‘Project Mausam’ pours around 6 crores for 2 years in cultural wallet

New Delhi, August 7: Project Mausam, an initiative to explore the multi-faceted Indian Ocean ‘world’ has been poured with an amount of Rs 6,00,39,297 for F.Y 2018-19 and 2019-20 said MoS for Culture Dr. Mahesh Sharma while answering a question asked in Lok Sabha on Monday.

 

An amount of Rs 60,039,297/- (i.e 2,80,95,532 for 2018-19 and Rs 3,19,43,765 for year 2019-20) has been approved and allocated for Project Mausam. Expenditure for the project during 2017-18 and first three months of 2018-19 is Rs. 16,75,614.

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 collate archaeological and historical research in order to document the diversity of cultural, commercial and religious interactions in the Indian Ocean.

The main objective of the project is to inscribe places and sites identified under Project Mausam as a trans-national nomination for inscription on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The list of 39 countries identified under Project Mausam is below

Action Plan for the year 2018-19 and 2019-20 has been initiated which includes certain activities such as holding an international workshop, event at UNESCO HQ, Creation of web platform, regional training programme and tentative list preparation for the Transborder nomination.

The project was launched in June 2014 during the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee. An SFC was approved in April 2015 for 2 years i.e. 2015-16 and 2016-17. Some of the major achievements are: -

• A national conference organized by ASI and Kerala Tourism in November 2014 at Kochi, Kerala.
  
  
• Exhibition on Unearthing Pattanam; Histories, Cultures and Crossings at National Museum in November, 2014.
  
  
• Seventeen lectures were held on various themes related to Project Mausam by IGNCA

• An exhibition on ‘Africans in India: A rediscovery’ in IGNCA.
  
  
• Symposium on ‘Maritime culture of India and its potential’ in January, 2017.

Indian mission in identified countries have been requested to identify appropriate authorities/resource person/experts to initiate a dialogue but only a few have responded with necessary information.

List of 39 Indian Ocean countries identified under Project Mausam: