Revisit our rich heritage and culture

Culture is a living legacy, shaped by art, music, literature and traditions passed down through generations. At Kalakriti Art Gallery in Hyderabad, Sanjoy Roy, founder of the Jaipur Literature Festival, explored these ideas during a conversation titled ‘Culture, Creativity and the Stories We Tell’. He highlighted the need to preserve India’s artistic heritage and ensure that its rich cultural traditions remain accessible to future generations.

Roy also spoke about his memoir, ‘There’s a Ghost in My Room: Living with the Supernatural’, which recounts unusual experiences encountered by him and his family over the years.

“Since many years, it’s been a haunted personal life for my family, with many experiences of unknown voices, appearance and disappearance of supernatural beings at odd hours of the night and streaks of violent visuals appearing and disappearing before us. But we have been tackling and fighting out these experiences to move forward. The book narrates some of these ghostly experiences,” he said.

Over the years, Roy has been responsible for creating 33 festivals in India and abroad, including the Jaipur Literature Festival, Mahindra Kabira Festival, Jaigarh Heritage Festival, India in the Alps, India by the Nile, Jazz India Circuit and Sikkim Arts and Literature Festival. These platforms bring together diverse voices and provide audiences with opportunities to engage with art, literature and cultural traditions. Speaking about heritage conservation, Roy recalled standing in a long queue in London to view Chola dynasty bronze and stone sculptures. On returning to Chennai, he was struck by the neglect of other examples of the same artistic legacy.

“We in India are way behind in conserving our heritage and culture. And for all this, there is no point in blaming or depending on action from the government. Each one of us is literally the owner of the rich legacy of this country,” he said.

Roy stressed that preserving cultural heritage requires collective responsibility, particularly as fewer families continue traditional art practices. He believes these skills and artistic traditions need greater recognition and support.

Reflecting on the lasting power of art, Roy spoke about how an Indian miniature painting can reveal something new with every viewing. The same holds true for the music of Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan Saheb and Beethoven. “It’s the same musical piece, but every time you hear it, there is a different and deeper involvement,” he observed.For Roy, culture is not simply a record of the past. It is a continuing legacy that must be protected, understood and passed on, ensuring that future generations can discover its richness and find their own meaning in it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jaywant Naidu

Jaywant Naidu[email protected]