World Heritage Day –April 18
Destruction of cultural heritage is an attack on people and their fundamental rights – UN expert
As if issues like armed conflicts, earthquakes and other natural disasters, pollution and uncontrolled urbanization weren’t enough threats to world heritage sites, in India, history is being rewritten and mutilated to suit political narratives. At a time when many historical places of the country are being renamed at the sweet will of the powers that be, the celebration of World Heritage Day carries great significance. This year’s theme ‘Working on the Future’ highlights the need for immediate action to safeguard our heritage sites from a host of factors. Ahead of this day, a couple of experts share with Sunday POST their concerns on the threats to the heritage and the measures to be undertaken to address them.
Preservation process should
start from the ground level
Eminent historian and explorer Anil Dhir, who has been vocal about the preservation of various heritage sites in Odisha says, “It is our duty as citizens to respect and cherish the customs and history of not only our own communities but also of other communities. Human progress has always been built on the foundation of our past, both tangible and intangible. Cultural heritage has a positive impact on many aspects of community development, and it is important to recognise and celebrate the diversity of cultures around the world. Participating in World Heritage Day is a positive step towards achieving this objective.”
Elaborating more on cultural heritage, he continues: “It is typically associated with physical structures such as temples, palaces, and forts. However, intangible heritage also plays a significant role in expressing culture. In Odisha, there are 62 tribes, many of whom belong to the Primitive Group and have their own unique history and culture. Most of their culture is preserved orally as they lack a script, making it important to preserve their rich oral culture.”
These apart, pre-historic sites such as Caves and Rock Shelters, are particularly fascinating, but many of them are located deep within dense forests and remain unexplored, he further says.
Citing an example of a tangible heritage Dhir mentioned about the Prachi Valley, a place that offers a timeline of Odishan temple architecture, documenting the state’s civilisational history. He, however, laments that many of Odisha’s heritage sites have been destroyed.
“One example is the cultural genocide that occurred in Sisupalgarh, located on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. Many ancient Buddhist sites near Chandikhole have also been destroyed over time. In Puri and Bhubaneswar’s Old Town, mutts that had been around for centuries were destroyed in the name of progress, and reports of idol thefts from ancient temples are common. The preservation of heritage is essential, not only for economic benefits but also to promote knowledge, creativity, and civic courtesy,” opines Dhir who strongly opposed the Srimandir Corridor project at Puri.
Asked what measures can be undertaken to preserve Indian heritage, Dhir, also a novelist, suggests, “It requires starting from the ground level. School and university curricula should include ancient Indian wisdom in the arts, sciences, and philosophies to educate students and the general public about our illustrious heritage. As local residents and tourists are the main stakeholders, raising awareness about heritage resources and inspiring a desire for heritage preservation is crucial. Besides, there is a need for a specialised department akin to the Tamil Nadu Police’s separate wing that handles historical thefts.”
“By conserving our history, customs, and monuments, we can ensure that future generations can also appreciate and celebrate our rich heritage,” he concludes.
Use technology to protect
cultural and archaeological sites
Deepak Kumar Nayak, a historian and heritage researcher who is a member of the Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage(INTACH), finds it difficult to choose just one Kalingan legacy. However, if he had to, he would select the Varahi Temple in Chaurasi, Puri, as his top pick. The temple is an example of Kalingan temple art and architecture from the Somavamsi era, with exquisite stone carvings and artistic representations that are comparable to those found in well-known landmarks like Rajarani or Konark. An enthusiast of Odishan tradition, Nayak believes that the essential identity of Odisha lies in its cultural heritage sites. These have enormous influence, and the potential to become major tourist destinations and generate significant revenue for locals if they are properly cultivated and if the community is well-informed and passionate about their art, architecture, and history.
Therefore, he advocates the use of technology to aid in the preservation of cultural and archaeological sites.
“The Archaeology Department should always seek the aid of existing technology, such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) study, which enables us to gain an understanding of subsurface things. Besides, social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube can be quite useful in raising awareness of heritage issues and alerting governmental agencies to any cultural or heritage damage,” suggests Nayak.
He continues: “The cultural heritage sites represent the image of the state to the rest of the world, and they must be preserved to maintain the state’s identity. Lack of documentation is the main obstacle to their preservation. Only a few hundred monuments have been jointly identified by the State Archaeology Department and the ASI, but Odisha may have the most historical, archaeological, and cultural landmarks. However, the majority of them are still missing from the government agencies’ archaeological and cultural report.”
Nayak warns that the number of cultural heritage sites that have been lost or damaged is extensive. In the course of INTACH’s survey of historical sites in river valleys like the Mahanadi, Prachi, Ratnachira, and others, the members compiled data on hundreds of such historic sites that are no longer in existence. The fort of Sisupalgarh, which served as the former capital of the Great Chedi Emperor Kharavela, is among the most important lost monuments. Hundreds of acres of this designated monument’s land have now been reduced to only one or two acres, making it possible that the place will one day vanish completely. The Sisupalgarh case should serve as a lesson for all government agencies and heritage campaigners. Protecting historic locations like Sisupalgarh from indiscriminate land acquisition and new buildings should be a top priority, he says adding that numerous cultural landmarks are still under threat, numbering in the hundreds.
Sites like the Nala Dynasty-era Jain and Vishnu Temples in Gorahandi, Koraput, the Bhaumakara-era Ramachandi Temple in Tentulia, Cuttack, the Ganga-era Ruined Shiva Temple in Ganeswarpur, Cuttack, the Pandita Matha in Narasinghpatana, and many others require immediate attention, shares a worried Nayak.