Lok Sabha Question No. 131 (STARRED), answered on 2026-02-09
Subject: NMCM in Maharashtra and Rajasthan
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Shri Omprakash Bhupalsinh Alias Pavan Rajenimbalkar, Shri Arvind Ganpat Sawant

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No. *131 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.02.2026

## NMCM IN MAHARASHTRA AND RAJASTHAN

## *131 SHRI ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT:

## SHRI OMPRAKASH BHUPALSINH ALIAS PAVAN RAJENIMBALKAR:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) the present status of the National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM) across the country, State/UT-wise including Maharashtra and Rajasthan;
- (b) the details of the artists, folk art groups and cultural institutions from the said States that have been registered under the said Mission so far;
- (c) whether the digital mapping of cultural resources in all districts of the said States has been completed by the Government;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons for the delay along with the stipulated timeline for its completion; and
- (e) the details of the special measures taken/being taken under this mapping exercise to ensure the inclusion of rural and tribal artists?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a) to (e) : A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (E) OF LOK SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NUMBER  131  FOR  REPLY  ON  09.02.2026  REGARDING NMCM IN MAHARASHTRA AND RAJASTHAN ASKED BY SHRI ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT AND SHRI OMPRAKASH BHUPALSINH ALIAS PAVAN RAJENIMBALKAR:

(a)  The  Mera  Gaon  Meri  Dharohar  (MGMD)  Portal  under  the  National  Mission  on  Cultural Mapping (NMCM) undertakes village-level cultural mapping across the country. Currently, 6.23 lakh villages have been covered. The State/UT-wise distribution of covered villages is placed at Annexure-I. In Maharashtra, 40042 villages have been covered, while 46696 villages have been covered in Rajasthan.

- (b)  Data  on  the  MGMD  Portal  is  maintained  village-wise  and  not  as  per  individual  cultural elements  for  all  States  and  UTs,  including  Maharashtra  and  Rajasthan.  However,  details  of certain  artists,  folk  art  groups  and  cultural  institutions  documented  as  part  of  village  cultural profiles are placed at Annexure-II.
- (c) The MGMD Portal documents cultural resources at the village level across India, including Maharashtra and Rajasthan, in a structured format covering heritage sites, oral traditions, beliefs and customs, historical significance, local landmarks  and art forms, among  others. In Maharashtra,  40042  villages  out  of  the  targeted  42757  villages  have  been  mapped  on  the MGMD Portal so far. In Rajasthan, 46696 villages out of the targeted 46744 villages have been mapped on the MGMD Portal so far.

(d) The NMCM envisages the cultural mapping of villages across the country. The mapping of the remaining 2715 villages in Maharashtra and 48 villages in Rajasthan is being undertaken.

(e) MGMD Portal has been developed as a digital cultural repository under NMCM. As part of its documentation activities, MGMD covers a wide range of cultural elements at the village level across India, including heritage sites, oral traditions, beliefs and customs, historical significance, local landmarks, fairs and festivals, traditional dress, ornaments, traditional food, as well as local artists and art forms, wherever available. Data on MGMD is maintained village-wise and not as per  individual  elements.  However,  certain  tribal  communities  documented  in  Maharashtra include  Kunbi,  Warli,  Thakar,  Gond,  Koli,  Malhar  Koli,  Mahadev  Koli,  Bhil,  Kokna,  Pawra, Kolam, Pardhan, Korku, Aandh and Katkari. Similarly, certain tribal  communities mapped in Rajasthan  include  Bhil,  Kalbeliya,  Garasia,  Sahariya,  Kamad  and  Meena.  Details  of  some notable  rural  and  tribal  artists  documented  for  Maharashtra  and  Rajasthan  are  placed  at Annexure-III.

*********

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 131 asked on 09 th February, 2026 regarding 'NMCM in Maharashtra and Rajasthan'

## State/UT-wise Distribution of Number of Villages Uploaded on MGMD

| State/UT                                     |   Number of Uploaded Villages |
|----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands                  |                           176 |
| Andhra Pradesh                               |                         17142 |
| Arunachal Pradesh                            |                          4613 |
| Assam                                        |                         26074 |
| Bihar                                        |                         39563 |
| Chandigarh                                   |                            12 |
| Chhattisgarh                                 |                         19571 |
| Delhi                                        |                           252 |
| Goa                                          |                           431 |
| Gujarat                                      |                         19271 |
| Haryana                                      |                          7579 |
| Himachal Pradesh                             |                         18735 |
| Jammu &Kashmir                               |                          6926 |
| Jharkhand                                    |                         29908 |
| Karnataka                                    |                         29569 |
| Kerala                                       |                          1275 |
| Ladakh                                       |                           238 |
| Lakshadweep Islands                          |                            13 |
| Madhya Pradesh                               |                         56429 |
| Maharashtra                                  |                         40042 |
| Manipur                                      |                           306 |
| Meghalaya                                    |                          7012 |
| Mizoram                                      |                          1026 |
| Nagaland                                     |                          1498 |
| Odisha                                       |                         47209 |
| Puducherry                                   |                           127 |
| Punjab                                       |                         12084 |
| Rajasthan                                    |                         46696 |
| Sikkim                                       |                           464 |
| Tamil Nadu                                   |                         19219 |
| Telangana                                    |                          9824 |
| The Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu |                           107 |
| Tripura                                      |                           899 |
| Uttar Pradesh                                |                        103003 |
| Uttarakhand                                  |                         15727 |
| West Bengal                                  |                         40429 |

Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 131 asked on 09 th February, 2026 regarding 'NMCM in Maharashtra and Rajasthan'

## Some Folk Artists and their respective Art Forms documented from Maharashtra on MGMD

|   S.No. | Artist (Shri/Smt/Ms)        | Art Form                |
|---------|-----------------------------|-------------------------|
|       1 | Parshuram Atmaram Gangavane | Chitrakathi             |
|       2 | Jivya Soma Mashe            | Warli Painting          |
|       3 | Kishore Sadashiv Mhase      | Warli Painting          |
|       4 | Rajesh Vangad               | Warli Painting          |
|       5 | Krishnarao Ganpatrao Sable  | Folk Theatre            |
|       6 | Ganpat Bujad                | Tarpa Nritya            |
|       7 | Prahlad Shinde              | Folk &Devotional Singer |
|       8 | Tukaram Belkar              | Ghor Nritya             |
|       9 | Patthe Bapurao              | Tamasha Performer &Poet |
|      10 | Kusum Kharpade              | Warli Art               |
|      11 | Rekha Kharpade              | Warli Art               |

## Some Folk Art Groups and their respective Art Forms documented from Maharashtra on MGMD

|   S.No. | Folk Art Group                   | Art Form                   |
|---------|----------------------------------|----------------------------|
|       1 | Anand Natya Mandal               | Tamasha                    |
|       2 | Mashe Warli Artists              | Warli Painting             |
|       3 | Vadeya Brothers                  | Warli Painting             |
|       4 | Artists of Kolitmara             | Gond Painting              |
|       5 | Shiv Malhar Jagran Gondhal Party | Gondhal performance        |
|       6 | Anil Bhimrao Kolekar             | Dhangari Gaja tribal dance |

## Some Cultural Institutions documented from Maharashtra on MGMD

|   S.No. | Cultural Institution              | Theme                        |
|---------|-----------------------------------|------------------------------|
|       1 | Thakar Adivasi Kala Aangan Museum | Thakar Tribe Heritage        |
|       2 | Adivasi Sanskritik Bhavan         | Tribal heritage preservation |

| S.No.   | S.No.                      | Artist(Shri/Smt/Ms)        | Artist(Shri/Smt/Ms)                                                   | Art Form                                                              |
|---------|----------------------------|----------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1.      | 1.                         |                            |                                                                       | Mandshilp - Terracota Relief Art                                      |
| 2.      | 2.                         | Khemraj Kumhar             | Khemraj Kumhar                                                        | Mandshilp - Terracota Relief Art                                      |
| 3.      | 3.                         |                            |                                                                       | Mandshilp - Terracota Relief Art                                      |
| 4.      | 4.                         |                            |                                                                       | Mandshilp - Terracota Relief Art                                      |
| 5.      | 5.                         |                            |                                                                       | Mandshilp - Terracota Relief Art                                      |
| 6.      | 6.                         | Prem Shankar Kumhar        | Prem Shankar Kumhar                                                   | Mandshilp - Terracota Relief Art                                      |
| 7.      | 7.                         | Govardhan Nath             | Govardhan Nath                                                        | Kalbeliya Dance                                                       |
| 8.      | 8.                         | Jaman Lal Bhand            | Jaman Lal Bhand                                                       | Bakya Player                                                          |
| 9.      | 9.                         |                            |                                                                       | Nukkad Natak and Puppet shows                                         |
| 10.     | 10.                        | Satya Narayan Suthar       | Satya Narayan Suthar                                                  | Kawad Art                                                             |
| 11.     | 11.                        | Dwarka Prasad Jagir        | Dwarka Prasad Jagir                                                   | Kawad Art                                                             |
| S.No.   | Folk Art Group             | Folk Art Group             | Art Form                                                              | Art Form                                                              |
| 1.      | Sarda Kalbeliya and Group  | Sarda Kalbeliya and Group  | Kalbeliya dance                                                       | Kalbeliya dance                                                       |
| 2       | Sarangiya Langas of Barmer | Sarangiya Langas of Barmer | Sarangi players                                                       | Sarangi players                                                       |
| 3.      | Rajki Sapera troupe        | Rajki Sapera troupe        | Kalbeliya Dance, Chari Dance, Ghoomar Dance, and Gramin Bhavai Dance. | Kalbeliya Dance, Chari Dance, Ghoomar Dance, and Gramin Bhavai Dance. |
| 4.      | Babulal Bhat and Group     | Babulal Bhat and Group     | Rajasthani Mand folk songs                                            | Rajasthani Mand folk songs                                            |
| 5.      | Punma Ram and Padma Ram    | Punma Ram and Padma Ram    | Paava players (folk instrument)                                       | Paava players (folk instrument)                                       |

## Some Cultural Institutions documented from Rajasthan on MGMD

|   S.No. | Cultural Institution                                 | Theme                                                                                   |
|---------|------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|       1 | Mohan Terracotta Art Research and Development Centre | Mandshilp - Terracota Relief Art                                                        |
|       2 | Barefoot College Social Work and Research Centre     | Handloom, Leather Work, Wood Carving, Puppet Shows, Nukkad Natak, Bakya Wind Instrument |
|       3 | Hantheli Sansthan                                    | Traditional and folk craft.                                                             |
|       4 | Rupayan Sansthan                                     | Folklore Preservation                                                                   |
|       5 | Arna Jharna                                          | Desert Museum                                                                           |

Annexure referred to in reply to part (e) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 131 asked on 09 th February, 2026 regarding 'NMCM in Maharashtra and Rajasthan'

## Some Tribal Artists and their respective Art Forms documented from Maharashtra on MGMD

|   S.No. | Tribal Artist(Shri/Smt/Ms)   | Tribal Art Form                                                                                    |
|---------|------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|       1 | Parshuram Atmaram Gangavane  | Chitrakathi storytelling with visual art, puppetry (Kalsutri Bahulya), and leather shadow puppetry |
|       2 | Sudam Kashiram Ghoye         | Paper Mache                                                                                        |
|       3 | Jivya Soma Mashe             | Warli Painting                                                                                     |
|       4 | Dilip Rama Bahota            | Warli Painting                                                                                     |
|       5 | Vansha Jaanu Bhujad          | Bamboo Artisan                                                                                     |
|       6 | Suresh Chandra Pungati       | Dhokra (Lost-Wax Metal Casting)                                                                    |
|       7 | Rajesh Vangad                | Warli Painting                                                                                     |
|       8 | Kanchan Surti                | Bamboo Craft                                                                                       |
|       9 | Mukunda Padvi                | Warli Pavri dance                                                                                  |
|      10 | Bhiklya Ladakya Dhinda       | Tarpa player                                                                                       |

## Some Tribal Artists and their respective Art Forms documented from Rajasthan on MGMD

|   S.No. | Tribal Artist(Shri/Smt/Ms)   | Tribal Art Form     |
|---------|------------------------------|---------------------|
|       1 | Gulabo Sapera                | Kalbeliya Dance     |
|       2 | Vidya Devi Soni              | Mandana Art         |
|       3 | Yashpal Baranda              | Bhil Painting       |
|       4 | Mohanlal Kumhar              | Molela Terracotta   |
|       5 | Mangilal Bhil                | Peacock Feather Art |