A WORD (OR TWO HUNDRED) FROM THE EDITOR

Dholavira, the ancient Harappa city situated in present-day Gujarat, and Telangana’s Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple were recently added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

The 40 Indian sites on the list include the Taj Mahal, Khajuraho, Hampi, Ajanta and Ellora Caves, Bodh Gaya, Sun Temple, Konark, the Red Fort complex, Chola temples, Kaziranga wild life sanctuary, Sundarbans National Park, the Western Ghats, Humayun’s Tomb, Mountain Railways of India, Qutub Minar, Jaipur city, the hill forts of Rajasthan and the churches and convents of Goa.

What earns a place a UNESCO Heritage Site designation?

Look it up and you will see that “to be selected, a World Heritage Site must be a unique landmark which is geographically and historically identifiable and has special cultural or physical significance”.

Going by that criteria, I drew up my own little list, in no particular order: Imambara in Lucknow, Srinathji Temple in Nathdwara, Rajasthan, Ghalib’s haveli in Old Delhi, Nizamuddin dargah in Delhi, the temples at Shravanabelagola, Ajmer Sharif dargah, the Brahma temple in Pushkar, the ghats at Banaras, Jorasanko Thakurbari, where Rabindranath Tagore was born.

India is a vast country with a long history. There are ancient towns with a continuity of population over centuries, and centuries-old places of worship and cultural significance. One stumbles upon places related to names in our history books at every turn. Perhaps it’s not reasonable to expect to see each one of them make the list, but the absence of many prominent structures and sites is, to say the least, puzzling.

But here’s the thing. Instead of waiting for a nod from elsewhere, why don’t we respect and look after these treasures better? Does no one see the irony in celebrating world recognition of a few select sites while countless others crumble into dust? Case in point, Dholavira. Generations have grown up learning about the Indus Valley civilization but not many were aware of a Harappa city within driving distance from Mumbai.

It’s heartbreaking to see graffiti and pan-spit on walls of ancient monuments all over India. Stray dogs wander in and out, ignoring the men urinating on the same walls. The places that are “preserved” tend to be dusty and uncared for. I’ve lost count of the places of historic value that we’ve visited that were manned (if they were) by uncaring, ill-informed staff, where we’ve been chased by eager tourist “guides” who make up history on the fly. Where scam artists abound, claiming this particular stone carving was made by a descendant of a man who created the Taj Mahal – available at a special discount “only for you” at a souvenir shop.

In Canada, the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks and the Historic District of Old Québec are also World Heritage Sites. A much younger country knows how to look after its national treasures.

Shagorika Easwar