Acquisition of rights in a protected monument

(1) The Director may, with the sanction of the Government, purchase, or take a lease of, or accept a gift or bequest of, any protected monument. (2) Where a protected monument is without an owner, the Director may, by notification, assume the guardianship of the monument. (3) The owner of any protected monument may, by written instrument, constitute the Director, the guardian of the monument and the Director may, with the sanction of the Government, accept such guardianship. (4) When the Director has accepted the guardianship of a monument under sub-section (3), the owner shall, except as expressly provided in this Act, have the same estate, right, title and interest in and to the monument as if the Director had not been constituted a guardian thereof, and the provisions of this Act relating to agreements executed under section 6 shall apply to the written instrument executed under the said sub-section. (5) Nothing in this section shall affect the use of any protected monument for customary religious observances.