Delhi,Dec 4:The number of villages identified under Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) Programme for cultural mapping across the country is 6,38,365, out of which, the data of 6,23,449 villages has been uploaded on MGMD Portal so far.
Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat informed it today in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.
As part of its documentation activities, MGMD, covers a wide range of cultural elements, both tangible and intangible, including oral traditions, beliefs, customs, historical significance, art forms, heritage sites, traditional food, prominent artists, fairs and festivals, traditional dress, ornaments and local landmarks.
The MGMD Programme leads to strengthening of rural identity by creating authentic, village-level cultural profiles that recognise local traditions, practices and heritage assets. It promotes community participation by enabling community-led documentation and crowd-sourced validation through the MGMD Portal. The availability of structured cultural data on a single national portal supports planning for cultural cluster development, heritage tourism and the promotion of traditional skills, thereby contributing to sustainable livelihood generation and rural economic development.
