Museum as key stakeholder of Heritage: A study with reference to virtual experiential museum, Varanasi

Heritage is defined as any sort of intergenerational exchange or relationship by (Graham and others. It consists of the tangible and intangible elements, which often represents the identity of people or place transmitted to generations over a period of time. Various stakeholders of heritage preservation often consider tourism as a source of revenue generation. So the adaptive use of heritage resources can support the preservation activities. This study attempts to relate the role of museum in heritage preservation process. It examines the virtual experiential museum of Variance with an intention to understand the use of technology in communicating the cultural and religious heritage of the city to visitors. The study also attempts to relate the results of the online reviews posted by visitors in two leading websites. The findings suggest that information and communication technology can effectively engage visitors and create an impact in the affective and cognitive domain of the visitors that invokes heritage consciousness among them.