UNIT 8 TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE HERITAGE REVISION NOTES

 Introduction to Cultural Heritage Tourism Management

• Previous Unit Recap:

  • Relationship between tourism and heritage sites.
  • Challenges of preservation, conservation, and cultural compromises for profit.

• Current Focus:

  • Defining cultural heritage.
  • Differences between tangible and intangible heritage.
  • Case studies for understanding these concepts.

Cultural Heritage

• Heritage Definition:

  • Includes both cultural and natural heritage.
  • Human cultures are partly adaptations to their natural environments.

• Objectives:

  • Reflect on the significance of cultural heritage.
  • Explain types of cultural heritage.
  • Understand cultural heritage's contribution to tourism in India.
  • Explain the role of institutions in conservation and protection.

Importance of Cultural Heritage

• Connection to Values:

  • Heritage allows connection with values, norms, beliefs, customs, and sacred resources.
  • Helps communities understand their ancestors and past.

• National Identity:

  • Enhances a sense of identity and unity.
  • Links artifacts to their geographical and historical contexts.
  • Examples: Taj Mahal, Konarak Temple in India.

• Common Ownership:

  • Cultural heritage contributes to the construct of a nation.
  • Example: Saying "Taj Mahal belongs to India" reinforces national identity.

Preservation and State Role

• State Enterprise:

  • Preservation should be managed by state institutions like the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
  • Local volunteers and community residents also play crucial roles.

• Community Involvement:

  • A sense of common responsibility and self-awareness motivates local action.
  • Respect for cultural rights and perceptions of development is essential.

• Expert Role:

• Experts should advise and guide, not coerce.

Understanding Cultural Heritage in the Indian Context

Heritage Cycle Diagram

• Quote: "It gives an idea how to make the part of our future." - Simon Thurley, 2005

1. Now Let Us Understand Some Aspects that Fall Under Cultural Heritage:
• Illustration using examples from the Indian context.

Art as Cultural Heritage

• SPIC MACAY (Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth):

  • Founded by Dr. Kiran Seth to promote classical arts among young people.
  • Hosts conventions featuring concerts, folk performances, talks, heritage walks, craft workshops, and yoga practices in schools, colleges, and universities.
  • Aims to provide insights into India's rich cultural heritage.

• INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage):

  • Responsibilities include conservation, preservation, and maintenance of art forms.
  • Operates a conservation laboratory and knowledge center with books and art products.
  • Offers heritage education, conducts courses on heritage tourism, and hosts intangible cultural programs.

• UNESCO's Project on Indian Cultural Heritage:

  • Focuses on documenting disappearing intangible legacies like handcrafted sarees, folk songs, and traditional recipes.
  • Uses photography and audio-visual media to preserve traditions and craftsmanship.

• Role of Cultural Heritage in Identity:

  • Preserves unity in diversity and strengthens national identity.
  • Cultural transmission maintains a sense of belonging and prevents cultural loss.
  • Ensures the continuity of skills, knowledge, and meanings across generations.

Cultural Heritage and Arts

• Definition of Arts:

  • Includes painting, sculpture, music, dance, theatre, films, graphic arts, prose, poetry, and more.
  • Arts encompass diverse creative activities beyond visual arts.

• Anthropological Perspective:

• Arts are integral to cultural expression and identity.
• Studied historically by anthropologists like Franz Boas and Verrier Elwin, focusing on primitive art and Indian tribal crafts.

Festivals as Intangible Cultural Heritage

Holi: A Case Study

• Mythological Origin:

  • Based on the story of demon King Hiranyakashipu and his son Prahlad.
  • Prahlad's devotion to gods angered the king, who conspired with his sister Holika to kill Prahlad.
  • Holika, supposed to be immune to fire, perished in her attempt to burn Prahlad, symbolizing victory of good over evil.
  • Celebrations start with the burning of a pyre, symbolizing this victory (Bhandari, 2017).

• Regional Variations:

  • Lath Mar Holi: Celebrated in places like Barsana, Uttar Pradesh, where women wield sticks to playfully ward off men, symbolizing female empowerment and role reversal (Mukherjee, 2018).
  • Cultural Significance: Encompasses mythological, folk, and social aspects, providing insights into gender relations and cultural practices.

• Tourism Impact:

  • Attracts tourists globally due to its vibrant colors and cultural richness.
  • Festivities draw international tourists who participate in local customs, enhancing tourism revenues and cultural exchange.

Chhau Dance

• Origins and Significance:
  • Paiku Nritya: Also known as battle dance, originates from military camps (Chhavani) in eastern India.
  • Performed in Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, depicting scenes from epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana, and local folklore (Mukherjee, 2015).
  • Three main styles: Seraikella, Purulia, and Mayurbhanj, each with distinct regional influences.
• Cultural Continuity:
• Represents an ancient indigenous dance form in India, highlighting continuity with historical traditions (Mukherjee, 2015).

Food as Heritage

Cuisine as Socio-Cultural Construction

• Definition: Cuisine symbolically represents identity and is a value-added industry.
• Collective Heritage: Knowledge and practices related to food transformation, distribution, and consumption across generations within a region or community.
• Anthropological Insights: Studies by Belasco and Scranton (2002) on consumer tastes and national identity formation through cuisine.
• Historical Context: Examples like Kolkata Biryani highlight how external influences and historical events shape food identity.
  • Kolkata Biryani: Nawab Wajid Ali Shah's addition of potatoes and boiled eggs, influenced by diminishing wealth, modified by British rulers (Bhandari, 2020).

Tourism and Food

• Cultural Understanding: Food provides insights into cultural ethos.
• Stakeholders: Food's heritage status attracts tourism industry participation.
• Social Boundaries: Food can demarcate social boundaries and become intellectual property or intangible cultural heritage (Palmié, 2009).
• Case Study - Rasgulla: Geographical Indication (GI) Tag controversy between West Bengal and Odisha over the origin of Rasgulla.
• West Bengal claims it as a creation of Nabin Chandra Das in the 19th century.
• Odisha claims it as part of traditional offerings to Lord Jagannath in Puri, dating back to the 12th century CE.
• Result: GI Tag awarded to West Bengal, leading to cultural celebrations like 'Rasgulla Dibasa' on 30th July (Nath, 2019).

Heritage: Conservation and Preservation

Definition of Heritage

• Broad Scope: Beyond "brick and mortar," includes culturally and socially valued places, objects, and ideas passed down through generations (Prentice, 1994).
• UNESCO Classification: Includes Tangible (buildings, monuments) and Intangible forms (festivals, languages, music, handicrafts) of heritage.

UNESCO's Role and 2003 Convention

• 2003 UNESCO Convention: Focuses on safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH).
• Safeguarding Definition: Measures ensuring viability of ICH:
  • Identification
  • Documentation
  • Research
  • Preservation
  • Protection
  • Promotion
  • Enhancement
  • Transmission through education
  • Revitalization (UNESCO Convention, 2003).

Definition of Intangible Heritage

• UNESCO Definition: Includes practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills, instruments, objects, artifacts, and cultural spaces recognized by communities as part of their heritage (UNESCO Convention, 2003).
• Examples: Folklores, dance, music, values, norms, beliefs.

Examples of Intangible Heritage

• Temple Dance Traditions: Originated in Indian temple culture, impacted by legislative acts like the Madras Devadasi Act, 1947.
• Revival Efforts: Contributions by scholars and dancers like Rukmini Devi Arundale, Kelucharan Mahapatra, Padma Subrahmanyam revived temple dances for modern contexts.
• Transition: Temple dances transformed into public cultural expressions and recognized as classical heritage.

Threats to Intangible Heritage

• Extinction Risk: Many folklores and traditions endangered, requiring preservation efforts.

Impact on Tourism

• UNESCO's Role: Boosts tourism industry by conserving endangered art forms globally.
• Revitalization: Revives endangered art forms, making them attractions for cultural tourism.

Intangible Cultural Heritage in India

Kalbelia Dance of Rajasthan

• Origin: Kalbelia tribe, earlier snake charmers.
• UNESCO Recognition: Listed in 2010.
• Description: Women in black attire with heavy embroidery, tattoos, and jewelry; depict serpent movements. Men play Khanjari (percussion) and Poongi (woodwind).
• Impact: Increased popularity and preservation of traditional art amidst changing occupations.
• Transformation: From ritualistic to staged performances, now a livelihood source.

Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai

• UNESCO Recognition: July 2018.
• Description: Cluster of 94 buildings noted for Victorian Gothic and Art Deco styles.
• Significance: Represents architectural heritage beyond physical structures.
• Impact: Adds to India's UNESCO World Heritage sites, emphasizing architectural style preservation.

Scheme for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage (2013-2014)

• Objective: Safeguard, promote, and propagate intangible cultural traditions.
• Scope: Includes dance forms, architecture, music, emphasizing cultural symbols and concepts.
• Inclusivity: Enhances preservation efforts, expands cultural heritage initiatives.

Museums as Cultural Heritage

Role of Museums in Cultural Preservation

• Definition of Museum: Nonprofit, permanent institution for acquiring, conserving, researching, communicating, and exhibiting tangible and intangible heritage for education and enjoyment (ICOM).

• Shift in Museum Priorities: From collection preservation to audience satisfaction; emphasis on inclusivity and cultural responsibility (Keene 2005).

• New Museology: Challenges traditional museum practices; advocates for inclusivity, cultural diversity, and dialogue (Vergo 1989).

• Postmodern Museums: Contrast with modernist museums; focus on events, outreach, and diverse narratives rather than static collections (Hooper Greenhill 2000).

Intangible Heritage in Museums

• Documentation Challenges: How museums document intangible heritage; utilizing new technologies like oral history programs and multimedia recordings (Crofts).

• Interpretation and Contextualization: Museums interpret intangible heritage through artifacts like theatrical performances, masks, and oral histories (Pinna 2003).

• Exhibitions: Main aspect of museum practice; incorporate music, lighting effects, and live performances to enhance the meaning and context of artifacts (Garton Smith 2000).

Community Engagement and Partnerships

• Importance of Community: Communities are integral to intangible cultural heritage; community partnerships vital for identification and safeguarding of cultural expressions (Vanttuy 2003).

• Examples of Museums: Papa Tongerewa Museum in New Zealand and National Museum of the American Indian in the USA; emphasize community involvement in preserving cultural heritage.