WHAT IS HERITAGE ?

Heritage is the full range of our inherited traditions, monuments,

objects, and culture. Most important, it is the range of contemporary
activities, meanings, and behaviours that we draw from them.

Heritage includes, but is much more than preserving, excavating,

displaying, or restoring a collection of old things. It is both tangible and
intangible, in the sense that ideas and memories--of songs, recipes,
language, dances, and many other elements of who we are and how we
identify ourselves--are as important as historical buildings and
archaeological sites.

Heritage is, or should be, the subject of active public reflection, debate,
and discussion. What is worth saving? What can we, or should we,
forget? What memories can we enjoy, regret, or learn from? Who owns
"The Past" and who is entitled to speak for past generations? Active
public discussion about material and intangible heritage--of individuals,
groups, communities, and nations--is a valuable facet of public life in
our multicultural world.

Heritage is a contemporary activity with far-reaching (having important

and widely applicable effects) effects. It can be an element of far-sighted
urban and regional planning. It can be the platform for political
recognition, a medium for intercultural dialogue, a means of ethical
reflection, and the potential basis for local economic development. It is
simultaneously local and particular, global and shared.

Heritage is an essential part of the present we live in--and of the future

we will build.

Tarique Shakil Ansari

B.A (H) History, Aryabhatta College, University of Delhi

ASPECT OF HERITAGE

Antiquity is an object that was created a very long time ago. It is related
to the ancient past especially, the period of classical and other human
civilizations before the Middle Ages. Antiquity is the distant past,
especially the time of ancient, Egyptian, Greeks and Romans.

Antiquity includes any coin, sculpture, painting, epigraph or other work

of art or craftsmanship; any article, object or thing detached from a
building or cave; any article object or thing illustrative of science, art,
crafts, literature, religion, customs, moral or politics in bygone ages; any
article, object or thing of historical interest; any article, object or thing
declared by the Central Government, by notification in the Official
Gazette, to be an antiquity.

An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which

evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or
contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the
discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological
record. Sites may range from those with few or no remains visible above
ground, to buildings and other structures still in use.

Some example like Dion archaeological site, Ajanta caves,

Mahaballipuram, Ranikot fort, An Yang, etc.

Tarique Shakil Ansari

B.A (H) History, Aryabhatta College, University of Delhi

As the word tangible means that things which you can touch so as far as
tangible heritage is concerned, ‘Tangible Heritage’ refers to physical
artefacts produced, maintained and transmitted inter-generationally in a
society. It includes artistic creations, built heritage such as buildings and
monuments, and other physical or tangible products of human creativity
that are invested with cultural significance in a society.

Some specific Examples are Taj Mahal (Agra), Khajuraho (Madhya

Pradesh), Hampi (Karnataka), Ellora Caves (Maharashtra), etc.

Intangible Heritage (IH) or what some call “Living Heritage”

encompasses many practices, tradition, representations, expressions,
knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and
cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in
some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage.
These also include the stories we tell, the family events we celebrate, our
community gatherings, the languages we speak, the songs we sing,
knowledge of our natural spaces, our healing traditions, the foods we
eat, our holidays, beliefs and cultural practices.

Specific examples of our intangible traditions include - among many

other customs, skills and practices - the Christmas mummering
traditions, and boat building skills. Our IH can also include Aboriginal
languages and cultural knowledge, our various regional dialects, and
the expressive culture, values and beliefs of the diverse cultural groups
of Newfoundland and Labrador. Many of us play music or tell stories;
some of us know about fishing grounds or berry-picking spots; others
know about curing illnesses; some of us play cards or skateboard.

Tarique Shakil Ansari

B.A (H) History, Aryabhatta College, University of Delhi

Treasure is a concentration of wealth – often those that originate from
ancient history – that is considerable lost and/or forgotten until
rediscovered. Art treasure is a type of treasure in which concentration
related to artistic or aesthetic value. Art treasure means any human
work of art, not being an antiquity.

WHY HERITAGE CONSERVATION SHOULD BE A PRIORITY?

Heritage conservation is important for identifying, recording, analysing
and protecting heritage and cultural resources. Conservation of heritage
buildings is an important tool in city development which can be seen in
some cities in the world. It plays an important role to define the
landmark within the heritage area as well as to generate economic
return and to support the tourism industry. Conservation of heritage
buildings is very important because it provides a sense of identity and
continuity in a fast changing world for future generations. The
conservation of heritage is important because it have many benefits.

BENEFIT FROM HERITAGE CONSERVATION

Heritage preservation is a long-term investment that benefits us today

and leaves behind an invaluable resource for generations to come. Here
are five notable benefits we can reap from conserving our built heritage:

Many heritage precincts are focal points for community gatherings and
events. The importance of their preservation stretches beyond their
history, attributing more to the unique character and sense of belonging
they evoke in our hearts. Furthermore, these heritage architectural
elements also contribute to the aesthetics of our streetscapes.

Tarique Shakil Ansari

B.A (H) History, Aryabhatta College, University of Delhi

Heritage tourism is often deeply rooted by historic buildings. These
intriguing and tangible connections to our past spur interest for tourists
to soak in its distinct ambience and this alone helps attract business.
Statistics have also shown that heritage visitors have a greater per trip
economic impact, as they tend to stay for a longer duration and spend
more a day.

Heritage preservation often leads to greater appreciation rates for both

the restored building and its surrounding properties compared to areas
without historical landmarks.

The enhancement of existing neighbourhoods and infrastructure is

significantly cheaper than building new ones. Aside from cutting down
on hefty infrastructure costs, restoration projects also help to retain
money within the community by creating more local employment and
requiring fewer imported materials. Various industries such as
construction firms and product manufacturers also benefit from heritage
conservation.

Conservation and restoration of heritage buildings are the ultimate

forms of recycling. Research has shown that the demolition of a typical
brick house results in an average of 60 to 100 tonnes worth of waste. To
top it off, restoration is also proven to be a massive energy saver. The
energy required to demolish an old building and erect a new one is
estimated to be equivalent to the energy needed to operate it for 40
years. Imagine the amount of invaluable resources and savings that
could be put to better use.

Tarique Shakil Ansari

B.A (H) History, Aryabhatta College, University of Delhi

Therefore, heritage buildings need an important tool to protect them.
Conservation guidelines of heritage buildings are one of the proposed
resolutions for protecting heritage buildings.

Thank You

Tarique Shakil Ansari

B.A (H) History, Aryabhatta College, University of Delhi