Our heritage is our inheritance – what the past has conceded to us, what we value in the present and what we choose to preserve for future generations. Our heritage comprises the tangible – our historical sites, buildings, monuments, objects in museum artifacts and archives.
Every year, April 18 is observed as World Heritage Day to promote cultural heritage via activities that are undertaken by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). It was in 1982 that the ICOMOS suggested that April 18 should be celebrated as the International Day for Monuments and Sites. The proposal was approved the next year by UNESCO during the 22nd General Conference. According to ICOMOS, the “essential aspect is to mark this day so that it becomes not only a day to celebrate your National Heritage but also a day of International Solidarity in favor of strengthening and safeguarding Heritage world-wide.”
ICOMOS works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places. It is the only global non-government organization of this kind, which is dedicated to promoting the application of theory, methodology, and scientific techniques to the conservation of the architectural and archaeological heritage.
ICOMOS is a network of experts that benefits from the interdisciplinary exchange of its members, among which are architects, historians, archaeologists, art historians, geographers, anthropologists, engineers, and town planners. The members of ICOMOS contribute to improving the preservation of heritage, the standards and the techniques for each type of cultural heritage property: buildings, historic cities, cultural landscapes, and archaeological sites. As of December 2018 ICOMOS had 10,546 Individual Members in 151 countries, 271 Institutional Members, 107 National Committees, 28 International Scientific Committees.
Every year, on the occasion of the International Day for Monuments and Sites, ICOMOS proposes a theme for the celebrations and activities to be organized by its Committees, members and partners. Now, more than ever, the theme of Shared Cultures, Shared Heritage, Shared Responsibility is important as an expression of our global unity in the face of the ongoing worldwide health crisis.
India on the World Heritage Map:
UNESCO World Heritage Convention which was established in 1972, recognized various sites of cultural and natural importance around the world. After the latest addition to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list, India has now 38 World Heritage Sites, and that makes India with the 6th largest number of World Heritage Sites in the world! There are 30 cultural sites, 7 natural sites and 1 mixed as recognized by UNESCO.
Here is a list of 38 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India:
Cultural World Heritage Sites in India
Natural World Heritage Sites in India
Cultural and Natural Mixed World Heritage Site in India
Hampi
Apart from the western ghats, Hampi is the only other UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka. It has been recognized as one owing to the ancient temples, forts and other monuments here. Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagar Empire around 1500 AD, and by some accounts, the second-largest city in the world at that time. Over the next few centuries, it fell out of importance, and now there lie ruins of a lot of temples and other structures spread out over a vast area.
The terrain around Hampi is as mysterious as the ruins itself – the city is surrounded by boulders of different sizes, and you can climb to the top of them with a little effort to get a stunning view of the entire city and the geography. It is located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River. Famous for its massive, beautifully carved temples, Hampi tells the stories of its existing structures. Many a visitor climb atop the Matangaparvata and get a glimpse of Hampi and its environs. The way the city was built with temples and bazaars is exemplary in itself. On the North banks of the river Tungabhadra is the first capital of the Vijayanagar Empire, Anegundi, the temples and stories abound, which will help one to get a better understanding of the local heritage.
One can take initiative and host webinars with regards to heritage-related topics and invite your friends and family to participate in those discussions. Podcasts and virtual tours are also other options. It is through online activities like these that we can spread awareness about our shared cultural heritage and educate those who are unaware of the rich cultural history that we have. Our appeal – please do as much as possible to engage in this initiative during the lockdown. It’s an excellent opportunity.
We have a cultural heritage too: Watch it.
The Ramayan and Mahabharata are India’s cultural heritage. They were made into a Television series that played out on Doordarshan the state broadcaster, from 1987 to 1988. The 78 episodes Ramayan was created by Ramanand Sagar and starred actors Arun Govil (Lord Rama/Vishnu), Deepika Chikhalia (Sita/Lakshmi) and Sunil Lahri (Laxman) in titular roles. Primarily based on Valmiki‘s Ramayan and Tulsidas‘ Ramcharitmanas, the TV series was a smashing hit with the viewership breaking all records back then. Ramayan was viewed by at least 650 million people in 55 countries.
The 78 episodic Ramayan was created by Ramanand Sagar and starred actors Arun Govil (Lord Rama/Vishnu), Deepika Chikhalia (Sita/Lakshmi) and Sunil Lahri (Laxman) in titular roles. Primarily based on Valmiki‘s Ramayan and Tulsidas‘ Ramcharitmanas, the TV series was a smashing hit with the viewership breaking all records back then. Ramayan was viewed by at least 650 million people in 55 countries
More than breaking of records it brought people of all walks of life across religious lines together. For one hour every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM, the streets of India were completely empty as people flooded any place that had a TV to get their fill of this production as it kept them spellbound and rekindled religious awareness and devotion in the viewers. Villages used to have screenings in public spaces.
He brought together the same cast to continue the story of Lord Ram and Devi Sita after they had ascended the throne of Ayodhya; this too was met with enthusiasm and inspired devotion. Together, these two parts made up Sampoorn Ramayan with which Dr. Ramanand Sagar created a lasting legacy.
After Ramayan came B.R Chopra’s magnum opus on television named Mahabharat, based on the writings of Ved Vyasa. Rated 8.9/10 on IMDB, Mahabharat is considered as gold-standard in terms of popularity for TV series. The 94 episodes series started airing in 1988 up until its conclusion in 1990 and had a massive cult following. The “Mai Samay Hoon” opening monologue by Harish Bhimani still reverberates in the ears of ardent followers of the show.
Mahabharat’s popularity was not limited to India. According to a Guardian report, Mahabharat TV series attracted up to 5 million viewers on a Saturday afternoon on BBC2.
And they are back after many requests to the Government and Prasara Bharathi the state broadcaster, to keep residents home during the lockdown and safe from the virus. What greater tribute to India’s eternal cultural heritage?