‘Heritage Through My Lens’ and ‘Share Your Personal Treasure’ invite citizens to document and celebrate tangible heritage
Selected entries to be showcased at State Museum and recognised at a state platform
Tourism evolving as participatory movement; citizens to be storytellers of their own heritage: Jaiveer Singh
Uttar Pradesh Tourism is marking World Heritage Week, leading up to World Heritage Day on April 18, with two citizen driven initiatives aimed at bringing heritage closer to people and encouraging wider participation.
The campaigns, ‘UP Heritage Through My Lens’ and ‘Share Your Personal Treasure’, invite individuals across age groups to engage with heritage through visual storytelling and personal narratives, making it accessible for students, families, young creators, homemakers and local communities alike.
The first initiative, ‘UP Heritage Through My Lens’, encourages participants to capture lesser known or hidden heritage sites through photographs and short reels. Entries may include a local temple, an old stepwell, a traditional market street, or a lesser-known fort or shrine that holds significance within the community but remains largely undocumented.
Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh said, “World Heritage Week is not only about celebrating monuments but about recognising the deeper cultural fabric that defines us. Through these initiatives, we want people, especially the younger generation, to engage with heritage in their own way and take pride in their roots.”
Participants can use simple mobile photography or video formats, focusing on architecture, rituals or everyday life around these sites, making the initiative accessible and easy to participate in.
Complementing this is ‘Share Your Personal Treasure’, where participants can submit a tangible object of personal or family significance along with a short story. This could include items such as old coins, handwritten letters, traditional jewellery, heirloom utensils or vintage photographs preserved within households.
By bringing forward such objects and their stories, the initiative highlights a form of heritage that exists within homes, making it especially relatable for families and elders. Together, the campaigns expand the idea of heritage beyond well-known landmarks to include both local sites and personal histories.
Additional Chief Secretary Tourism, Culture and Religious Affairs Amrit Abhijat said that such initiatives reflect a shift towards more participatory tourism, where people contribute to how heritage is documented and presented. He added that these documentation efforts also help identify places and cultural elements with strong local relevance, which can be gradually integrated into state’s broader tourism canvas.
Entries can be submitted in the form of photographs or short videos, with defined formats to ensure authenticity. The personal treasure category requires a short written account along with the submission.
Top entries stand a chance to win special prizes, while select submissions from the ‘Personal Treasure’ category will also find a place in the State Museum.
The last date for submission of entries for both initiatives is April 18, 2026. Participants can register through the official website of Uttar Pradesh Tourism.
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