Heritage, our Inheritance

In a way it feels strange to call this month’s magazine ‘The Heritage Issue’, when so much of what we write and publish each month here at ECS falls into the category of heritage. Nevertheless, I’m always glad for the chance to get into the topic more in depth, as there is just so much to explore, learn, say, and show about it.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines 'heritage' as 'property that is or may be inherited; an inheritance', 'valued things such as historic buildings that have been passed down from previous generations', and 'relating to things of historic or cultural value that are worthy of preservation'.
The second two definitions—valued things such as historic buildings and relating to things of historic or cultural value—are what generally come to mind for me when I think of the word heritage.
However, the first part of the definition, ‘an inheritance,’ is a way of looking at heritage that I’ve never thought of before, and something that makes me think of it in a whole new light. An inheritance is something of great value that you would treasure and hold on to and take care of. Seeing it from that perspective, with Nepal’s heritage belonging to each and every person here, it behooves each one of us to do all that we can to look after it and make sure that it is also something that can be passed, as an inheritance is, on to generations to come.
And of course, it isn’t just buildings, temples, palaces, and monuments, there’s also a lot of intangible heritage: music, dance, food, languages, and more. The more we learn about it, the more facets we discover and the greater the need to ensure that we are doing our best to ensure the survival of the country’s heritage—all of it.
I hope that you enjoy the articles we’ve compiled for you on the topic.
With that said, I’m off to work on next month’s issue—and it’s going to be a big one! It’s our 200th, after all, and we couldn’t be more excited. See you then!

Evangeline Neve
Associate Editor