Hospet (ballary district): The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has taken up the 3D scanning of the innumerable monuments in the heritage town of Hampi.

It has begun the process with the 16th century Vijaya Vittala temple and technicians have been camping here for the past four days for the purpose. They have been taking pictures of the structure from all angles through scanning technology. The process will be taken up next at the Hajara Rama, the Achyutaraya and other temples.

The 3D scanning pictures allow proper assessment of the damage and cracks, if any, in the structures. They will give conservation experts a peek into the current status of the monuments and a prediction of their longevity. The process helps plan protection of the monuments and an evaluation of the conservation measures taken so far.

The experts can also prioritise as to which heritage monument requires urgent attention, say officials of the ASI.

Once the exercise is completed in Hampi, the ASI proposes to extend it to other monuments of archaeological importance in the State.