Is history a boring subject to you? Did you have a history teacher in school that brings back memories of endless dates and facts, not related and connected? For me there was a history teacher in eighth grade named Mr. Miller. But this man made history come alive! I credit at least some of my passion for history today to his mode of teaching and his own passion.

One of the ways history comes alive is not only the printed page or a history teacher. Last week in the Times of India newspaper there was an article titled, “Touring through history new fad”. It talked of how “history/heritage” tours are growing all over India. “Cities like Delhi, Agra, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad are now attracting tourists because if its rich history.”

It goes on to say, “These tourists do not visit as pilgrims, but want to understand different places in the country through the stories of temples, heritage structures, food and people.” To me this is a very exciting development, happening not only in India but also around the world. Connecting to a cultural and religious heritage is vitally important for people knowing their roots, their origins. Seeing for themselves the places that influenced their own lives or people.

In the past few months I have visited several World Heritage sites, designated by the United Nations. (I have done posts on some, including Angkor Watt in Cambodia, the Teracotta Warriors in China, and one that was for a time recognized, the Da Qin temple, and should be again.) In my post on Angkor Watt in August, I wondered why there was not more Indian tourists, seeming as it was such an important part of Indian cultural and religious heritage.

Seeing the article this week encouraged me that Indians are discovering in a deeper way the importance of history, and how needed this is all over the world. A tourist company that is leading the way with “history tourism” is Cox and Kings LTD. Karan Anand, one of the company leaders said this: “Heritage walks in Mumbai are a big hit. the tourists want to know the stories behind these heritage structures. Not only foreigners, but Indian as well have begun to take more interest in unearthing the rich culture of the cities.”

What areas of history are you interested in? Where would you like to visit to learn more of the living history of that site? I have a long “bucket list” in that regard. Let me know some of yours, and I will share some of mine in a future post.