SHIMLA:  World Heritage Day on April 18 comes as a chilling reminder for citizens to protect India’s 40 different world heritage sites with a renewed vigour.

Conserve our Heritage in the capital city and in Himachal

On this day, we care to conserve our Heritage in the capital city and in Himachal as a whole, which has two sites as UNESCO’s world heritage sites. These are Shimla-Kalka railway line and Great Himalayan National Park, Kullu. Our Heritage need both protection and care. 

This time, as many as 150 eminent citizens and proponents of heritage, tourists and locals staged a Heritage Photo Walk from historic, The Ridge in Shimla. They touched major heritage buildings and sites commemorating World Heritage Day in this erstwhile summer capital of the former Raj.   

The heritage photo walk was organized by the Himachal state Museum and Himalayan Institute of Digital Arts in which people of all walks of life participated.

Sites have earned the status of World Heritage of Humanity

No Doubt, heritage walk here might  be city-centric. But it threw light on the importance and value of UNESCO’s  40 heritage sites in India. These sites have earned the status of World Heritage of Humanity.

In Shimla city, Heritage walk began from the heritage Christ Church, city's prominent landmark.  Church was built by the colonial British in 1857, a day  incidentally when  India’s first war of independence had begun.

 India subsequently won freedom from British and Shimla became capital of Himachal Pradesh. Christ Church survives today as a landmark heritage of Shimla,  a city that had remined summer capital of the Raj for over 135 years.   

The heritage walkers covered all the monuments of the city

The heritage walkers covered all the monuments of the city. They include Gaiety Theatre, which has produced top artistes of the likes of Prithvi Raj Kapur, Balraj Sahni, Anupam Kher etc.  

They also scanned Town Hall, the seat of India’s oldest municipality, Shimla municipal corporation. Town Hall is revamped. There is a talk that a part of it is being given out on rent to some business.   

The trope then proceeded on The Mall witnessing  Shimla’s oldest Post Office building, Bantony Castle, now being spruced up as the tourist point.  State Bank of India, Railway Board building, Gorton Castle, seat of the HP AG.

Caste is a heritage building of the British era. The major part of Castle had gone up in smoke in a devastating fire few years ago. The Castle was restored, but it serves as  a chilling reminder to all stakeholders how Shimla’s heritage faces constant  menace of fire.

The heritage walk also served a reminder to all heritage stakeholders, It reminds that Fire wing,  Shimla municipality and Disaster Management authority need to be ready in harness 24X7 to check lapses in fire safety.

They need to check whether or not fire hydrants in heritage buildings are working.  And when the fire emergency demands, these civic bodies also need to do consistent fire-fighting  exercise in advance to meet the demand to  save Shimla’s heritage from fire.     

Further heritage trope negotiated Railway Station of  UNESCO’s world heritage site, the vintage Shimla-Kalka Railway line of 103 tunnels.  

Become a major venue for the netas  due to the presence of architect of Indian Constitution here

The troupers clicked Claremont building, Vidhan Sabha,   Sanatorium, Cecil hotel at Chaura Maidan, which showcases statue of Dr BR Ambedkar. Chaura Maidan now has become a major venue for the netas  due to the presence of architect of Indian Constitution here.

Further ahead is nestled the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies. Formerly Rashtrapati Niwas, which was donated to India’s scholars and researchers by Great teacher, reformer and educationist Dr S Radhakrishnan, when he was President of India. 

Earlier it was known as Viceregal Lodge, where colonial viceroys lived.  It now attracts lot of tourists. 

Finally, photo heritage troupe ended  the heritage Padyatra  at Inverarm, Himachal State Museum, a place that gives a peep into Himachal’s heritage.

At Himachal State Museum, they hold discussion on  the aims and importance of  World Heritage Day. Dr. O.C. Handa, eminent Historian, Dr. Purnima Chauhan, retired administrator highlighted importance of heritage to humanity. Dr. Hari Chauhan, Curator, State Museum, Shimla, Sumit Raj Vashist, founder of Shimla heritage walk, senior photo journalist Dr. Amit Kumar, tourist and students also took part in the debate.

Purnima Chauhan gave a brief account of historical and cultural heritage of Shimla.  O.C. Handa highlighted  the importance of built-up heritage of the state and role and responsibility  of society to preserve and conserve it for the posterity.

Curator State Museum Hari Chauhan said World Heritage Day is  observed on April 18 since 1983. It is also known as the International Monuments Site Day.

The heritage day is an internationally recognized day to increase awareness about preserving the history, diversity, and vulnerability of world heritage sites and monuments.

Chauhan said the idea behind celebrating this day is to encourage local communities and individuals to consider the importance of cultural heritage in our lives. It aims at  promoting awareness about the efforts required to protect and conserve  heritage.

Hari Chauhan says that there are 1155 world heritage sites spread over in 167 countries. Italy has 58 world protected sites, the highest while India stands in sixth place with 40 world protected sites, he informs.