New Delhi (India), August 6: Uttar Pradesh remains a pivotal region where leaders emerge and leave an indelible mark on India’s history. Among these trailblazers is Navina Jafa, who is continuing the illustrious legacy of her parents: her mother, Padmashri Manorama Jafa, who revolutionised children’s literature in Asia and hails from Lakhimpur-Kheri, and her father, Virendra Singh Jafa, the former Defence Secretary of Finance from Badayun.
Navina Jafa, described as the “Gatekeeper of the Spectacular” by the Financial Times in London, has authored a groundbreaking book titled Exhibiting India: Art of Heritage Walks. Inspired by her Fulbright experience at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC, this work is a testament to the success of Indo-US cultural diplomacy. Richard Kurin, Ambassador-at-Large at the Smithsonian and Jafa’s Fulbright advisor, has penned the foreword for the book. The publication aims to transform heritage tourism and preserve Indian culture, offering a wealth of insights for guides, travel agents, students, and travellers, encouraging them to explore Incredible India from a new perspective.
The Publications Division, Government of India, published Jafa’s book addresses crucial issues in heritage tourism and sustainable cultural development.
Jafa’s expertise in cultural heritage tourism, cultural skill mapping, development, and classical dance offers a redefined vision of how Incredible India can incorporate cultural and creative communities into sustainable development and responsible tourism. She is also passing her knowledge on to her children, hundreds of school teachers, and folk performers.
Navina Jafa is enthusiastically looking forward to combining the launch of her book in different parts of India with capacity and skill-building workshops for stakeholders engaged in tourism, culture, and sustainable development.
Richly illustrated and packed with examples of heritage walks and capacity-building methods, Jafa’s book highlights the potential for expanding qualitative, experiential heritage tourism in India. It features inspiring examples such as the “Ramayana Heritage Walk” in Hampi with Bahurupiyas, pastoral tourism in Arunachal Pradesh and Rajasthan, the botanical heritage of temperate orchids in Sikkim, apricot blossoms of Ladakh, and Lal Bagh in Bangalore. It also explores the water heritage of the Indus Valley site Dholavira in Kutch, the salt desert, the sacred city of Amritsar, the River Jhelum heritage of Srinagar, Kashmir, the temple umbrellas of Chennai, the walk on the mighty Begum Queens of Bhopal, and the heritage of crocodiles in Bhitarkanika.
Exhibiting India is a rich repository of stories and histories, brimming with case studies and actual walks, promising a wealth of exciting experiences. Reasonably priced and available on Amazon, Jafa’s work is a landmark in promoting cultural heritage through enjoyable and inclusive public outreach. Dive into Exhibiting India and let Navina Jafa guide you, making India’s extraordinary heritage accessible to all.
