PR
GUWAHATI, February 17 2021: The Zonal Cultural Centre of the Northeast India, North East Zone Cultural Centre (NEZCC) was registered on June 17 1986 and set up at Dimapur, Nagaland. The 8 (eight) North Eastern States, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura are the constituent States of the North East Zone Cultural Centre. It is an Autonomous Body under the union ministry of culture.
The NEZCC was established with the main objective of promoting and preserving the rich cultural heritage and dissemination of arts of the Zone under the broad discipline of Sangeet Natak, Lalit Kala and Sahitya. To achieve these objectives, the NEZCC has been regularly organizing various programmes and activities under various schemes of Ministry of Culture, Government of India entrusted to the Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs). Major schemes/programmes organized by NEZCC are National Cultural Exchange Programme, Documentation, Guru Shishya Parampara, Theatre Rejuvenation, Young Talent Artist Award, Shilpgram Activities etc.
Under these schemes the NEZCC undertakes Cultural Exchange Programmes, Folk Song & Dance Festivals, Craft Fairs & Exhibitions, Workshops for Women, Workshops for differently able persons/children, Theatre Workshops for youth and students, Gurus Shishya Kendras for teaching folk traditions, institute awards to young talented artistes and documentation of vanishing art forms. The establishment of the NEZCC has benefited a large number of folk artistes and artisans of the region and promotion of awareness of regional cultural traditions at the national level.
NEZCC Shilpgram was established under the Shilpgram Activities/Scheme of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Dr Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India inaugurated the Shilpgram (crafts village) under the North East Zone Cultural Centre at Panjabari, Guwahati on January 17 2006.
The Shilpgram Complex at Panjabari, Guwahati has 45 (forty five) permanent stalls for exhibition-cum-sale of crafts items, eight pavilions, eight food stalls, one dormitory with a capacity to accommodate 150 artistes, a guest house, and an indoor air conditioned auditorium and an open air stage for organizing regular cultural events.
To mark the establishment of the Shilpgram the NEZCC organizes Shilpgram Mahotsav every year involving folk dance and songs, music, exhibition cum sale of crafts and traditional cuisine. Shilpgram Mahotsav-2021 will be held from 18th to 21st February, 2021 at Shilpgram Complex. This year NEZCC is inviting artistes and craftsperson from the North Eastern States.
Approximately 27 artistes and craftsperson each (.i.e. Folk Dance Cultural Troupes consisting of 15 artistes, Folk Song/ Music groups consisting of 10 artistes and 2 craftsperson) from the seven North Eastern States besides local cultural troupes and popular singers from Assam are expected to took part in the event. To avoid large gathering of artistes at the complex, as per covid19 SOPs, the cultural troupes are divided into two groups. The first two days of the programme cultural troupes from Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram and the last two days Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura will present their colourful folk dances and songs. Local groups from Assam will participate in all the 4 days. Exhibition cum sale of handloom and handicrafts and traditional food will also be held in all the four days.
Another added attraction of the Shilpgram Mahotsav 2021 is the folk dance competition of the local groups. The folk dance competition will be held in the first three days and the winners (first, second and third) will perform during the closing ceremony.