From Sandeep Sharma
GUWAHATI: Sahapedia, in collaboration with the InterGlobe Foundation has embarked on a journey to document and rediscover various aspects of the history, heritage and culture of 12 iconic Indian cities over a span of three years.
The ‘My City, My Heritage’ project is focused on rediscovering the culture and heritage potential of Indian cities.
Under the project cities’ key historical and cultural assets would be documented and a range of curated experiences would be held for widening public engagement in these cities.
The project entails exploration, documentation and dissemination of varied heritage and cultural aspects of 12 locations in India, including through the publication of city booklets.
As a part of the project, a number of heritage walks, museum tours, baithaks and engaging educational activities for school students and general audiences will be organised between 2020 and 2022.
The My City, My Heritage launch event is a week-long digital celebration of this eminent project.
The cities covered in the first year are Ahmedabad, Indore, Prayagraj, Goa and Shillong. Highlights of the capital city of Meghalaya will be its heritage locations.
A series of events and robust social media campaigns have been designed to not only showcase and celebrate the work done in key locations so far, but also open conversations with cultural leaders, business people, academicians and citizenry therein.
The project is formally inaugurated in Shillong today. As a part of the launch various activities such as digital walks, performances, quizzes and various competitions were organized.
Shillong is widely recognised for its cool, wet climate and high annual rainfall which boasts impressive flora and fauna and a topography of high peaks and long caves, and a fusion of indigenous and western culture, creating an experience unique to the region.
As a part of the My City, My Heritage project Sahapedia collaborated with writers, researchers and photographers from the city to document various aspects of Shillong’s heritage and culture spanning themes such as built heritage, natural heritage, people and communities, institutions of cultural importance, and literature and the arts.
Moreover, heritage walks were conducted to renew old as well as create new relationships of participation, community and ownership within the city’s vibrant citizenry.
Designed as a guide to navigate the city’s better kept secrets, the culmination of the project in Shillong is the booklet, ‘My City, My Heritage, My Shillong’ which documents various well-known and offbeat treasures of Shillong’s living heritage.
The My City, My Heritage project thus, caters to a wide user group, including but not limited to children with disabilities and from financially and socially marginalised backgrounds, culture enthusiasts, scholars, heritage professionals and tourists.
The project aims at creating opportunities, building interest and capacity of young local scholars through collaborative research, documentation and mapping.