Imphal: The Manipur State Archaeology Department under the Department of Art & Culture, Government of Manipur, inaugurated the World Heritage Week 2024 Observation (December 23-24) with a grand opening ceremony on Monday at the Kangla Hall, Kangla, Imphal.
The event was attended by M. Joy Singh, Commissioner of Art & Culture, Government of Manipur, as the Chief Guest. In his address, M. Joy emphasized the importance of heritage awareness among the people and highlighted the crucial role played by UNESCO in preserving and promoting the world’s heritage.
Quoting UNESCO’s definition of heritage as “the legacy passed down from past generations to the present and future generations”, he described it as a valuable property that must be protected and exhibited to preserve the cultural and natural roots of humanity.
M. Joy said that heritage is categorised into two parts, namely, cultural and natural heritage. Cultural Heritage includes tangible culture such as museums, monuments, artefacts, culture, sports, music, dance and skills. On the other hand, Natural Heritage includes intangible culture such as hills range, lakes and biodiversity. He stated that heritage is an irreplaceable source of life and inspiration.
He underscored the irreplaceable value of heritage as a source of life and inspiration, noting that since the adoption of the World Heritage Convention by UNESCO in 1972, a total of 1,223 heritage sites have been recognized worldwide, including 65 from Manipur.
The President of the event, K. Dinamani Singh, Director of Art & Culture, called for the expansion of World Heritage Week activities beyond Imphal to all districts of Manipur. He stressed the need for widespread awareness, highlighting that the event’s primary objective is to educate the public about the significance of heritage.
The ceremony also featured a temporary exhibition and the release of a special publication titled “Compendium of Gazettes & Orders of 65 Protected Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites of Manipur”.
