India, April 20 -- On April 18, World Heritage Day, a drive through Gurugram revealed a quieter, less reported reality: the city's past is not absent, but largely unnoticed, even as efforts to revive and document heritage across Haryana gather pace.

Near an administrative stretch, the Deputy Commissioner's residence and the colonial-era John Hall stand as functional, occupied structures that blend into everyday life. They are not protected monuments or tourist sites and are often overlooked. That invisibility, rather than outright demolition, is emerging as a key threat to Gurugram's heritage, a concern also flagged in a recent report by Raahgiri Foundation.

Over the past few weeks, while working on stories around heritage and urbanisat...