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Digital District Repository (DDR) Exhibition inaugurated at, LBSNAA, Mussoorie

New Delhi [India], July 02: Under the auspices of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM), the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the Digital District Repository (DDR) on 27 June 2022 in the premises of prestigious Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) at Mussoorie.


Swati Bhat

Around 400 officer trainees (OTs) participated in the celebrations which comprised paying tributes at busts of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri, virtual inauguration by the CM of Exhibition on the Digital District Repository (DDR) at Indira Bhawan (LBSNAA) ,Seminar on DDR at Sampoornanand Auditorium, Cultural evening by the North Zone Cultural Centre (NZCC)

The event encouraged the OTs to contribute stories from the districts where they shall be posted.

The Digital District Repository (DDR) is an attempt to discover and document stories of India at the ‘micro level’ of district. It is divided into four categories (People and Personalities, events and happenings, Living traditions and art forms, hidden Treasures) in accordance with the contribution to our freedom struggle

Shri Govind Mohan, Secretary, Culture during his presentation, said “Local History often resides amongst us in the form of stories, anecdotes, fading memories ,etc. And unless we make an effort to document them over time they are often Lost Forever”. He further talked about the prison cells in IIT, where freedom fighters Santosh Kumar Mitra and Tarakeswar Sen Gupta were martyred.

He talked about Godavari Parulekar (then Gokhale), another lesser-known freedom fighter born in Pune. She participated in individual Satyagrahas and was imprisoned for that in the year 1932. She was the first female member of the Servants of India Society.

It was further informed that the Sordar of Nongkhlaw (local village Head) in Eastern West Khasi Hills District is leading the efforts to preserve the imprints of the Meghalaya Braveheart & his band of courageous followers, who kept the much better armed British at bay for nearly 5 years from these “ krem Tirot “ (Tirot Singh Caves).

A 5 minutes’ video on the Digital District Repository (DDR) was also played so as to make the OTs aware of the project and thereby, contribute in it.

Secretary (Culture) shed light on the Har Ghar Tiranga programme under AKAM, wherein hoisting of the Tiranga shall take place at home and at work. The rationale behind the initiative is to foster the spirit of patriotism, bind the country together celebrating the AAN, BAAN, SHAAN of the Tiranga, and in 75th year of independence commit to nation building collectively by working towards India@2047.

Lastly, he requested everyone to pay their tribute to the bravehearts who laid their lives for the cause of the nation, through the medium of Digital Jyot at: https://digitaltribute.in/ The evening concluded with a cultural show organized by the NZCC.

The DDR Exhibition inaugurated at the Indira Bhawan, LBSNAA, Mussoorie will be open for the public till 3 July 2022. It has special attractions such as the digital interactive panels and rare photographs from the archives.



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Shri G.Kishan Reddy to inaugurate JYOTIRGAMAYA-A festival showcasing the talent of unsung performer

Updated: Dec 23, 2022

Shri G.Kishan Reddy to inaugurate Jyotirgamaya-A festival showcasing the talent of unsung performers from 21st to 25th June


Pritish Bagdi


Pic Courtesy: Official Twitter

As part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of India’s independence and on the occasion of World Music Day, Sangeet Natak Akademi is presenting Jyotirgamaya- a festival to showcase the talent of rare musical instruments from across the country, including street performers, train entertainers, performers attached to temples, etc. Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and DoNER , Shri G.Kishan Reddy will inaugurate the festival.

The festival is being envisaged with the noble aim of sensitising people about the need to safeguard the craft of making as well as the skill of playing rare musical instruments, and to give a voice to ‘unheard’ artistes who hardly ever see the limelight. This is a unique endeavour of Sangeet Natak Akademi to salvage the dying performing arts of India and the initiative will persist beyond the festivities of World Music Day.

Music flows in every street and corner of India. It is not uncommon to find wayfarers playing their flute and clappers under the open sky, come rain or shine, who are seldom thanked for the momentary escape they provide from the humdrum of everyday life. We also have a plethora of rare musical instruments that are slowly fading away from the public domain owing to their shrinking popularity and diminishing tutelage.

A hunt for ‘unheard’ talents was organised for the festival through a call to action. Entrants were requested to send a small clip of their performance along with their details. Prominent institutions of music, cultural centers, SNA awardees and eminent musicians were also requested to locate and identify such rare talent. After reviewing all the entries and considering the recommendations sent, a total of 75 performances were selected for the 5-day festival from 21-25 June 2022.

A 5-day workshop on the making of rare musical instruments is being conducted which will prove to be both educational as well as interactive. Artistes from all corners of the country will participate in this festival.

The Akademi has a gallery of musical instruments, masks and puppets in Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi. A live exhibition displaying the making of musical instruments by craftsmen will be open for each day of the festival. Entry is free for all.


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10 sculptures retrieved from Australia and USA handed over to the Government of Tamilnadu

Delhi (India), June 04: “History belongs to its Geography. As a continuous living civilization, India’s heritage belongs to the temples and places it was taken from. Bringing Our Gods Home is one such initiative that is rooted in preserving, promoting and propagating our heritage”: G Kishan Reddy


Swati Bhat

Ten antiquities (sculptures) retrieved from Australia and USA were handed -over to the Government of Tamil Nadu today in New Delhi.Shri G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of Culture, Tourism and Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) attended the handing-over ceremony of 10 sculptures to the Government of Tamil Nadu at Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) ,New Delhi . Minister of State for Culture, Smt Meenakshi Lekhi ; Minister of State for Culture, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal and Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Shri L Murugan along with officials from the Ministry of Culture, Archeological Survey of India, Ministry of External Affairs and Tamil Nadu Government were also present.

While addressing at the event, the Union Minister said, “Over the last 8 years, the Government of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken several steps to preserve our ancient civilisational ethos, Protect our cultural and spiritual heritage and Propagate Indian Knowledge systems and traditions across the world. Bringing Our Gods Home is one such initiative that is rooted in preserving, promoting and propagating our heritage”. He added, “ The Prime Minister’s personal relationships and warm ties with world leaders from these countries have led to the respective countries swiftly identifying the stolen antiquities and sustained cooperation till their return. Therefore all the credit goes to our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji. He has not only made efforts to help retrieve these antiquities but also personally carried them back with him during his official tours abroad”.

The collection of antiquities handed over to the Tamil Nadu government included figurines named Dwarapala, Nataraja, Kankalamurti Kadayam, Nadikeswara Kadayam, Four-Armed Vishnu, Sri Devi, Siva & Parvati, Standing Child Sambandar, and Child Sambandar. The Union Minister Shri, G Kishan Reddy lauded the efforts of the Central Government and highlighted the increase in the number of idols which have been repatriated since 2014. He said, “During the visit of our Hon'ble Prime Minister to the USA, 157 antiquities were returned to India which is being the largest single collection India got back so far. You would be aware that over the last 8 years the Government has brought back 228 heritage objects. Only 13 antiquities were brought back to India between Independence and 2013. Friends, the figures speak for themselves and reflect the importance this Government attaches to our heritage. With the sustained effort of the Government of India, and 228 antiquities being brought back since 2014, the total number has now become 241”.

The Union Minister added, “India is celebrating her 75th year of independence through Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. As India enters 25 years of Amrit Kaal, this is an opportunity to take the lead as a global protector of indigenous culture, traditions and heritage. This event and process of repatriating our stolen heritage will allow an open and honest conversation on decolonization”.


A booklet on the ten antiquities was also released on the occasion.



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