Events planned in Kochi, Kodungallur, Kalady, and Aranmula from November 23 to 27
Events planned in Kochi, Kodungallur, Kalady, and Aranmula from November 23 to 27
The India Heritage and Museum Field School (IHMFS), which is in the forefront of organising heritage walks in Kochi, West Kochi, and Thripunithura, will host national-level initiatives on heritage and conservation from November 23 to 27 in Kochi, Kodungallur, Kalady, and Aranmula, in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), which is under the Union Ministry of Culture.
The regional hosts include Muziris Heritage Project for the event at Kodungallur on November 24, the Ernakulam Karayogam for the one in Kochi city on November 25, Adi Sankara Trust for the Kalady event on November 26, and Vastu Vidya Gurukulam for the Aranmula event on November 27.
“Heritage conservation in the world began in an organised manner with the 1972 U.N. Convention concerning the protection of the world’s cultural and natural heritage. The five events in Kerala are being held in the backdrop of the 50th anniversary of the U.N. Convention. The sorry state of affairs of heritage conservation in Kerala will figure in the discussions here on November 23,” said B. Venugopal, former director of the National Museum of Natural History, New Delhi.
The deluge of 2018 shed light on the relevance of learning lessons from maritime heritage. The ongoing standoff between coastal residents and the Vizhinjam port authorities is crucial at this point in time. A session on maritime heritage would thus be held at the Muziris Heritage Project office in Kodungallor, said Mr. Venugopal.
Kochi city hosts many buildings which will shortly attain the heritage tag of being 100 years old. The Ernakulam Karayogam that would enter the century club in 2024 had shown interest in launching an Ernakulam Heritage Group in connection with the heritage event, said sources.
With concerns being raised about heritage education in the country and heritage being mistaken as history alone, the Adi Sankara Trust plans to establish a heritage education initiative during the programme planned to be held at Kalady.
With traditional craftsmanship being an important component of heritage and to cash in on the Geographical Indication (GI) tag to Aranmula Kannadi, the Vastu Vidya Gurukulam will organise a workshop on intangible heritage in Aranmula.
As a networking organisation based in Kochi, the IHMFS has organised many heritage awareness activities, including heritage walks, accessible walks to ensure inclusivity, including for differently abled people, and a Heritage Field School. The body was recently invited to present papers at the UNESCO-Ministry of Culture workshop on intangible heritage held in New Delhi, Kerala Travel Mart in Kochi, the Thalassery Heritage Project, and the Sri Aurobindo Society in Puducherry.
Registration for participation and volunteering will be accepted up to November 12 in the prescribed registration form. Clarifications may be made through email, ihmfskochi@gmail.com.
