Under the National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM), the government has taken an initiative to provide a comprehensive overview of the cultural heritage of 6.5 lakh villages across India, a PIB press release stated.
The project aims to create awareness about the strong connection between cultural heritage and development, and to preserve the cultural identity of rural communities. It also includes the creation of National Registers of Artists and Art Practices, as well as the development of a web portal and mobile app to serve as a National Cultural Work Place (NCWP).
The Census List of 2011, published by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, has identified 45561 villages of Bihar, of which 36127 have been covered by the cultural mapping project. In the Khagaria district, 262 of the 303 villages have been covered.
The database of the project is accessible through the Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar Web Portal (https://mgmd.gov.in/). It can be used effectively by any government ministry or other government organization to safeguard and promote the cultures, traditions, art forms, and other cultural identities of the identified villages.