Gandhinagar, 6 February 2014

A culture’s future rests on the strength of its legacy. Preserve this legacy and the future brightens. Destroy it and the future is bleak. Lost in the pages of history, Indian heritage values and monuments are aspects of the past so uniquely and extraordinarily rich in philosophy and architecture. ‘Bharatvarsh’, as it is referred to, gifted new schools of thought and beliefs that led to enriching the society in numerous ways. Art and architecture of the era garnered praise and commendation from across the world.

With such rich culture and heritage, there is ample scope and opportunity to attract tourists in the state. Heritage Tourism is a sector that is now the main area of focus.

To keep the flame of Indian cultural heritage alive, Gujarat Tourism has taken an initiative to highlight and promote the heritage sites in the state and the country.

The Great Indian Heritage Fest is an endeavour in this direction that would provide an opportunity to revisit the forgotten pages that constitute the Golden Era in Indian history. For the first time and to go a long way, The Great Indian Heritage Fest will be held on the 15th objectives behind organising this festival are to raise awareness about the Heritage Sites in the state and thereby instill a sense of pride. Discussions and debates will be done on how to preserve the existing heritage monuments and sites so that they can be passed on to the coming generations to boast of and take pride in.

Deliberations will also be done on the ways to develop the heritage sites to provide the tourists with basic facilities and at the same time, not interfere or compromise with the safety of the monuments/sites.

The Indian Heritage Hotels Association, Heritage Hotels Association of Gujarat, Gujarat Vintage and Classic Cars Club and other Regional and National Tour Operators/ Travel Agents Associations like TAG, IATO, TAAI, TAFI and ADTOI will participate in the two-day event.

Quiz competition & Poster Competition at Schools and Colleges in Ahmedabad,Vadodara and Surat are to take place before the event kickstarts at Vadodara.

About more than 30 Vintage & Classic Cars will be showcased at the 9km long Vintage Rally that is to be organised in Vadodara . An exhibition of these cars will also be held following the Rally.

A first-of-its-kind coffee table book introducing and describing to the reader the palaces, havelis, forts, step wells, temples, Islamic architecture and other spiritual sites will also be published. A Film ‘Gujarat though the eyes of Heritage’ will also be launched in English.

With such unique initiatives, Gujarat Tourism has taken a leap forward in raising awareness for the preservation of heritage sites and boosting, promoting tourism through it.

For more information on the Heritage sites in Gujarat and other information, log on to www.gujarattourism.com and visit www.gihf.in for info and updates about the Great Indian Heritage Fest 2014.