Heritage walk to tap tourism on Sept 30

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, September 13

Heritage monuments are a symbol of history and every site has an important story to tell. The Patiala Foundation, an NGO, in collaboration with GoUNESCO, will organise its third heritage walk at Gharram village here on September 30 to promote rich heritage of the Royal City.

The NGO had earlier organised two such events at Qila Mubarak and Bahadurgarh Fort in the district.

The walk, which is open for all, will start at 6 am from Gurdwara Milaapsar Sahib and end at the Old Fort area where once the Ramgarh Fort stood. Tourists will also be taken to the dargah of peer Bheekham Shah. Experiences from across the world will be collated and disseminated through social media using #makeheritagefun.

Gharram village, 32 km from here on the Kurukshetra highway, holds a rich historical and religious significance to the Hindu community. Residents believe that Lord Rama was born in their village in the palace of his maternal grandfather, the then local Maharaja Khoh Ram, and not in Ayodhya. They said remaining castles of that era were still there in the village.

Ravee S Ahluwalia, general secretary of the foundation, said: “The objective is to draw attention towards the rich and unexplored heritage and encourage people to engage with heritage both online and offline.” He said the initiative would help in documenting their experience through photos and videos.

UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization), a special agency of the United Nations (UN), started a citizen-led umbrella of initiatives called GoUNESCO in 2012 to make heritage more engaging. The NGO was accorded the Consultative Status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) this year. It is the highest status granted by the United Nations to NGOs, thereby allowing them to participate in its work.