Sunny Dua
Today, April 18 is World Heritage Day. Like many other countries we too will be celebrating the day by executing some run of the mill ideas of holding seminars, painting or debating competitions followed by exhibitions of some pictures of our heritage sites that are falling apart in pieces. The real essence of celebrating the day lies in not holding these conventional rather symbolic events but in putting efforts to preserve ‘Dying Heritage’ that is widely known as shared wealth of humankind.
Though several heritage sites of world importance are being protected and preserved in Jammu and Kashmir State yet the number of forgotten, abandoned or condemned sites including buildings, monuments and even private homes or Havelis are also on a steep rise. Weather vagaries especially each rainy season takes its toll on one or the other site which if preserved well in time could have stood testimony to will and wishes of those at work. With each passing year the task to preserve our heritage is becoming an uphill task.
We are pumping in huge money into the conservation projects across the state including one in Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex but unless the ready-to-move-in portions are not put to proper use there’s no fun spending more money while keeping the finished ones to rot again. In fact this particular complex needs to be made financially viable which will not only help add money to the kitty of caretakers or preservers but also encourage footfall in the complex.
A couple of buildings of this complex need to be converted into museums, art galleries, dining halls or even best utilised for seminars and international meets. It was after a gap of 31 years that 64th convention of Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) was held last month in Kashmir and a similar kind of event in picturesque Royal Courtyards of Mubarak Mandi can do the trick. Failure to encourage footfall here will make money spent on the project flow into drains. The sooner this is understood, better it is.
Recent shooting of a film here is an encouraging sign but more is needed to bring world class heritage site Mubarak Mandi to the foreground. In addition, few identified houses in Jammu, Srinagar and even Ladakh need to be funded for preservation failing which traces of history that has architectural marvels in its lap will go in oblivion. Fast commercialisation and rising housing needs of people have already forced many to raze their ancestral Havelis to ground and many more are in pipeline.
We need to put in collective efforts on this World Heritage Day on April 18 to raise people’s awareness about the diversity of cultural and natural heritage that makes us proud of being from this majestically beautiful state of Jammu and Kashmir. Now that International Council for Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) has officially dedicated this day of April to heritage which has also been approved by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) we should make sure that each year ‘achievements’ are shared and not the ‘targets’.
Another concern should be check on smuggling of artefacts from Jammu and Kashmir which go on unabated and in an organised manner. Since awareness about these historically and culturally rich collections is not much amongst people, several of them sell their treasures to smugglers of artefacts. We must celebrate our past and our future and Heritage stands the test of time which is designed to inspire us to embrace, explore and enjoy our enduring heritage. But that can only be possible if we preserve and then put to use our heritage for historians, students, tourists and commoners in a big way.
Jammu will soon have a cable car connecting Peerkho to Mahamaya Temple and then Bagh-e-Bahu. This should be best utilised to ferry people to heritage sites. Tickets to these joy rides must include walk or a drive in battery operated cars to heritage sites as well. This will while complete the package it will also add to the charm of crossing river Tawi. There are sites on either banks of river that are worth viewing and carry in their lap historic treasures inherited from our ancestors including.
Jammu and Kashmir is so rich in heritage that we have here many Buddhist monasteries, traces of Mughal as well as erstwhile Dogra and Sikh rulers besides culture, artefacts, forts and religious places that are visited by missions every year. Then we have pre-partition and post partition history and its related sites. Unfortunately, several of these sites are not in good shape and lack accessibility resulting which the real purpose of these historically rich areas is defeated.
The question here arises as to what are we doing to save our heritage? First and foremost Jammu and Kashmir Heritage Conservation and Preservation Act is one of the best pieces of legislation that has come into force. Other than this act we need a will to work towards our goal. Instead of spending on frivolous and ostentatious activities we need proper utilisation of funds to conserve our dying heritage. Take for example, Mubarak Mandi or pre-partition sites which don’t fail to earn much respect for them which is why little headway has been made till now.
I can say for sure that many in Jammu and Kashmir have not visited these sites even once. Creating awareness about these sites should be the foremost task and then these priceless assets of Jammu and Kashmir should also be unfolded before world by opening gates of successfully restore places. Reintroducing refurbished monuments or palaces or Havelis to people will make a lot of difference and that will be the only way to celebrate World Heritage Day.
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