Lok Sabha Question No. 201 (STARRED), answered on 2016-08-01
Subject: Project Mausam
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: DUSHYANT SINGH

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*201 TO BE ANSWERED ON 1.8.2016 SHRAVANA 10, 1938 (SAKA)

## PROJECT MAUSAM

## *201. SHRI DUSHYANT SINGH:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) the  salient  features  of  Project  Mausam  along  with  the  details  of  the  countries with  which  the  Government  is  trying  to  revive  historic  maritime  cultural  and economic ties under this project;
- (b) whether the Government is  implementing an action plan for achieving a World Heritage  Transnational nomination for 'Indian Ocean Maritime Routes';
- (c) if so, the details thereof along with the status of its implementation; and
- (d) the  details  of  funds  allocated  and  utilised  in  this  project  during  2014-15  and 2015-16?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE, CULTURE AND TOURISM (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a) to(d) A statement is laid on the table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (d) OF THE LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. *201 FOR 01.8.2016 REGARDING PROJECT MAUSAM.

- (a) Project  'Mausam' is the initiative of  Ministry  of  Culture  to be implemented by the  Archaeological  Survey  of  India  (ASI)  as  the  nodal  agency  with  research support of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) and National Museum as associate bodies.  This  project  aims  to  explore  the  multi-faceted Indian Ocean 'world' - collating archaeological and historical research in order to  document the diversity of cultural, commercial and religious interactions in the  Indian  Ocean  -  extending  from  East  Africa,  the  Arabian  Peninsula,  the Indian Subcontinent and Sri Lanka to the Southeast Asian archipelago. It also aims to promote research on themes related to the study of Maritime Routes through  international  scientific  seminars  and  meetings  and  by  adopting  a multidisciplinary approach. The project encourages the production of specialized works, as well as publications for the general public with an attempt at  promoting  a  broader  understanding  of  the  concept  of  a  common  heritage and multiple identities. Main objective of the project is to inscribe places and sites identified under Project Mausam  as  trans-national nomination for inscription on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

The  list  of  countries  with  which  the  Government  is  trying  to  revive  historic maritime cultural and economic ties under this project is given in Annexure I.

- (b) &(c) Yes, Madam. Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is mandated with the task of collecting the data and  research inputs whereas  the Archaeological Survey of  India  (ASI)  is  mandated  to  develop  implementation strategy  in  collaboration  with  various  identified  state  parties.  In  this  regard, IGNCA  has  organised  various  lectures  of  well  known  academicians  and  an exhibition (details given in Annexure II). ASI organised a National Conference at  Kochi  in  November  2014,  a  one  day  workshop  on  Project  Mausam  at Mumbai in February 2016 as part of  Make  in  India  scheme.  Director  (World Heritage) visited Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam to discuss the Project with representatives of these countries.
- (d) There was no specific allocation of funds for Project Mausam during Financial Year 2014-15 and 2015-16, SFC approved a fund allocation of Rs. 78,225,975 from the Budgetary allocation for World Heritage Matters. An amount of apx. Rs. 10,00,000 was incurred during 2014-15 and an amount of apx. Rs. 6,96,000 was utilised during 2015-16 on Project Mausam.

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  LOK  SABHA  STARRED QUESTION NO. 201 FOR 01.08.2016.

List of 39 Indian Ocean countries identified under Project Mausam:

|   1 | Bahrain                     |
|-----|-----------------------------|
|   2 | Bangladesh                  |
|   3 | Cambodia                    |
|   4 | China                       |
|   5 | Comoros                     |
|   6 | Egypt                       |
|   7 | Eritrea                     |
|   8 | Réunion, French Department  |
|   9 | Indonesia                   |
|  10 | Iraq                        |
|  11 | Iran (Islamic Republic)     |
|  12 | Jordan                      |
|  13 | Kuwait                      |
|  14 | Kenya                       |
|  15 | Lebanon                     |
|  16 | Madagascar                  |
|  17 | Malaysia                    |
|  18 | Maldives                    |
|  19 | Mauritius                   |
|  20 | Mozambique                  |
|  21 | Myanmar                     |
|  22 | Oman                        |
|  23 | Pakistan                    |
|  24 | Philippines                 |
|  25 | Qatar                       |
|  26 | Singapore                   |
|  27 | Sri Lanka                   |
|  28 | Saudi Arabia                |
|  29 | Seychelles                  |
|  30 | Somalia                     |
|  31 | South Africa                |
|  32 | Sudan                       |
|  33 | Syrian Arab Republic        |
|  34 | United Republic of Tanzania |
|  35 | Thailand                    |
|  36 | Turkey                      |
|  37 | United Arab Emirates        |
|  38 | Viet Nam                    |
|  39 | Yemen                       |

## ANNEXURE-II

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 201 FOR 01.08.2016

## Programmes under Project Mausam by IGNCA up to date:

-  Lecture on  'Impact of Bharat on Business of Countries around Hind Mahasagar' by Shri Sandeep Singh
-  Lecture  on  'Sailing  the  Indian  Ocean:  The  Seafarers  of  Kachchh'  by  Dr.  Chhaya Goswami
-  Lecture on 'Cunninghams Lost Treasures' by Dr.Sanjay Garg
-  Lecture on 'Trading in Stories' by Ms. Sumedha Verma Ojha
-  Lecture on 'Role of Sea Level Fluctuations in Shaping the Destiny of Ancient Towns along the Indian Coastline' by Dr. Rajiv Nigam
-  Lecture on 'In Pursuit of the Parsis: The discovery and excavations at the Early Medieval entrepôt of Sanjan' by Dr. Kurush F. Dalal
-  Lecture on 'Climate Change and the Oceans' by Shri S.W.A. Naqvi
-  Lecture  on  'Emporiums  of  Indian  Ocean  Trade,  witnessed  by  the  Java  Sea Shipwrecks of the 9th and 10th Centuries' by Dr. John Guy
-  Lecture  on  'Maritime  Trade  and  Cultural  Exchanges  within  the  Indian  Ocean  : India and Sri Lanka' by Dr. Osmund Bopearachchi
-  National Conference on 'Cultural Landscapes and Maritime Trade Routes of India' at  Kochi, Kerala
-  Lecture on 'Early Globalisation in the Indian Ocean World' by Prof. Abdulaziz Lodi
-  Conference on 'Africans in India: A Rediscovery'
-  Curatorial Talk on exhibition, 'Africans in India: A Rediscovery' by Dr. Sylvianne A. Diouf.
-  Lecture  on  'Stallions  of  the  Indian  Ocean:  Global  Horse  Trade  in  16th  Century Vijayanagara' by Dr. Srinivas Reddy
-  Lecture  on  'Great  Stupa  at  Amaravati  in  coastal  Andhra  and  the  Indian  Ocean World' by Dr. Akira Shimada
-  Lecture  on  'Neglected  and  Forgotten:  Indo-European  Defense  Architecture  in North Konkan (1510 - 1818 A.D.) with special reference to the Vasai and Revdanda Forts' by Shri Mayur Babulal Thakare
-  Lecture on 'Commerce and the Cult of Khizr: The Sacred Geography of Healing in the Indian Ocean World' by Mr. Lauren Minsky.
-  Lecture  on  'The  Coastal  Sites:  Possible  Port  Towns  of  the  Harappan  Period  in Gujarat' by Dr. Y.S. Rawat.

## Traveling Exhibition under Project Mausam Africans in India: A Rediscovery

The exhibition of photographs retracing the life and achievements of prominent AfroIndians  was  organized  in  collaboration  with  the  Schomburg  Center  for  Research  in Black Culture, New York. It was first inaugurated at IGNCA on 8 th October 2014.

The  exhibition  later  travelled  to  Science  Centre,  Surat  (24 th June  to  15 th July  2015), Faculty of Fine Arts, The M.S. University of Baroda, Vadodara (20 th to 25 th July 2015), Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar (10 th August to 8 th October 2015), IndiaAfrica Forum Summit , New Delhi (26 th to 29 th October 2016).

The exhibition  is  presently  hosted  at  IGNCA-Southern  Regional  Centre  where  it  was inaugurated on 27 th November  to 31 st March 2016. The exhibition later travelled to SS Art Institute, Vijayapura where it was hosted from 3 rd to 30 th April 2016. IGNCA-SRC prepared  an  audio  visual  film  on  the  exhibition  showcased  it  at  different  villages  of Yellapura , Karnataka from 7 th to 12 th June 2016.