Lok Sabha Question No. 1014 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-10
Subject: Kalagram at Mahakumbh
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Shri Jugal Kishore, Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab, Shri P C Mohan, Dr. Vinod Kumar Bind, Shri Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Dr. Rajesh Mishra

## 1014. SHRI P C MOHAN:

SHRI PRATAP CHANDRA SARANGI:

SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB:

SHRI JUGAL KISHORE:

DR. VINOD KUMAR BIND:

DR. RAJESH MISHRA:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a)      the  manner  in  which  Kalagram  aligns  with  the  Government's  broader  goals  of preserving  and  promoting  Indian  heritage,  particularly  in  Karnataka,  which  is  known for its cultural traditions and diverse heritage;
- (b) whether  Kalagram  will  serve  as  a  recurring  feature  in  future  Mahakumbh  events  or similar cultural gatherings particularly in Bengaluru or other locations in Karnataka, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  plans  to  make  these  experiences  accessible  through  virtual reality  to  audiences  who  cannot  attend  in  person  particularly  in  Karnataka  including Bengaluru;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the  number  of  training  workshops,  theatre  festivals,  folk  art  festivals  and  tribal  arts festivals organised or proposed to be organised in future by IGNCA, CCRT, ZCC, NSD and  Sangeet  Natak  Akademi  in  the  Sidhi  Parliamentary  Constituency  of  Madhya Pradesh State?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a) Ministry of Culture has set up a cultural village viz. Kalagram in Sector-7 of Maha Kumbh district through North Central Zone Cultural Centre (NCZCC) located at Prayagraj, an autonomous organization of the Ministry. The main features of Kalagram are:
-  Main Entrance: 635 ft wide, 54 ft high, depicting 12 Jyotirlingas and the story of Lord Shiva consuming Halahal, a confluence of art and spirituality.
-  A stage 104 feet-wide & 72 feet-depth on the theme of Char-Dham.
-  Artist and Performance: 14,632 artists will perform on various stages including Kalagram.
-  Anubhut Mandapam: 360° immersive experience narrating Ganga descent from heaven to earth.
-  Aviral  Shashwat  Kumbh:  Digital  display  by  Archaeological  Survey  of  India (ASI), National Archives of India (NAI) and Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-1014

ANSWERED ON 10.02.2025

## KALAGRAM AT MAHAKUMBH

-  Food Zone: Satvik cuisine from all Zonal Cultural Centres apart from the local cuisine of Prayagraj.
-  Sanskriti Angans:  Display and sale of traditional Indian handicrafts and handlooms in the courtyards by 98 artisans of the seven Zonal Cultural Centres.

For the performance, 45 artists belonging to 03 art  forms and for stalls 06 artisans from  Karnataka  have  been  deputed  to  Kalagram  at  Maha  Kumbh-2025  by  South  Zone Cultural Centre (SZCC), Thanjavur, an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture.

- (b) The Kalagram has been set up at Maha Kumbh-2025 on the request of Government of Uttar Pradesh. A Kalagram, though on a smaller scale had been set up during 2019 Kumbh Mela too.
- (c) & (d) To  make  these  experiences  accessible  to  audiences  who  cannot  attend  in person, Ministry of Culture alongwith NCZCC, Prayagraj is uploading the content on their various social media handles like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram etc.
- (e) North  Central  Zone  Cultural  Centre  (NCZCC),  Prayagraj  and  South  Central  Zone Cultural  Centre  (SCZCC),  Nagpur  organize  a  number  of  cultural  programmes  at  various venues  in  their  member  States  including  Sidhi  (Madhya  Pradesh)  as  decided  by  their Programme Committees.

Sangeet  Natak  Akademi,  an  autonomous  organization  under  Ministry  of  Culture, invited two major theatre groups from Sidhi viz. Rangdoot and Indravati Natya Samiti for a performance in Amrit Yuva Kalotsav held at Bhopal and Lucknow.

SCZCC, Nagpur had also invited artists from Indravati Natya Samiti, Sidhi (Madhya Pradesh) during organization of theatre presentation of Eklavya-Bagheli Theatre at Shilpgram, Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh).

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