A total of approximately 6.5 lakh villages across India have been identified, out of which data for around 4.7 lakh villages have been uploaded on the MGMD portal. In the state of Tamil Nadu, data for 14,251 out of 19,219 villages have been mapped and uploaded. State-wise and district-wise details for Tamil Nadu are provided in Annexure-I and Annexure-II, respectively.

The MGMD Programme, through its comprehensive portal, takes into account the unique linguistic, cultural and heritage practices of each village, including temple architecture, folk arts and classical traditions. This includes the distinct traditions of Tamil Nadu such as Siddha medicine and local art forms.

A crowdsourcing option is available on the MGMD Portal, enabling local communities to actively participate in the documentation and preservation of cultural heritage., Villagers are encouraged to submit and validate cultural information related to their own villages.

However, no economic or skill development benefit have been extended to the villagers under this initiative.

The Government of India is taking steps to promote heritage villages across the country through cultural tourism, digital platforms, and educational initiatives. These include encouraging participation in cultural events, showcasing traditional art forms, and creating awareness through digital and educational outreach. However, there is no specific initiative exclusively for the villages of Tamil Nadu.

This information was given by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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Sunil Kumar Tiwari

pibculture[at]gmail[dot]com

ANNEXURE-I

Village Data Uploaded: State-wise

State/UT	No. of Villages Uploaded
Andaman and Nicobar Islands	74
Andhra Pradesh	14131
Arunachal Pradesh	3884
Assam	14868
Bihar	36143
Chandigarh	12
Chhattisgarh	17349
Delhi	170
Goa	430
Gujarat	13406
Haryana	7502
Himachal Pradesh	19113
Jammu and Kashmir	6596
Jharkhand	28336
Karnataka	13712
Kerala	892
Ladakh	197
Lakshadweep	1
Madhya Pradesh	42625
Maharashtra	20307
Manipur	285
Meghalaya	6975
Mizoram	1015
Nagaland	1469
Odisha	35834
Puducherry	126
Punjab	10691
Rajasthan	39386
Sikkim	257
Tamil Nadu	14251
Telangana	4909
The Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu	106
Tripura	897
Uttar Pradesh	71076
Uttarakhand	14339
West Bengal	5917

 

ANNEXURE-II

 

District-wise Number of Villages Mapped and Uploaded on MGMD Portal – Tamil Nadu

 

District	No. of Villages Uploaded
Ariyalur	197
Chengalpattu	629
Chennai	114
Coimbature	246
Cuddalore	366
Dharmapuri	411
Dindigul	411
Erode	520
Kalakuruchi	465
Kanchipuram	506
Kanyakumari	213
Karur	197
Krishnagiri	351
Madurai	707
Mayiladuthurai	244
Nagapattinam	194
Namakkal	338
Perambalur	140
Pudukottai	654
Ramanathapuram	369
Ranipet	210
Salem	478
Sivaganga	487
Tenkasi	256
Thanjavur	759
The Nilgiris	57
Theni	157
Thiruvallar	1
Thiruvallur	503
Thiruvarur	486
Tirucherappalli	575
Tirunalveli	319
Tirupathur	177
Tiruppur	346
Tiruvannamalai	776
Tuticorin	358
Vellore	179
Villupuram	421
Virudhunagar	434
TOTAL	14251

 

(Release ID: 2152150)