Potential World Heritage Sites in North and East

Priyanka KURUGALA

Sri Lanka already has eight World Heritage Sites and the National Heritage Ministry has taken measures to promote important landmarks in the North and the East as World Heritage Sites, National Heritage Minister Jagath Balasuriya said.

The minister was addressing a conference to mark the 40th anniversary of the World Heritage Charter approved by UNESCO, at the Department of National Archives recently.

The National Heritage Ministry organized the seminar titled "Heritage Management and Sustainable Development".

The minister further said that the ministry was taking steps to present a Cabinet paper in this regard.

The National Heritage Ministry, Archaeological Department and Cultural Affairs Ministry alone cannot manage and preserve the country's heritage sites countrywide. Public cooperation too was vital, he said.

"We are still unraveling our cultural heritage. History is changing day by day . Around 50 percent of Sri Lanka's history was buried in the ground."

"We must try to emulate great sons such as Prof Senarath Paranavithana who dedicated themselves towards unearthing our historv by conducting research, instead of pursuing wealth," he said.

A special lecture was delivered by Lucknow Sherwood College of Management Senior Lecturer Srabi Shrawasthi.

Archaeological Director General Senerath Dissanayake, Prof Osman Bopearachchi, Post Graduate Institute of Archaeology Director Jagath Weerasinghe, also spoke.