Recently, the Ministry of Culture has initiated the National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM). 

• The database is available at Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar Web Portal which is an open access portal.

About Cultural Mapping Of Villages Or National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM)

Cultural mapping provides “an integrated picture of the cultural character, significance, and workings of a place” in order to help communities recognise, celebrate, and support cultural diversity for economic, social and regional development.

• Aim: The project aims to cover all the inhabited villages of India which is marked as ‘village’, in the Census List, 2011 published by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, including all the inhabited villages of Bihar:
• Awareness: To create awareness about the strengths of cultural heritage and its interface with development and cultural identity.
• Mapping: Cultural Mapping of 6.5 Lakh villages along with their geographical, demographic profiles, and creative capitals.
• Create National Registers: Creation of National Registers of Artists and Art practices.
• Digital Place: Development of a web portal and mobile app to function as a National Cultural Work Place (NCWP).

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About Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD)

MGMD is a pan-India initiative of the Ministry of Culture under the National Mission on Cultural Mapping and was launched in July 2023. 

• Objective: The main objective of the project is to culturally map India’s 6.5 lakh villages, spanning 29 States and 7 Union Territories, on a comprehensive virtual platform. 
• Opportunity: Through MGMD, people will get an opportunity to immerse themselves in the diverse and vibrant cultural heritage of India. 
• Core Idea: To encourage appreciation for India’s culture and traditions, paving the way for economic growth, social harmony, and artistic development in rural communities.
• Collection of Information: Under the MGMD, information is collected under seven broad categories as given below:
  • Arts and Crafts Village
  • Ecologically Oriented Village
  • Scholastic Village linked with Textual and Scriptural Traditions of India
  • Epic Village linked with Ramayana, Mahabharata and/or Puranic legends and oral epics
  • Historical Village linked with Local and National History
  • Architectural Heritage Village
  • Any other characteristic that may need highlighting such as fishing village, horticulture village, shepherding village etc.
• MGMD Portal: This comprehensive portal showcases essential information about each village, including its geographical location, demographic aspects, and description of traditional dresses, ornaments, arts and crafts, temples, fairs, festivals, and much more. 
  • One-Stop Destination: It serves as a one-stop destination for discovering, exploring, researching, and virtually visiting every village in the country. 
  • Opportunity for Incentives: Users have the opportunity to earn incentives and takeaways as they embark on their digital village journeys.

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