WORLD HERITAGE DAY – A DAY FOR WORLD MONUMENTS AND THE CULTURE THEY PRESERVE
This ‘World Heritage Day’ aka a day for the monuments and sites, which is observed on April 18 every year, is especially observed to celebrate the world’s greatest monuments, their history, culture, and their architecture. It was in 1983 that UNESCO approved the idea of celebrating ‘World Heritage Day’ which was proposed by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).
Historic monuments and sites are what preserve a place’s culture and hence it is an important duty of the country and its people to protect and respect those monuments. Till the late 18th century monuments and historic building maintenance were in the hands and control of solely the nations. And anything related to the monuments is supposed to be under the control of the nation itself.
But in the 22nd general conference of UNESCO, it was decided that we unitedly celebrate the world’s cultural monuments on April 18 every year and call it ‘World Heritage Day’ as the monuments are the country’s cultural assets that are passed on by our ancestors.
On World Heritage Day, people all over the world are taught the value of our monuments and the cultural assets they preserve for future generations. A place’s values, beliefs, and identity are all based on its culture and monuments showcase that culture and pass it on to the coming generations.
Just like the other special days are given a theme every year, ‘World Heritage Day’ is also given a theme every year by the ICOMOS. And the theme for the ‘World Heritage Day’ 2023 is “Heritage Changes”.
How to Celebrate –
Everybody should be a part of the celebrations to embrace the greatness of their motherland’s culture and heritage. Here are some ways to celebrate World Heritage Day –
- Visit a nearby historic monument, and explore and know about its culture and history.
- For a day join organizations that conduct cleaning camps to keep the monuments clean.
- If you know any site that you think should be protected, you can submit the site to ICOMOS requesting to take care of it.
- Be a guide for a monument for one day and educate the visitors of the place and interact with them.
- Learn and educated why you should protect monuments and why they are important.
These are just some ways to celebrate World Heritage Day.
Some special monuments to visit in India –
- Kumbhalgarh, Rajasthan
- Tughlakabad Fort, New Delhi
- Maluti, Jharkhand
- Basgo, Jammu & Kashmir
- Cellular Jail – National Memorial, Andaman & Nicobar’s Port Blair
- Rani ki Vav, Gujarat
- Osian, Rajasthan
- Lonar Lake, Maharashtra
These places are some of the special places that we think have to get a little more recognition. Happy World Heritage Day, let us keep our culture safe in those beautifully carved structures and monuments. a