle by joining a few areas from the Dharwar circle.