Parliament Question: Cultural Mapping of Villages

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No 5851 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30.03.2026 CULTURAL MAPPING OF VILLAGES 5851. SHRI TANUJ PUNIA: Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:- (a) whether it is a fact that the Government has started cultural mapping of villages in the country; (b) if so, the aims and objective of such mapping; (c) the details of villages selected from Uttar Pradesh for cultural mapping; (d) whether Government has created database of the said mapping and if so, the details thereof; and (e) the details of subsequent steps proposed to be taken to protect and promote identified cultures, traditions, artforms, etc., of identified villages? ANSWER MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT) (a) Yes, Sir. The Ministry of Culture is implementing cultural mapping of villages across the country under the National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM). (b) The aims and objectives of NMCM are as follows: i. To envision and address the necessity of preserving the threads of rich Indian Art and Cultural Heritage. ii. To create a national database through Cultural Mapping with the aid of extensive ground surveys and documentation. iii. To design a mechanism to fulfill the aspirations of the whole artist community of the country. iv. To preserve, safeguard, revitalize and disseminate the rich cultural heritage of this country for future generations. v. To create a strong "cultural vibrancy" throughout the nation with the help ofdigital platforms and outreach activities. (c) In Uttar Pradesh, 110878 villages have been targeted for mapping under MGMD. (d) Yes, Sir. The Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) Portal has been developed as a digital platform to integrate and present cultural data of villages gathered from across India in a structured format. The portal is accessible in the public domain at https://mgmd.gov.in/. Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) Programme under NMCM records a wide range of tangible and intangible cultural elements, including heritage sites, art forms, prominent artists, oral traditions, beliefs and customs, historical significance, local landmarks, fairs and festivals, traditional dress, ornaments and traditional food at the village level across India. The MGMD Portal contains 6.23 lakh unique village profiles as of now. (e) MGMD has been envisioned as a digital cultural repository which records cultural data through village profiles and audio-visual documentation of unique rural cultures thereby preserving rural heritage for future generations. *****