Mag Corner
Part 2: Heritage Tourism : A revival story in Eastern India
By Indranil Halder
(1: Hazarduari Palace , Murshidabad ) “Tourism is too important a resource to be left to the tourism professionals. It needs to be part of a community mobilisation strategy that can reinvent the role of heritage so that it serves the needs of everyone.” - Robert H. McNulty, founder and president of Partners for Livable CommunitiesBob McNulty(USA). In 2020, Australia heritage tourism is promoted with home-stays in pristine rural properties or cultural engagements with members of the Australian indigenous community in Uluru. In 2017, when the Indian polo team with HH Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh of Jaipur visited Sydney for the World Polo Championship, they were welcomed by Australian polo veteran John Wayland to the polo properties of Windsor, NSW. There, the Indian team practised and
lived on beer, BBQs and Indian sweets to prepare for the Championship. The Prince of Jaipur was not the only Indian royal to enjoy Australian heritage life and promote heritage tourism. The last Nizam of Hyderabad, Mukarram Jah purchased a 200,000-hectare outback station in Western Australia and a mansion, named Havelock House, in Perth, in the 1980s. The mansion was stuffed with antiques brought from his Hyderabad palaces, so he could enjoy his life in Australia. The Nizam of Hyderabad Jah became a part of Western Australia heritage. According to the National Trust in Australia, “They are one of the most significant owners and operators of heritage places with more than 300 properties nationwide. Heritage tourism provides an excellent opportunity to showcase heritage places across Australia, to increase understanding and support for their conservation and to promote innovative contemporary uses for our heritage assets.” (2:Pathuriaghata Tagore Castle) With Indian heritage properties welcoming guests in high volume, it feels like justice finally will be done to many
hundreds of eastern Indian heritage property clusters such as Cooch Behar/ South Dinajpur (95 properties), Murshidabad (99 properties) and South of Bengal (60 properties). Twenty five years ago, I used to live in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata where I had over 500 years of heritage buildings all around me. During my time in Kolkata, I learnt that the city was once known as the City of Palaces because of the number of palatial public and private properties such as the Writers Building, Pathuriaghata Tagore Castle (similar to a famous landmark in the Scottish highlands, Balmoral Castle) and Dhanyakuria Gayen Bagan Bari (a stately home). Swarnali Sikder from Australia India Travel & Tourism Council (AITTC) said, “The unique architectural presentation of Kolkata was highlighted in Australian author Joanne Taylor’s book, The Forgotten Palaces of Calcutta. These forgotten palaces are an important part of Kolkata heritage.” (3:Dhanyakuria Gayen Bagan Bari) Once upon a time in Kolkata, Belvedere House became the hub for The Viceroy’s garden parties which were attended by British officers, diplomats and Maharajas. While Woodland Palace became the hub for polo parties with Cooch Behar royals and guests from the Nepal, Burdawan and Jaipur Royal families. Pathuriaghata Tagore Castle become the hub for classical Indian music, attended by distinguished foreign travellers visiting India at the time, including Asian royalty,
Hazarduari Palace , Murshidabad ) Download Our App
Pathuriaghata Tagore Castle
OCTOBER I 2020
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