NEW DELHI:
Sahapedia, an open-access, online encyclopaedia on Indian culture, heritage and the arts, will hold a series of heritage walks across 16 cities of the country to enlist participation of a wide spectrum of enthusiasts for exploring and preserving the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the country,as part of World Heritage Week.
World Heritage Week, as declared by UNESCO, is celebrated around the world from November 19-25 with the objective to increase awareness about the preservation of invaluable heritage.
During the week-long celebration, Sahapedia will curate and organise 29 heritage walks across 16 cities in collaboration with over 10 partners from various parts of the country. Among these cities are Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Gwalior, Kochi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Vadodara. Other cities wherein heritage walks are to be conducted includeChandigarh, Ahmedabad, Shillong, Allahabad, Orchha, Patna, Goa and Bijapur.
Sahapedia has collaborated with national and regional partners such as IHCL, Filmbooth (New Delhi), The Mazzedaar Laboratory (New Delhi), Escaping Life (Kochi), Break Free Trails (Kolkata), and Indiblogger (Kolkata) to conduct these walks. “A total of 29 walks have been planned coinciding with World Heritage Week. We hope it will vigorously engage the attention of people and provide an exhilarating experience to participants about India’s variegated culture and traditions,” said Vaibhav Chauhan, Secretary, Sahapedia.
Since the inception of the India Heritage Walks programme in November 2016, Sahapedia has reached out to over 44 cities across the country, forming a network of more than a hundred qualified walk leaders, and explored diverse themes. Nearly 600 walks have been conducted so far.
“Through this effort, it seeks to build an ecosystem wherein every individual in metros and tier II and tier III cities, gets an opportunity to learn, appreciate and propagate India’s unique heritage and culture. Our walks are inclusive and free of cost, allowing disadvantaged groups and the differently abled to participate equally as well,” Chauhan said.
Sahapedia has been celebrating important days surrounding heritage and culture such as International Museum Day and World Tourism Day. On the International Museum Day on May 18, this year, it celebrated the event for a week (May 13-20), holding 25 events (Heritage Walks and Baithaks) in 15 cities. Likewise, it participated in this year’s World Tourism Day on September 27 by organising 10 walks in 15 cities, attracting over 750 attendees.
