**Executive Summary**
This document provides responses to questions raised in the Lok Sabha concerning the conservation and promotion of local culture in Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu. It details government initiatives, including funding allocation for the Chennaraya Perumal Temple, Zonal Cultural Centres, and various tourism schemes. The document was prepared in response to Unstarred Question No. 324 on 02.02.2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Centrally Protected Monuments:**
* There is one centrally protected monument in Dharmapuri: the Chennaraya Perumal Temple under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
* ASI undertakes conservation work based on need, resource availability, and the National Policy for Conservation.
* **Funding for Temple Conservation:**
* Details of funds allocated and expenditure incurred for the Chennaraya Perumal Temple:
* 2022-23: Allocation - ₹1,94,996; Expenditure - ₹1,94,996
* 2023-24: Allocation - ₹1,60,502; Expenditure - ₹1,60,502
* 2024-25: Allocation - ₹7,14,560; Expenditure - ₹7,14,560
* 2025-26 (Up to December 2025): Allocation - ₹35,67,778; Expenditure - ₹35,67,778
* **Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs):**
* The Government of India has established 7 ZCCs to protect and promote various forms of folk art and culture.
* The South Zone Cultural Centre in Thanjavur caters to the cultural needs of Tamil Nadu, including Dharmapuri.
* ZCCs organize cultural activities and programs across India, supported by annual grants-in-aid:
* 2022-23: ₹6572.06 Lakhs
* 2023-24: ₹11967.57 Lakhs
* 2024-25: ₹11121.66 Lakhs
* **Cultural Infrastructure Proposals:**
* There are currently no proposals under consideration for cultural infrastructure such as museums, cultural centres, or craft clusters in Dharmapuri.
* **Linking Cultural Preservation with Tourism:**
* ZCCs organize workshops, exhibitions, and exchanges.
* Ministry of Tourism initiatives include the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, Swadesh Darshan Scheme 2.0, Challenge Based Destination Development (CBDD), and the 'Development of Home-stays in Tribal Areas' sub-scheme.
* Under the 'Development of Home-stays in Tribal Areas' sub-scheme, 100% Central financial assistance is provided for construction and renovation of rooms and for village community requirements.
* **Swadesh Darshan (SD) & CBDD Projects:**
* The SD projects focus on the conservation of heritage assets, development of cultural infrastructure, interpretation centers, craft bazaars and visitor amenities.
* SD 2.0 and CBDD supports cultural haats, heritage centres/villages, and immersive heritage experiences, promoting living traditions, crafts, and local cuisine.
* The annexure lists projects sanctioned under SD and CBDD.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Chennaraya Perumal Temple**
* **Impact:** The temple benefits from allocated funds for conservation, preservation, and maintenance.
* **Action Required:** Temple authorities should continue to facilitate and coordinate with ASI for the effective utilization of allocated funds and adhere to the National Policy for Conservation.
**Stakeholder: Local Artisans, Performers, and Communities in Dharmapuri**
* **Impact:** They can benefit from tourism opportunities through initiatives like heritage circuits, home-stay programs, and cultural events organized by ZCCs.
* **Action Required:** Engage with ZCCs, tourism initiatives, and leverage skill development programs to participate in tourism-related activities and generate income.
**Stakeholder: Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)**
* **Impact:** Responsible for undertaking conservation and preservation works at the Chennaraya Perumal Temple, subject to resource availability.
* **Action Required:** Continue to assess needs, allocate resources, and execute conservation projects at the Chennaraya Perumal Temple in accordance with the National Policy for Conservation.
**Stakeholder: Ministry of Culture and Tourism**
* **Impact:** The ministry plays a role in the promotion of local culture through funding, policy guidance, and national schemes.
* **Action Required:** The Ministry should continue to execute its various schemes and ensure that information about how to access the funds is available to Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu.
**Stakeholder: Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs)**
* **Impact:** Responsible for promoting local art forms and cultural needs of Tamil Nadu, including Dharmapuri
* **Action Required:** Must organize the annual workshops, exhibitions and exchanges to bring tourists into rural and regional areas, helping artists and communities to earn directly from cultural exchanges.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Culture: The primary ministry responsible for conservation and promotion of local culture, as highlighted in the question.
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI): The agency under the Ministry of Culture responsible for the protection and conservation of monuments.
Swadesh Darshan Scheme: A tourism promotion scheme focused on heritage and cultural circuits.
Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu: The specific district and state that is the focus of the parliamentary question.
Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs): Organizations established by the Government of India to protect and promote folk art and culture.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CULTURE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.324
TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026
CONSERVATION AND PROMOTION OF LOCAL CULTURE IN
DHARMAPURI, TAMIL NADU
324. SHRI MANI A:
Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has identified and documented heritage sites, folk art traditions
and tribal cultural practices in Dharmapuri district under any Central cultural preservation
schemes;
(b) the details of the number of projects sanctioned and the funds released for conservation,
documentation and promotion of local culture during the last three years and the current
year;
(c) whether cultural infrastructure such as museums, cultural centres or craft clusters are
being proposed for the district; and
(d) the details of the steps taken/being taken to link cultural preservation with tourism and
sustainable income generation for local communities?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM
(SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)
(a) There is 01 centrally protected monument namely Chennaraya Perumal Temple under the
& jurisdiction of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in Dharampuri District of Tamil
(b) Nadu State. ASI takes up conservation and preservation works as per the need and
availability of resources subject to the National Policy for Conservation and it is a
continuous process. The details of funds allocated and expenditure incurred for
conservation, preservation and maintenance of Chennaraya Perumal Temple in
Dharampuri district during last three years and current year are given as under:-
(Amount in Rupees)
S. No. Year Allocation Expenditure incurred
1. 2022-23 1,94,996 1,94,996
2. 2023-24 1,60,502 1,60,502
3. 2024-25 7,14,560 7,14,560
4. 2025-26 35,67,778 35,67,778
Up to
December
2025To protect, promote and preserve various forms of fork art and culture including local
culture throughout the country, the Government of India has set up 7 Zonal Cultural
Centres (ZCCs). South Zone Cultural Centres; Thanjavur is catering to the cultural needs
of Tamil Nadu including Dharmapuri district. ZCCs organise various cultural activities
and programmes on a regular basis all over India for which annual grant-in-aid is
provided to them. The grant-in-aid released to all the 7 ZCCs during the last 3 years is as
under:-
(Amount in Lakhs)
S. No. Year Amount released
1. 2022-23 6572.06
2. 2023-24 11967.57
3. 2024-25 11121.66
Details of projects undertaken by Ministry of Tourism under different schemes for
conservation and promotion of local culture are given in Annexure-I.
(c) At present, there is no such proposal under consideration.
(d) All the ZCCs organize workshops, exhibitions and exchanges. These not only preserve
local art forms but bring tourists into rural and regional areas, helping artists and
communities to earn directly from cultural exchanges.
Also, the Ministry of Tourism has been undertaking a range of initiatives to link
cultural preservation with tourism and sustainable income generation for local
communities through the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, Swadesh Darshan Scheme 2.0,
Challenge Based Destination Development (CBDD) sub-scheme and the ‘Development
of Home-stays in Tribal Areas’ sub-scheme under Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram
Abhiyan (PM-JUGA). Further, under the ‘Development of Home-stays in Tribal Areas’
sub-scheme, 100% Central financial assistance is provided for construction and
renovation of rooms and for village community requirements, enabling local households
to offer home stay facilities to tourists and earn supplementary income while promoting
local culture, traditions and heritage.Annexure-I
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) & (b) OF THE LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 324 FOR 02.02.2026
Under Swadesh Darshan (SD), projects sanctioned under Heritage, Tribal and Rural
Circuits focus on conservation of heritage assets, development of cultural infrastructure,
interpretation centers, craft bazaars and visitor amenities, thereby enabling local artisans,
performers and community groups to derive livelihood from tourism. Following projects are
sanctioned and completed with respect to heritage circuits:
1. Heritage Circuits - Tezpur – Majuli – Sibsagar (Assam)
2. Ahmedabad – Rajkot – Porbandar – Bardoli – Dandi (Gujarat)
3. Vadnagar – Modhera (Gujarat)
4. Gwalior – Orchha – Khajuraho – Chanderi – Bhimbetka – Mandu (Madhya Pradesh)
5. Franco–Tamil Village, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam (Puducherry)
6. Anandpur Sahib – Fatehgarh Sahib – Chamkaur Sahib – Ferozpur – Khatkar Kalan –
Patiala (Punjab)
Under Swadesh Darshan 2.0 and Challenge Based Destination Development (CBDD),
experience-based projects such as cultural haats, heritage and cultural centers, heritage villages,
immersive heritage experiences and tribal cultural experience zones are being developed to
showcase living traditions, local crafts, music, dance and cuisine while creating employment
opportunities for local communities.
Following projects are sanctioned under SD 2.0 which promotes heritage and culture:
1. Mechuka Cultural Haat, Arunachal Pradesh
2. Heritage and Cultural Centre, Champhai, Mizoram
3. Tribal Cultural Experience at Midway Retreat, Chumoukedima, Nagaland
4. Gangtok Cultural Village, Sikkim
5. Tripura Heritage Village & Sangeet Experience, Agartala, Tripura
6. Immersive Experience at Shore Temple, Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu
Further under CBDD scheme, following projects are sanctioned pertaining to culture and
heritage:
1. Enriching Buddhist Heritage and Cultural Experiences at Nagarjuna Sagar, Andhra
Pradesh
2. Transformation of Sharmishtha Lake: Light & Culture, Vadnagar, Gujarat
3. Development of Kaza, Himachal Pradesh
4. Development of Bidar as a Heritage Tourism Destination, Karnataka
5. Mandu – A Medieval Wonder, Madhya Pradesh
6. Development of Ancient Capital of Manipur, Langthabal Konug, Manipur
7. Mawphlang Cultural & Heritage Centre, Meghalaya
8. White Town Development, Puducherry
9. Cultural Landscape at Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh
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