World Heritage Day 2023: Also known as the International Day for Monuments and Sites, the day is an annual celebration held on 18 April to raise awareness of the importance of cultural heritage. The day is celebrated to spread awareness about the conservation and protection of the precious sites of the world and also honors the history and diversity. The idea of World Heritage Day was presented to the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) during a conference in Tunisia on 18 April 1982. Later, it was ratified by the UNESCO General Conference in its 22nd session in November 1983.
World Heritage Day 2023: Theme
The theme for World Heritage Day 2023 is “Heritage Transformation”. The only reason for this day is to be grateful to people like geographers, archaeologists, architects, engineers, civil engineers and artists for working hard to preserve the world’s heritage for future generations and to value our monuments. India is extremely rich in heritage, culture, nature and history.
Fascinating heritage walks to experience in Delhi
Delhi offers an exciting nexus between the ancient, the medieval and the modern. Its monuments are the clearest traces of the past – spanning a period of nearly a thousand years. One can count anywhere between 8 and 15 sites where a new city was built: Anangpur and Lal Kot in the early medieval period; Tughlaqabad and Kotla by the Sultanate rulers; The Mughal capital of Shahjahanabad and more recently, New Delhi built by the British. Their vast ruins include forts and palaces, tombs, temples of gods and mystics, rest houses, stepwells, monuments, markets and are part of the living environment of many local communities.
1- Delhi Food Walk (Old Delhi Breakfast & Dinner Food Walk) – From Aloo Puri, Dahi Bhalle, Chole Bhature to Roasted Chicken, Mutton and Flavorful Kebab Night Food Walk. Try the melt-in-your-mouth street food – chaat, golgappas, tikkas, kebabs, Afghani pulao, rabri, paranthas and jalebi for a satisfying dining experience.
2- Delhi’s Fourth City Jahanpanah– Explore the rather neglected Adilabad – a fort south of Tughlaqabad of which the only remains are two gateways and chambers for granaries and courtyards; Begumpur Mosque – with an unusual three-arched entrance and madrasa bastion; Bijay Mandal – with its unusual architecture in rubble masonry, debatable for its functionality and the eventually abandoned Khirki Masjid.
3- 1857, The Ridge Trail The Ghadar Trail of 1857 is an incredibly moving experience, especially when experienced in the early morning light or under the setting sun. The summer of 1857 shook the country and its colonial rulers so violently that it led to a widespread reorganization of the nation, which was soon to pass into English hands.
4- Visit of Shah Jahan It gives an exciting glimpse into the life and times of the great Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, and the 1,500-acre expanse of his capital – Shahjahanabad.
5- Masterji’s Haveli The beauty of the old havelis in Chandni Chowk lies in their dilapidated condition. Take some time to admire the elaborate archways, the massive doorways that transport you back to a bygone era.