Cultural & Architectural Heritage Tourism: Sustainable Development: A Case Study of Khajuraho!

Abstract

India is environmentally and culturally so diverse we can say that “India is a country with in a country, for all reasons and for all seasons” it is not viable to focus on a single destination or tourist experience to understand the effects of tourism on culture. Khajuraho is a beautiful village situated in Chhatarpur district in Madhya Pradesh with an old-fashioned, rural ambience and a rich cultural legacy. The World Heritage Day is celebrated on April 18 to create awareness among the people to conserve and protect the valuable assets and cultural heritage across the world. Heritage is something which is specific and typical of a place or region. Buildings of historic and architectural significance become part of the cultural heritage of a city and the society. Cultural heritage is the creation of human beings, who have created it by virtue of their innovative power, creativity and artistic ability. The monuments and the cultural activities associated with the monuments play a very important role in the lifestyle of the people of India and give a special identity to them. It is necessary to improve awareness of cultural heritage due to its historical, social, aesthetic and scientific significance. Historical significance refers to the relationship to era, person or event. Social significance refers to the social, spiritual and other community-oriented values attributed to a place. Aesthetic significance refers to the special sense of importance of a place with reference to architecture, scale and designs. Scientific significance refers to the scope or possibility of scientific findings from a site, monument or place.