Rajouri: Centre for Hospitality and Tourism, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University Rajouri organised online events to Celebrate world heritage Day. The Celebration aimed to raise awareness of the importance of heritage preservation for sustainable development under the theme ‘Complex Pasts: Diverse Future’.
Prof. Akbar Masood, Vice Chancellor, BGSB University lauded the efforts of the Centre for organising online events to Celebrate the World Heritage Day. In his message, Prof Akbar said that World Heritage Day is not just about monuments and buildings but a day to celebrate one’s own history and culture. Prof. Akbar said that the rich heritage of India is an all-embracing confluence of religions, traditions and customs and is being kept alive generation after generation. He said that unparalleled cultural ebullience of world heritage sites in India have an alluring effect and have been attracting tourists globally since ages.Hesaidthatthisdayprovidesusopportunitytoconserveandpreserveourculturalheritage and stressed upon the participants to come forward to protect the heritage forfuturegenerations.
On the occasion, Dr. Shahnawaz Mukhtar, Assistant Professor University of Kashmir delivered the keynote address. In his address, he spoke at length on various dimensions of cultural heritage of Jammu and Kashmir. He said that Jammu and Kashmir has the unparalleled treasure of Cultural and natural heritage. He mentioned that the different cultural forms of Jammu and Kashmir like art , architecture, festivals, rituals, language and mountains, embedded in ageless period of history, represents a unique blends of natural and cultural heritage. In his presentation, Dr. Shahnawaz highlighted various facets of cultural heritage of Jammu and Kashmir and stressed upon the need of conserving , preserving and showcasing this treasure for empowering local communities and enabling vulnerable groups to participate fully in social and cultural life.
Prof. Iqbal Parwez,Dean School of Management Studies in his message said that cultural heritage signifies the purpose of our existence and connects us with our beliefs, values and traditions. He said that this day gives us a chance to celebrate various ethnicities and cultures that has made the past so important to preserve.
Dr. Danish Iqbal Raina while welcoming the participants said that World Heritage Day aims at educating the people about the importance of their own heritage and teaching them to respect and appreciate others’ heritage. He said that thisdayhelpsremindspeopleoftheiroriginandkeepsthemconnectedwiththeirpast. In his address, Dr. Raina highlighted the social and economic benefits of heritage Tourism.
Fiza Qureashi , a Srinagar based researcher and conservationist talked on various issues related to the preservation, development and management of the cultural heritage. While highliting the role of younger generation , she said that future of our cultural heritage will depend largely on the decisions and actions of the present generation of young people. She urged upon the participants to take a lead in preserving and conserving the rich cultural heritage of Jammu and Kashmir. Bazila Showket , Postgraduate student of MBA Hospitality and Tourism program highlighted the importance of cultural heritage and also spoke on the role of various Governmental and Non- Governmental organisations towards the preservation of cultural heritage. Faculty members, researchers, practitioners and students from India and abroad participated in the online event.

KR Desk