Lok Sabha Question No. 4601 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-22
Subject: Promotion of Cultural Heritage of Rajasthan
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Rahul Kaswan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4601 TO BE ANSWERED ON 22 ND JULY, 2019

## PROMOTION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE OF RAJASTHAN

## † 4601.   SHRI RAHUL KASWAN:

## Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is taking any steps to promote rich cultural heritage of Rajasthan and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  promote  folk artists in Rajasthan;
- (c) whether  the  Government  is  promoting  folk  songs  and  dances  of Rajasthan across the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the amount spent thereon during the last three years and the current year;
- (e) whether  folk  artists  of  district  Churu  in  Rajasthan  have  been  in demand  in  foreign  countries  for  playing  'Duf'  and  folk  dances  and they have been in foreign countries many times; and
- (f) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  whether  the  Government  proposes  to provide financial assistance to the said artists?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (I/C) FOR CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL)

(a) to (c) To  protect,  preserve  and  promote  various  form  of  folk  art  and  rich cultural heritage of the country including Rajasthan, the Government of India has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) with headquarters at Patiala, Nagpur, Udaipur, Prayagraj,  Kolkata,  Dimapur  and  Thanjavur.  These  ZCCs  organize  various  cultural activities  and  programmes  on  regular  basis  all  over  India.  Artists  of  Rajasthan  are invited  across  the  country  to  showcase  the  rich  cultural  heritage  of  Rajasthan. Rajasthan is the member State of West Zone Cultural Centre (WZCC), Udaipur, North Central  Zone  Cultural  Centre  (NCZCC),  Prayagraj  and  North  Zone  Cultural  Centre (NZCC), Patiala which are autonomous organizations under the administrative control of Ministry of Culture.

WZCC, Udaipur organizes a number of programmes viz. Dharohar, Shilpdarshan, Shilpgram Utsav, Tribal festivals like Baneshwar  Mela,    Vagad Mahotsav, Ghotia Amba Mela, Bheruji Mela, Lok Rang for promoting the folk arts of Rajasthan.

NCZCC, Prayagraj promotes various art forms of Rajasthan like Bhawai Dance, Kalbelia  &  Terahtali  folk  dances,  Chari  &  Chakri  Dance,  Langa  &  Manganihar  Gayan, Bhapang Vadan etc. Similarly NZCC, Patiala helps in promoting the local and tribal arts of Rajasthan by way of organizing Crafts Melas at national level.

Besides, folk singers & folk artists of Rajasthan are regularly invited to perform during  major  events  like  Rashtriya  Sanskriti  Mahotsav  (RSM)  organized  at  national level (already held at New Delhi, Varanasi, Bengaluru, Tawang, Gujarat, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh) and annual events like Lokotsav (Goa), Vasantotsav (Gandhinagar, Gujarat), Lok Tarang (Amrawati) and Kalaghoda Arts Festival (Mumbai).

(d) The amount spent thereon during the last three years and the current year is as under:

|   Sl. No. | Year    |   Amount (Rs. in crore) |
|-----------|---------|-------------------------|
|         1 | 2016-17 |                    1.34 |
|         2 | 2017-18 |                    1.37 |
|         3 | 2018-19 |                    1.54 |
|         4 | 2019-20 |                    0.12 |

(e)  No such demand has been received from foreign countries in this regard.

(f)   Does not arise.