Time and again, the people of Ladakh, the younger generation in particular, have been raising their voice and making gigantic efforts to preserve their culture and keep up with their tradition.
The twin districts of Leh and Kargil have cultural diversity in abundance which makes the UT beautiful and interesting, at the same time.
It could be said that the youth here have a sense of cultural and traditional preservation. They do understand that they need to safeguard cultural heritage and keep up traditional practices from the past, alive for future generations.
The locals concerned over the fading culture and eroding tradition are now demanding renaming of the places with traditional nouns and in local languages including in Bhoti.
“It is a crucial aspect of maintaining a society’s identity and ensuring that our cultural practices and values are not lost over time,” Tsering Stazin, a local resident, said.
Cultural preservation can take many forms, including preserving artifacts and buildings, promoting cultural events and festivals, and documenting traditional practices.
Tsering further said that we need to preserve culture and tradition to ensure that future generations have access to their cultural heritage. It is essential to protect and preserve cultural heritage because it helps to create a sense of identity and belonging for individuals and communities. Cultural heritage provides a link to the past and helps to inform the present, allowing individuals to understand their history and cultural roots.
“At local level, we need to promote cultural diversity. Every culture is unique, and preserving cultural heritage helps to promote diversity and ensure that different cultural practices and beliefs are not lost,” said another youth, adding that Ladakh is totally different in culture and tradition and they cannot let it saturate and fade.
Cultural diversity also promotes understanding and tolerance among different cultures.
He said that cultural preservation also plays a critical role in the education sector since it is a way of life. “Preserving cultural heritage we are able to learn about the history and traditions of our culture. This knowledge must be passed down from generation to generation, providing a sense of continuity and stability for a community.”
Preserving historic buildings, monuments, and other significant cultural artifacts is a must for Ladakh. These buildings and artifacts offer a tangible connection to the past and help to preserve cultural heritage.
Apart from aforementioned reasons and necessity, he said that in Leh they need to promote cultural events and festivals. These events can help to celebrate and showcase traditional practices and customs. Festivals and events would also provide educational opportunities for people here to learn about diverse cultures and traditions.
Another resident and a college student from the Drass area of Kargil, Hassan Ali said that we must document traditional practices to preserve our culture.
“By recording traditional practices and customs, future generations can learn about their culture and history. This can be done through oral histories, written documents, and audio and video recordings,” he said.
In conclusion, cultural and traditional preservation is a must to maintain a society’s identity and promote cultural diversity, through which people can gain a sense of belonging and learn about their cultural roots. It is essential to continue to prioritize culture and tradition to ensure that future generations have access to their cultural heritage.
