KANNUR: The World Heritage Week celebrations, under the auspices of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Thrissur Circle, began at the 500-year-old Portuguese-built Fort St. Angelo here on Sunday.

Institute for Research in Social Science and Humanities director K.S. Mathew, who inaugurated the celebration, said no culture could be thought of as a monolithic one as every culture evolved from cultural exchange. Indian culture was no exception as it had received many things from different cultures, he said. "Every culture has been moulded by the intake of many other cultures," Prof. Mathew said. The Portuguese had showed an interest in the Malabar region in the 1500s itself when the region used to have good relations with Arab countries, he said. With the arrival of the Portuguese, the trade relationship that local rulers in the region had with the Arabs had declined. Kochi had become the focus of trade with the arrival of the Portuguese, he added.

"The colonial past is part of our culture now and we have an obligation to preserve our historical monuments," Prof. Mathew told the audience. Superintending Archaeologist of ASI Thrissur Circle M. Nambirajan said a cultural heritage meant a structure that had universal, historical, archaeological or aesthetic value. India had 21 cultural heritage sites and five natural heritage sites now. "The historical monuments are sources of pride for the country and are milestones in the journey of man," Dr. Nambirajan said. Defence Security Corps (DSC) Centre Commandant Col. Ranjit Singh, who offered felicitations, said the country had already lost quite a lot of historical monuments.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail