{
  "id": 13818427,
  "title": "‘Vestige of colonialism?’ Architect says India’s landmarks rise from stone, tears and sweat of its people",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/11/vestige-of-colonialism-architect-says-indias-landmarks-rise-from",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-11T23:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2026/10/12/vestige-of-colonialism-architect-says-indias-landmarks-rise-from-stone-tears-and-sweat-of-its-people/238663"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "MUMBAI, October 12 — Abha Narain Lambah, a 56-year-old architect, has been tirelessly working for three decades to preserve India's most significant historic sites, from ancient Buddhist caves to Art Deco buildings in Mumbai. The architect, who began her journey as a concerned citizen, expressed her strong belief that the heritage was left to decay for too long. In a rapidly growing nation, urban development is taking place at an alarming pace, resulting in a limited number of heritage regulations and protections. Lambah's career began as an activist after working with Joseph Allen Stein, an American architect who helped merge modernist and traditional Indian architecture. Lambah's efforts include conserving over 20 world heritage sites, including the Hampi Hindu temple, Le Corbusier's masterpieces in Chandigarh, and Bodh Gaya, where Buddha attained enlightenment. In Mumbai, she has worked on preserving the historic David Sassoon Library, Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue, Bandra railway station, and the Royal Opera House. When asked why India should conserve \"vestiges of colonialism,\" Lambah argues that these buildings are \"as Indian as they get,\" built from the stone, tears, and sweat of Indian people. Her work reminds us that they are an integral part of India's 6,000-year-old built heritage. Lambah acknowledges the long and challenging road ahead as they strive to catch up with the necessary conservation efforts.",
  "summary": "MUMBAI, Oct 12 — For three decades, Abha Narain Lambah has pioneered efforts to preserve some of India’s mos...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}