The youth was the grand focus of the third leg of Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM) 2021. The third leg was Janmashtami celebrations followed by a month-long recreation of the Lingaraj Temple, Bhubaneswar. Various colourful performances were given by the local artists, including ‘Baul Gaan’, ‘Alkup Gaan’, ‘Leto gaan’, ‘Jhumuriya’ and Ranpa folk dances.
Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav is an attempt to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of our nation by connecting every nook and corner of the country. From the largest metropolis to the most remote village, each and every state capital will be a venue of this festival where people would have the opportunity to experience a kaleidoscope of folk, tribal, classical forms of dance and music.
Research has shown that there is a direct correlation between the level of interest in, and appreciation of, Indian culture and the level of linguistic proficiency. To promote and nurture this interest among young Indians, the Ministry of Culture through The Ministry of Culture’s Cultural Affairs Division has been organizing several programmes such as Loka Sanskriti, Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (National Cultural Festival) since 2015.
It was started with an intention to exhibit the rich cultural heritage of the country in all its rich and varied dimensions namely, Handicrafts, Cuisine, Painting, Sculpture and Performing Arts- Folk, Tribal, Classical and Contemporary- all at one place.
One of the recent significant achievements in the field of art, literature and culture by the government of India is Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav. It is a festival that commemorates the rich cultural heritage of India. The aim of this program is to showcase the colorful heritage in Indian art and culture with a special emphasis on the language.
It has been instrumental in showcasing folk and tribal art, dance, music, cuisines & culture of one state in other states reinforcing the cherished goal of “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat”.
It also provides an effective platform to the artists and artisans to support their livelihood.
It reconnects the people (especially the youth) with their indigenous culture, its multifaceted nature, magnificence, and historical importance in the context of ‘India as a Nation’ over the millennia.
India is a land of diversity. As we go from one state/Union Territory to another, the cultural and linguistic differences are so starkly visible that there is no way that we can ignore them. The idea behind this platform is to promote discussions on issues that may be agitating the people of a given state or UT.
It also aims to create awareness among and between people of diverse States/UTs about the problems faced by each other. It is an initiative of the Ministry of Education.
The broad objectives of the initiative are- every State and UT in the country would be paired with another State/UT for a time period, during which they would carry out a structured engagement with one another in the spheres of language, literature, cuisine, festivals, cultural events, tourism etc.
The Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) were created by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. The centres aim to strengthen the ancient roots of Indian culture and evolve and enrich a composite national culture for the enrichment of our society.
There are seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCC) in India. These ZCCs organize various cultural activities and programmes all over the country on a regular basis.
Other schemes of ZCCs - Award to Young Talented Artists, Guru Shishya Parampara, Theatre Rejuvenation, Shilpgram, Octave and National Cultural Exchange Programme (NCEP).