Have you had the embarrassing experience of taking overseas visitors to a historical monument only to find it has been scribbled on? Sadly most monuments in India have become victims of ugly graffiti and sometimes leave us wishing we could be invisible when pillars of time have messages of love and doodles of hearts carelessly scribbled on them. We need to respect property in our own homes and schools first. For instance writing on classroom desks and doors does not speak well of both the students and the school. “When my friends from U.K. asked me why people had written on the walls of the ancient Qutb Shahi Tombs, I did not know what to say,” says Sashika of Std. VIII, still clearly at a loss for words.
Give respect
Caring for the environment means not only being concerned about nature but also showing respect for public property. While on a school picnic or excursion to historical sites it helps to read up and know all about the place you will be visiting – when it was built, by whom, perhaps even how long it took to build and what cost. This will help realise the importance of the site and highlight our responsibility to keep our priceless heritage intact.
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“A lot of funds are spent on security, vigilance systems, solar fencing and general up keep of archaeological sites. People need to be aware of the country’s archaeological wealth and culture,” says Chenna Reddy, Director, Department of Archaeology and Museums, Andhra Pradesh.The 30th anniversary of World Tourism Day falls on September 27 and is being celebrated at Ghana with the theme “Celebrating Diversity”. Our best contribution is to be a responsible tourist and take pride in preserving our tourist locations for us and for our visitors!