In a jarring paradox, India's tourism industry is facing a crisis of sorts – it has too many tourist spots, but none of them are attracting visitors. The reason: these spots are being systematically destroyed, not by natural disasters or human neglect, but by a younger generation of Indians who are more interested in urbanising their surroundings than preserving historic landmarks.
One such spot is the fort of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, a medieval marvel that was once a thriving trade hub. But today, the fort lies abandoned, its walls breached and crumbling. “We used to have hundreds of tourists every day, but now we get only a handful,” says Rajaram Choudhary, the caretaker of the fort.
Another example is the fort of Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, which was once a royal palace. But today, it's a mere shadow of its former self, with crumbling walls and overgrown gardens.
Historians and conservationists are sounding the alarm. “If we don't preserve our historical sites, we'll lose our cultural heritage for good,” warns historian Irfan Habib.
So, why is this happening? The answer lies in the fact that young Indians are more interested in urbanising their surroundings than preserving historic landmarks. “They want to build modern homes, hotels, and shopping malls in these areas, without realising that they're destroying a part of our history,” notes conservationist Sunita Narain.
It's not just historical sites that are being destroyed. India's natural beauty is also being sacrificed at the altar of urbanisation. “We're losing our forests, our rivers, our wildlife – everything that makes our country unique,” notes environmentalist Darryl D'Monte.
But there's hope. A group of young Indians, who are passionate about preserving their country's heritage, are taking matters into their own hands. They're working with local communities to restore and preserve historical sites, as well as natural beauty.
As historian Ramachandra Guha notes, “It's not too late to save our heritage. We just need to work together and preserve what's left of our past.”
It's a daunting task, but one that's necessary if India wants to preserve its unique identity and culture. As environmentalist Darryl D'Monte says, “We can either save our heritage and our environment, or we can lose everything that makes us Indian.”
It's time for India to take a stand and preserve its rich cultural heritage. The clock is ticking.
Resumen:
La industria del turismo de la India enfrenta una crisis: tiene demasiados lugares turísticos, pero ninguno de ellos atrae visitantes. La razón: estos lugares están siendo destruidos sistemáticamente, no por desastres naturales o descuido humano, sino por una generación más joven de indios que están más interesados en urbanizar su entorno que en preservar lugares históricos.
Resumen en 150 palabras:
La industria del turismo de la India está enfrentando una crisis debido a la destrucción de lugares históricos y naturales. La razón es la urbanización, que está más interesada en preservar la herencia histórica que en destruir los lugares turísticos. Los historiadores y conservacionistas están sonando la alarma, advirtiendo que si no se preservan los sitios históricos, se perderá la herencia cultural. Un grupo de jóvenes indios está trabajando para restaurar y preservar los lugares históricos y naturales. La cuestión es: ¿se puede salvar la herencia de la India?