Soumya Nair describes how Indian subcontinent is one of the oldest continuously-inhabited regions of the world with civilisations dating more than 5,000 years old dwelling in planned towns and cities with water harvesting, distribution and management systems in place; flourishing trade and commerce; and dynamic knowledge centres.
The archaeological sites of Mohenjo Daro and Harappa
What is heritage? There are many definitions but the gist of all is that heritage is something inherited from the past. Heritage comprises structures, buildings, monuments, culture, customs, traditions, garments, textiles, wares, activities, nuances, behavioural patterns, languages, folklore, literature, folk art, dance, music, handicrafts, food and much more. At an individual level, heritage may even come to mean personal belongings of parents or ancestors going back several generations.
Heritage gives an individual a sense of identity. Heritage that is valued in the present is conserved by custodians for the following generations. It can be classified into several categories – Tangible, Intangible, Natural, Cultural, etc.
Diversity in heritage
Tangible includes physical structures such as historical wares, artefacts, archives, archaeological sites, cave dwellings, buildings and monuments. Intangible, on the other hand, comprise traditions, customs, art and craft, language, etc. Natural heritage is the flora, fauna and geographical elements and includes mountains, rivers, wildlife birds and animals, forests, etc.
Cultural heritage is an asset of a community, tribe or group inherited from the past generations and holds outstanding value from the point of view of history, art or science. Also, works which are of historical and anthropological value are also part of cultural heritage. It could be tangible, intangible or natural.
So, cultural heritage may include intangible elements such as traditions, language, dance and music; tangible items such as artefacts, buildings, books, documents, scriptures, artwork, etc.; and, natural heritage such as biodiversity or geographical landscapes that are hold cultural or religious significance.
The most common form of cultural heritage is the non-physical or the intangible one. Apart from customs, traditions and practices, this category also includes beliefs, languages, activities and the aesthetics. This category of heritage is more difficult to be preserved as it goes beyond the purview of law and has to be understood and tackled at behavioural level.
India’s rich heritage
Indian subcontinent is one of the oldest continuously-inhabited regions of the world with civilisations dating more than 5,000 years old dwelling in planned towns and cities with water harvesting, distribution and management systems in place; flourishing trade and commerce; and dynamic knowledge centres.
Ancient India was the cradle of human civilisation that began along the Indus River. India’s strategic location in the region, at the intersections of trade and knowledge routes between China and Europe and Asia and Africa, also made it an important centre of commerce and education.
Other than being home to one of the oldest human civilisations, India is also the place where some of the most ancient scriptures, epics and religious writings of the world have originated.
The written heritage
The main texts include the Vedas, Puranas, the two epics Ramayan and Mahabharat, etc. Vedas are divided into four namely the Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda and the Atharva Veda. They are religious texts composed in Vedic Sanskrit and are the oldest Hinduism scriptures. Vedas are considered to be timeless revelation. In the Vedas are four types of subtexts – the Samhitas, the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas and the early Upanishads.
The enormous genre of literature focusing on traditional lore and legends is called the Puranas. The key feature of Puranas is that the stories have layers of symbolism and moral lessons. The Puranas are named after Hindu gods such as Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma and Adi Shakti. Puranas are categorised as Smriti and are not considered scriptures. They are like an encyclopaedia of topics ranging from cosmology to medicine and love to philosophy.
Ancient Indian Sanskrit epic Ramayana, narrating the exile and return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya, was composed around the 5th century BCE. Composed by Sage Valmiki, Ramayan is about 24,000 verses long and is also known as the Adi Kavya i.e., original or first poem.
Mahabharat is the also an ancient Indian epic that with 1,00,000 verses is the longest epic of the world. It is believed to be composed in the fourth century BCE and written by Lord Ganesha.
Preserving, conserving
A very important aspect of heritage of any kind is ensuring its preservation and conservation. There are several ways of ensuring this including many academic and professional lines and disciplines, such as Conservation (Archaeological, Art, Architectural, Structural, etc.), Film Preservation, Archiving, Digital Preservation, Language Preservation, Oral History, Folklore, Literature, Multimedia, etc.
Heritage Conservation and Preservation is done by many departments and agencies that work at different levels of administration. Some of these include Government of India’s Ministry of Culture, Archaeological Survey of India, National Archives of India, Anthropological Survey of India, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, National Museum Institute of the History of Art, Conservation and Museology, etc.
Government of India’s National Archives of India, established first as the Imperial Record Department in 1891 in Calcutta (now Kolkata), is a repository of the non-current records of the government. The repository serves scholars and administrators. It is the custodian of the records of enduring value and the biggest archival repository in South Asia. The collection which is an invaluable source of information comprises public records, cartographic records, microfilms, etc.
Ministry of Culture’s Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is meant for archaeological research and conservation and protection of India’s cultural heritage. One of the most important tasks of ASI is the maintenance of ancient monuments and archaeological sites. It was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham.
The challenges
The process of protecting and conserving tangible and intangible heritage reminds one of the roots and legacy that have been left behind. Other than government organisations and agencies, it is the duty of every individual and citizen of the country to safeguard, nurture and promote the unique cultural heritage of India.
There are several challenges that undermine the process of preservation and protection of heritage especially in countries with limited means to do so. One of the biggest challenges to this process is lack of documentation or record keeping and inventory. Lack of funds or experts is often the reason why identification and documentation isn’t up to speed.
Another obstacle that hinders effective protection of heritage is lack of cultural awareness among the people. The process of enlightening masses about cultural heritage is a difficult one. Instilling in them the appreciation for traditions, customs, indigenous knowledge, folklore, etc., is also very challenging.
In this regard, educational institutes or the academia has a very important role to play to make the youth understand and appreciate India’s glorious history and rich heritage. It’s only when one appreciates cultural heritage will he preserve and conserve it. Until and unless there is a sense of belonging, it is very difficult to achieve the desired results.
To survive the modern, global world, new approaches will have to be identified and implemented to preserve heritage. Effective partnerships are the need of the hour for holistic approach towards conservation.
The stakeholders need to come together and act as one unit. So, local communities, civil society, governments, legislators, private players, academicians, researchers, industry experts and professionals must all come together to overcome the existing challenges.