活动名称：木艺木趣国际研讨会暨展览会
时间地点：2011年10月20日，印度班加罗尔J N Tata多功能礼堂
演讲嘉宾：O K Remadevi
演讲题目：Wooden monuments in India, epitomes of beauty and talent, need protection from a biological perspective

摘要：Conservation of natural resources and national heritages is a major challenge of our times, from both environmental and cultural perspective. The most dominant material culture of any country is contributed by the trees in the form of the material, wood. Wooden Monuments not only lock in within them the carbon stocks, but also the cultural heritage of any country. Quality and beauty of wood blended with the skills of dedicated architects of India have created many wooden monuments, which have stood the tests of time, associated with the vagaries of climatic changes and biological agencies. Though they have a major influence on the strength and life of the structures, biological threats are not very much apparent. The art of wood protection was known to the ancestors and it was mostly from the angle of prevention and in some cases with environmental friendly materials. Still, many monuments suffer the attack of microbes and insects and it is a really a difficult puzzle for Archaeological Survey of India and Other National Museums to keep the vintage structures in their past glory and preserve them for posterity. A study into the wooden monuments of the country from a climatological and archaeological perspective, covering aspects of biological status- durability, deterioration by insect borers, termites and decay fungi along with wood identity, anatomy, strength and properties will go a long way in protecting the monuments and at the same time revealing the untold story of their life cycle over many decades. Quantification of degradation, identification of wood species, chemical preservatives used etc. need in situ assays and laboratory experiments. A thing of beauty is a joy for ever and upkeep of the beauty for perpetuating the joy over ages is a task gazing at the wood lovers of the country and the world.

O K Remadevi, Institute of Wood Science and Technology, 18th Cross, Malleswaram, Bangalore-560003, INDIA.