ndia is a country that’s known for being the cradle of one of the earliest civilizations. Indian history spans thousands of years. 

India has monuments that are at least a thousand years old. They are the epitome of civil engineering, architecture and aesthetics. Thousands of historical places are built across the country. 

These places attract tourists, pilgrims, and history enthusiasts every year. Rajasthan is one of those states that are blessed with a glorious historical heritage. From grand palaces, historic forts to dunes, Rajasthan is full of wonders for the tourists. 

Every year millions of tourists visit this state to see the amazing things it has to offer. The economy of state benefits massively from tourism. There are arrays of jobs and businesses that are sustained because of tourism. 

Chittorgarh is one of those towns in Rajasthan that has various historical monuments that attract people from all over the world. Most notable being Chittor Fort, built around the 7th century. Other famous spots like Keerti Stambha and Vijay Stambha are also a significant attraction. 

However, the picture isn’t as rosy as we imagine when it comes to the preservation of this historical monuments. 

When a group of Chittorgarh youngsters went to the historic fort of the city, the plight of the fort premises was saddening with plastic littered all over the place. Empty bottles were thrown in the lake, chips packets, plastic plates, spoons and other garbage has turned the water of the lake dirty, and nobody seemed to be bothered with the plight of this magnificent place. Not the government, nor the residents whose bread and butter come from tourists’ pocket. 

Imagine what the tourists must have felt after seeing garbage littered all over the place for which they paid thousands of dollars to visit. This problem ruins the joy of tourists and discourages them from visiting again or recommending the tour to the friends or family. Over the long period, this issue affects tourist turnout, eventually the local economy, which is not a good thing.

The youngsters of Chittor who visited the spot felt the same thing; however, complaining about it wasn’t going to make it vanish suddenly. Expecting from the government to fix it was equally foolish. The issue was with our mentality, the careless mentality that stops us from becoming like first world countries. The lack of responsibility among citizens and careless tourists has started this problem, and the solution too needs to come from there.  

The group decided to come up with a brilliant initiative to fix the issue. The name of this initiative is Apni Virasat, Apni Zimmedari, which means Our Heritage, Our Responsibility.

Under this brilliant initiative of Apni Virasat, Apni Zimmedari this group of youngsters will visit the fort and nearby historic places every weekend and help to clean up the garbage.

The group has already started the work, the last week they visited the place and collected the plastic garbage from every corner and adequately disposed of it away from the spot. They also did the cleaning work of lake. However, just a few youngsters with limited resources and time alone can’t fix the issue. 

The garbage is going to pop up every week, no matter how many times you clean it up. For long term solution, residents and tourists need to be made aware of this initiative – Apni Virasat, Apni Zimmedari.

The number of people joins this group for sharing the work, the better the result will be. Even if you can’t volunteer for the work, you can at least spread the word about it and encourage people to at least not dirty the place by throwing garbage, which is the smallest thing we can do.

The group members think the problem is not limited to Chittor or Rajasthan, and it is a pan-India problem, that’s why they are planning to spread this initiative all over India in the coming months. 

Apni Virasat, Apni Zimmedari is a noble initiative that can bring a change in the plight of historical places of India. We have to support the cause in whichever way possible.

A well-preserved monument survives for a prolonged time, and it helps to catch the fancy of people, which altogether helps the local economy. 

We all need to start Apni Virasat, Apni Zimmedari all across India to bring a massive change in our attitude toward our heritage.