On the occasion of World Heritage Day, an unlikely Twitter thread became an opportunity for people to celebrate their city’s heritage. The thread was first started by Indian Forest Service officer Parveen Kaswan.
Kaswan tweeted, “Today is #WorldHeritageDay. Tell me about your city without naming it. Let’s see if we can identify it by the heritage it holds.”
Soon people flooded the tweet with clues about their cities, while others tried to come up with the right guess. Actor Diya Mirza also replied to Kaswan’s tweet and wrote, “Qutub Shahi Tombs, Golconda Fort, Charminar” while referring to her native city of Hyderabad.
Today is #WorldHeritageDay.
Tell me about your city without naming it. Let’s see if we can identify it by the heritage it holds.
— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) April 18, 2022
Qutub Shahi Tombs, Golconda Fort, Charminar
— Dia Mirza (@deespeak) April 18, 2022
I’ve lived in different places, so hints about all of them:
1) India’s first sugar factory was established in 1903 here
2) After attending Mahatma Gandhi’s speech in this city on non-cooperation, Munshi Premchand gave up his government job
3) Indira Gandhi’s constituency
— Vatsal वत्सल وتسل (@VatsalTrivedi18) April 18, 2022
It is comprised of 7 islands. Home to ancient caves dedicated to Hindu gods. Most interestingly the city was gifted as “dowry” for marriage between two imperial powers.
— vaibhav mishra (@vaibhavthegaul) April 18, 2022
Epicentre of First war of Independence, 1857 in Central India lead by one of the Bravest Queen. Let’s see if you can guess… pic.twitter.com/SWHI44VNmU
— हर्ष (@harsh_s_01) April 18, 2022
One of the most ancient cities of India, on the banks of holy Ganga. Established by ‘Ajat Satru’ and made the capital of Magadh by ‘Udayin’.
Blessed by Patan Devi, Harmandar Jee Sahab, and Sheetla Devi.
Features the ‘Gol Ghar’, ‘Heritage High Court Building, ‘Padri ki Haweli’..— Jha Akankshit (@akankshitjha22) April 18, 2022
This intricate carving on a mosque wall is also the logo of a globally reputed institution. pic.twitter.com/InuFghuNB2
— Shaunak Shah (@shaunakbshah) April 18, 2022
A city which once was a princely state . Renowned for tradition of Dhrupad and has even a Gharana named after it. In a district from where Gandhiji practically started his political career in India. A Tiger Reserve close by. Famous for its Chura ( puffed rice ).
— P Bernard (@scotchbythebay) April 18, 2022
Hindi Literature and this city have a passionate connection and a greater seeking for each other. Sumitranandan Pant, HarivanshRai Bachchan and others are some renowned personalities in literature. This city’s university was referred to as the ‘Oxford of the East’.
— Akansha Singh (@singh1_akansha) April 18, 2022
In India, there are 40 Unesco recognised world heritage sites. Of these 40 sites, 32 places such as Hampi monuments, Ajanta Caves, and Fatehpur Sikri are recognised for their cultural importance, while places like Kaziranga, Manas and Nanda Devi National Parks are known for their natural heritage.
The most recent additions to India’s world heritage sites are Jaipur city, which was given the world heritage title in 2019. Last year, the Harappan site of Dholavira in Gujarat was added to the list as well.
World Heritage Day is celebrated globally on April 18 to raise awareness about the preservation of unique historical and natural locations around the world. It is also known as the International Day for Monuments and Sites. World Heritage Day was first recognised by Unesco in November 1983.
Every year the day is celebrated with a theme. The theme for 2022 is ‘Heritage and Climate’ which sheds light on how climate change is endangering heritage conservation and how sustainable tourism is the way to go.