To preserve and promote India’s rich cultural heritage, the Ministry of Culture has established the National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM).  Implemented by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), the mission aims to document India’s cultural heritage and its potential to revitalize rural economics.

As a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, NMCM launched Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) portal in June 2023 (https://mgmd.gov.in/).  This initiative aims to document the cultural heritage of 6.5 lakh villages of India. Currently, 4.5 lakh villages are live on the portal with their respective cultural portfolios.

The MGMD portal captures a wide range of cultural elements, including oral traditions, beliefs, customs, historical significance, art forms, traditional food, prominent artists, fairs and festivals, traditional dress, ornaments and local landmarks.

NMCM is a significant step towards preserving India’s cultural heritage and empowering rural communities.  By documenting and promoting cultural assets, the mission aims to strengthen cultural identity and foster economic development.

A set format has been adopted for identification and collection of data for different cultural domains, artist and traditional art forms on the MGMD portal.

At present the primary objective of the Mission is to complete the database of 6.5 lakh villages in the country and upload their data on the MGMD Portal.  The other components of the Mission are Sanskriti Pratibha Khoj through Cultural Mapping, National Cultural Work Place and Outreach-Newsletter, magazine, booklets, advertisement, media and publicity, content designing etc.

This information was given by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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Sunil Kumar Tiwari

E-mail: - pibculture[at]gmail[dot]com

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