India Discovery Through Its People and Heritage
The unending layers of heritage and culture of India have always challenged scholars and visitors alike. A lifetime is not sufficient to learn about India but some of it can be understood by accepting it and by being part of it. The roving eye of a traveler or a foreign perspective only inhibits unmasking of real India.
India, the prismatic land of spirituality, color, pomp, and gaiety, and its vast expanse of cuisines, aromas fabrics, landscape, architecture, language, and other innumerable features offers complete journey touching mind, body, and soul. The unfathomable depth of an evolving yet rooted culture makes it magical and mystical to explorers and travelers alike. The wonders of India have been explored by serious researchers and scholarly writings of A. L. Basham (The wonder that was India), Shonar (Of past dawns and future noons) mesmerize readers. Traveling in India can be a much more immersive experience, but the commercialization of these experiences is often based on a different format.
The India experience for modern-day explorers (tourists) needs value addition as tourist products that can be commercial yet authentic. Packaging more than 5000 years of living heritage is almost impossible, but slices of experiences scattered throughout the country have been and are being created. Every nook and corner of the country has its narrative of past woven into a bigger theme. These are spread as folk songs and storytelling. The Indian story is never complete without its people who have maintained a continuity of heritage even with modern lifestyles. The stories of places and people can make exciting tourism offers only if these are researched, written, shared and developed as business propositions
The lockdown due to COVID 19 pandemic has adversely affected tourism but seems to have made a beginning for interest into Indian heritage in the younger generation through the stories of Ramayana, Mahabharata, and other historic tele-serials. This has only touched the tip of Iceberg and it can be hoped that further exploration will happen through a plethora of online resources. This bodes well for the tourism industry that will have aware innovators, entrepreneurs and travelers. The tourism industry might not be selling packages these days but has also not been active in building business five to ten years down the line by creating potential explorers and tourists among very young people. Most of the efforts have been targeted at showcasing heritage to the adult population with an immediate future in mind. A longer perspective with dedicated efforts can be good for heritage, people, and tourism. Such social constructiveness around the mix of modern and traditional heritage will provide a foothold to future generations for sustainable living.
Discovery of India may not be easy but transferring such stories from generation to generation can bring change with continuity. The multiple media of museums, galleries, archives, heritage conservation districts, cultural landscapes, historic sites, designated properties, signage, libraries, community centers and event spaces, as well as with a virtual component bring out dominant patterns of heritage and people. The history is all-pervasive and is available to every keen eye and is often showcased into art, films, images, and movies. Heritage and modernity can move together with the right interpretation of contexts of geography, place, people, and culture.
The commercialization of heritage propels socio-economic growth through infrastructure development, job creation, and skill development, amongst others. Tourism has the power to get the best from heritage. The opportunity to showcase India’s diversity is massive if locals are trained and explained the interpretation of sustainable development. It is probably necessary more than ever that we concentrate on our domestic assets and build our locals to cater to the changing scenarios. The more we build our younger generation, the more we make them aware of our cultural heritage, the more it makes our industry stable. The pandemic has exposed the industry's hidden loopholes. It is time to mend those gaps by creating a stronghold for our youth, our locals, and ensure the best of experiences for the travelers.
India has one of the largest geo spreads and a unique heritage legacy. This immense inheritance of India is recognized globally as its unique cultural identity. The diversity of its people is a key element of its unique character based on cultural values. We cannot dilute the quality, every time an authentic experience is created, we need to ensure its quality. The post-pandemic world will be price-cautious and every time we allow a compromise on quality, we take a step closer to positioning our own country in the lower rungs of the tourism industry globally.
Tourism is a people industry and will make a difference only if tourism thought is imbibed by the whole generation through training in heritage and tourism. All these persons do not have to work in or for tourism but can provide an environment that is understanding and appreciative of tourism. This will make heritage, tourism, and people inclusive to carry forward nation towards sustainable development. But this can only remain a dream if not put in action by the current stakeholders.
The current downtime in the tourism industry can be used to up the game for future as quoted by ‘Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) ‘Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect’.
