World Heritage Day is celebrated in honour of the cultural heritage of monuments and sites and the history of culture around the world. The day is celebrated with conferences, round tables, newspaper articles, events and promotions to remember and honour the cultural heritage of historical cities, countries by celebrating monuments that have withstood the test of time and have seen generations go past them.
The significance of the day is to build awareness to protect the cultural and natural heritage that stands around us. UNESCO is a key organiser that promotes the protection and enhancement of the spiritual and intellectual heritage of a country.
History
The day was celebrated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for the first time on April 18th, 983. One of the main objectives was to promote awareness about the cultural heritage and diversity on the planet.
Theme
The theme for this year is ‘Heritage and Climate.’ The main idea is to use sustainable strategies to protect heritage sites and to encourage conservation research.
The theme is decided globally by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).
Significance
An amazing fact is that India is home to 38 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, out of the 1,121 such spots identified around the world. So far, only China, Italy, Spain, Germany, and France have more locations on the list than India.
Global citizens during this day also discuss and highlight the many impediments in promoting world culture, national culture and heritage and endeavour to find ways to surmount this.
The main issue is that the history of a place can be interpreted in many different ways depending on different accounts and political influences.
The day also compels all of us to interpret, analyse and pore over the existing narratives. We can recognise all the diversity, and promote greater inclusion for different communities and cultures.
The Importance of Monuments
Monuments are the epitomes of a country’s past in physical form and have huge influence on the tourism industry, economy, the languages, customs and the spiritual perceptions of cities and countries. For example, who can overlook the lure of the Taj Mahal, Purana Quila, Mughal architectural sites like the Red Fort, and Fatehpur Sikri, besides other places such as the Ajanta and Ellora Caves, Khajuraho temples, and Humayun’s tomb. This even includes our national parks like Kaziranga, Nandadevi and Manas national parks and so many more that although are not on the list of heritage sites, are, however, all part of the natural treasures of India. And who knows? Generations later, some of these monuments too may be included on the list of heritage sites from India.
The creation of some monuments have involved millions of hours of manpower and thousands or even millions of skilled artisans and craftspeople in their construction, maintenance and continuation to perpetuity. Many monuments and sites have stood the test of time against rain, storm, cyclones and earthquakes which makes them a totem pole of our civilization as well as a testament to their strength and durability of any civilization and culture.
Tourism plays a very important role in the economy of India and in its soft power and influence on the world. Most often, tourists come to witness the culture, monuments and sites of India whether it be in Agra, Rajasthan, Kerala, Himachal and many other states, rather than delve too much into the night life and other facets of the country. Indeed, this makes it even more important for all of us to be aware of, acknowledge and have more than just basic knowledge of the monuments, sites and other centres of historical and cultural significance in our vast country.
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