Maarg Manthan · Topic 11.16

HRIDAY

Art & Culture › Miscellaneous · Topic 11.16

HRIDAY stands for the National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana. It was a central sector scheme of the Ministry of Urban Development, later the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, launched on 21 January 2015 with an outlay of Rs 500 crore to improve basic services and the heritage setting of 12 cities: Ajmer, Amaravati, Amritsar, Badami, Dwarka, Gaya, Kanchipuram, Mathura, Puri, Varanasi, Velankanni and Warangal. It was meant to bring urban planning and heritage conservation together. The scheme was time-bound and closed in 2019, and later work has moved to other schemes.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Art & Culture · Miscellaneous

At a Glance

Full name National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana
Launched 21 January 2015
Ministry Urban Development, now Housing and Urban Affairs
Outlay Rs 500 crore
Cities 12
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Art and Culture: Miscellaneous

Where Does It Fit?

This is the sixteenth topic of the macro on miscellaneous subjects, covering the last scheme in the first set of this macro. The tourism and heritage schemes that follow in the macro, such as Swadesh Darshan and PRASAD, continue the idea of developing heritage places. Previous topic: Indian Handicrafts. Next topic: SWADESH DARSHAN.

Which Cities Were Covered by HRIDAY?

City	State	Heritage significance
Ajmer	Rajasthan	Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Pushkar nearby and Taragarh Fort
Amaravati	Andhra Pradesh	Ancient Buddhist stupa and Satavahana centre
Amritsar	Punjab	Golden Temple, the main Sikh shrine
Badami	Karnataka	Chalukya capital with cave temples
Dwarka	Gujarat	Pilgrimage city of Krishna tradition, one of the Char Dham
Gaya	Bihar	Vishnupad Temple and a pilgrimage centre near Bodh Gaya
Kanchipuram	Tamil Nadu	Pallava capital and temple city
Mathura	Uttar Pradesh	Krishna janmabhoomi and Kanishka Gandhara Graeco-Roman style Buddha Mathura Indigenous, red sandstone South Nagarjunakonda and Amaravati…">Mathura school of art
Puri	Odisha	Jagannath Temple and Rath Yatra
Varanasi	Uttar Pradesh	Ancient city on the Ganga, with its ghats
Velankanni	Tamil Nadu	Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health
Warangal	Telangana	Kakatiya capital with the Thousand Pillar Temple and the Ramappa area

What Were the Aims and Funding of HRIDAY, and What Is Its Status Now?

Aim: to preserve the character of heritage cities and make them clean, safe and tourist friendly through services linked to heritage
Approach: the scheme joined heritage conservation with city planning, using a heritage mapping and a city-specific plan for each city
Funding: it was a central sector scheme with full central funding of Rs 500 crore, and it was implemented through the state governments and city agencies
Focus areas: water supply, sanitation, drainage, waste management, public toilets, lighting, roads, signage, and improving access to heritage
Digital: the plan aimed at use of mobile apps and information kiosks for tourists
Period: it was planned for a limited period and ended in 2019, so it is a closed scheme
Criticism: reports found slow progress and low use of funds in several cities
Status: no active HRIDAY scheme exists as of November 2026, and the work has continued through other schemes
Successors: PRASAD, Swadesh Darshan and urban missions fund pilgrimage and heritage tourism

What Else Should You Remember?

Ministry change: the Ministry of Urban Development became the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in 2017
Launch: Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu launched the scheme in New Delhi on 21 January 2015
Heritage city concept: a heritage city is a living city whose historic core shapes its identity and economy
Selection: cities were chosen for their cultural, religious and historic value
Link to tourism: heritage cities attract pilgrim and tourist flows that need good local services
Related schemes: see SWADESH DARSHAN, PRASAD Scheme and Survey of India Ministry Culture Number identified 100 monuments First batch 25 sites, December 2014 Aim Visitor…">Adarsh Smarak Yojana
Smart Cities: some HRIDAY cities, such as Varanasi and Ajmer, were also in the Smart Cities Mission
Heritage mapping: each city prepared a heritage asset map that listed temples, ghats, tanks, old markets and streets, and the map was used to place new services without harming the historic fabric
Citizen services: projects included public conveniences, drinking water points, solid waste collection, street lighting and signage near heritage areas
Implementation: a state-level body and a city-level body managed each project, with a national unit at the Ministry giving guidance and monitoring
Local role: community groups, trusts and local bodies must co-operate for maintenance
Lessons: plans must be financed beyond the project period and need strong local institutions
Exam note: HRIDAY is often asked together with PRASAD and Swadesh Darshan, so remember that HRIDAY was an urban ministry scheme

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

Full form: National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana
Ministry: Urban Development, now Housing and Urban Affairs
Numbers: Rs 500 crore, 12 cities, 21 January 2015
Cities: Ajmer, Amaravati, Amritsar, Badami, Dwarka, Gaya, Kanchipuram, Mathura, Puri, Varanasi, Velankanni and Warangal
Common error: saying that HRIDAY is a Ministry of Tourism or Culture scheme

As an analytical point, heritage cities need integrated planning, because services, traffic and encroachment shape how monuments survive. The closed scheme shows that one-time funds need local institutions and long-term maintenance plans.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Full form Asked directly
Cities State matching
Status Closed scheme

What Came Next?

The next topic covers Swadesh Darshan, the Ministry of Tourism scheme for theme-based tourist circuits. Next topic: SWADESH DARSHAN.

Key People and Terms

HRIDAY Heritage city scheme
Heritage mapping Recording of heritage assets
Central sector scheme Fully funded by the Centre
Augmentation Improvement
Heritage city City with a historic core
Yojana Scheme

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Launch: 21 January 2015.
Outlay: Rs 500 crore.
Cities: 12.
Ministry: Urban Development, now MoHUA.
Status: closed in 2019.

Do Not Confuse With

HRIDAY and PRASAD Heritage city services versus pilgrimage site development
HRIDAY and Swadesh Darshan Urban ministry scheme versus tourism circuits
HRIDAY and Smart Cities Heritage-focused versus broad urban mission

Memory Hook

Twelve cities, five hundred crore, and HRIDAY closes in nineteen.

Mains Angle

Questions ask how heritage and urban development can be linked. These points give a frame.

Integration Planning with heritage
Services Basic urban facilities
Sustainability Funds beyond the scheme

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Evaluate the approach of the HRIDAY scheme to heritage city development and suggest how heritage-sensitive urban planning can be strengthened.”

How to Answer

Aim Heritage with services.
Scope 12 cities.
Lesson Closed in 2019.
Way Local plans and funds.

GS Relevance

Prelims: expansion, ministry, launch, cities and status of HRIDAY. GS Paper 1: Indian heritage and culture; GS Paper 2: urban governance; GS Paper 3: infrastructure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is HRIDAY?

HRIDAY stands for the National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana. It was a central sector scheme launched on 21 January 2015 with an outlay of Rs 500 crore to improve services and the heritage setting of 12 cities, linking heritage conservation with urban planning.

Which ministry ran the HRIDAY scheme?

HRIDAY was run by the Ministry of Urban Development, which became the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in 2017. It was not a Ministry of Culture or Ministry of Tourism scheme, and it was fully funded by the Centre and implemented through states and city bodies.

Which 12 cities were covered by HRIDAY?

The 12 cities were Ajmer, Amaravati, Amritsar, Badami, Dwarka, Gaya, Kanchipuram, Mathura, Puri, Varanasi, Velankanni and Warangal. They were chosen for their cultural, religious and historic importance and were spread across states from Punjab to Tamil Nadu.

What is the latest status of HRIDAY?

HRIDAY was a time-bound scheme and closed in 2019. No active HRIDAY scheme exists as of November 2026, to the best of the information available. Heritage and pilgrimage city work now goes on through schemes such as PRASAD, Swadesh Darshan and urban missions.

Why is HRIDAY important for UPSC?

Prelims asks the full form, ministry, launch date, outlay, the 12 cities and the status. Mains uses it for questions on heritage-sensitive urban planning. Remember 21 January 2015, Rs 500 crore, 12 cities, Urban Development and closure in 2019.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 HRIDAY was launched in 2015.

True

On 21 January 2015.

2 HRIDAY was a scheme of the Ministry of Tourism.

False

It was an urban development scheme.

3 Warangal was among the HRIDAY cities.