‘Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar’ (MGMD) initiative

Published on 11 Nov 2025

• The Ministry of Culture is implementing the  ‘Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar’ (MGMD) initiative to digitally map and document the cultural heritage of all 6.5 lakh villages across India.

• The initiative, implemented by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), classifies villages into seven broad categories, such as "Arts and Crafts Village" and "Epic Village" linked to legends like the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

• The initiative falls under the National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM) started in 2017 and was launched as part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ in 2023

• The mapping will be on a comprehensive virtual platform (MGMD Web Portal).

• The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is a premier, government-funded institution in India dedicated to the study, preservation, and dissemination of the nation's cultural and artistic heritage. It was established in 1987 as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

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Keywords:

Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar initiative MGMD initiative Ministry of Culture Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts Arts and Crafts Village Epic Village National Mission on Cultural Mapping NMCM ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav