This document discusses cultural heritage and defines it as the creative expression of a people's existence in the past, near past, and present that tells their traditions, beliefs, and achievements. It notes that cultural heritage includes both tangible and intangible forms. Tangible heritage can be physically touched, like monuments and objects, while intangible heritage includes non-physical forms like music, dance, languages, and traditions. The document emphasizes that cultural heritage is important because it conveys identity and values, is unique, can support economic development, and helps people understand cultural diversity.

1. Understanding:
Cultural Heritage
Kshetrimayum Kamaljit Singh
Conservation Research Scholar
National Museum Institute, Janpath
New Delhi

2. “The meaning of the term cultural heritage has evolved over the
last decades. Originally it referred only to masterpieces of artistic and
historical values, now it is used more broadly and covers everything
that has a particular significance for people”

3. “At present, the word Heritage includes both cultural and natural
heritage. If we want to understand the cultural diversities that exist in
the world, we cannot separate culture from nature.”

4. What is Heritage?
• ‘Heritage’ means something that has been inherited. The word
includes the concept of transmission from the past to the future.
• Heritage must, in fact, be considered a legacy that we receive from
our ancestors and have to pass on to future generations.
• Cultural heritage is the creative expression of a people’s existence in
the past, near past and present. It tells us the traditions, the beliefs
and the achievements of a country/region and its people.

5. Kinds of Heritage
• We can distinguish two kinds of cultural heritage:
Tangible and
Intangible
• Tangible Heritage: It includes material heritage that can be physically
touched such as monuments, buildings, statues, paintings, objects,
etc.
• Intangible Heritage: It deals with immaterial heritage such as music,
dance, literature, theatre, languages, know-how, religious
ceremonies, traditional performances, etc.

6. Tangible Heritage
• It is in turn comprises of Movable and Immovable-
• Movable Heritage, which can be moved from one place to another; i.e.
objects.
• Immovable Heritage, which cannot be removed from its origin; i.e.
buildings.

7. Intangible Heritage
• It includes traditions or living expressions inherited from our
ancestors and passed on to our descendants
Such as- Oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals,
festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the
universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts.
[PS: For better understanding, see the table in next slide]

8. CULTURAL HERITAGE NATURAL HERITAGE
TANGIBLE HERITAGE INTANGIBLE HERITAGE TANGIBLE & IMMOVABLE
Immovable Movable Music
Dance
Literature
Theatre
Oral traditions
Traditional performances
Social practices
Know-how
Cultural spaces
Religious ceremonies
etc.
Natural or maritime parks of
ecological interest
Geological and physical
formations
Landscapes of outstanding
natural beauty
Architectural works,
Monuments,
Archaeological sites,
Historical centres, Cultural
landscape, Historical parks
& gardens
Museum collections,
Libraries,
Archives

9. Why is Heritage important to us?
It is the duty of people to take care of their cultural heritage because it:
 Conveys diverse messages and values that contribute to give a
meaning to people’s life.
 Represents the identity of a social group.
 Is unique and irreplaceable.
 Is a source of economic development.
 Represents a vehicle for understanding the diversity of people and
developing a policy for peace and mutual comprehension.

10. Thank you