SHILPGRAM MAIN GATE

The Shilpgram (crafts village), under the auspices of the North East Zone Cultural Center (NEZCC), was inaugurated by Dr. Manmohan Singh, Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, at Panjabari, Guwahati on January 17, 2006.  

A VIEW OF SHILPGRAM

The concept of Shilpgram and its establishment under the NEZCC, on the pattern of the already existing ones in other Zonal Cultural Centers (ZCCs), was first discussed in the meeting of the Directors of the Zonal Cultural Centers at Bombay on September 7-8, 1992. The Shilpgram would provide a platform for men and women in the field of art and culture to congregate, and demonstrate their skills in varied disciplines with an eye on the market.
 

TICKET COUNTER

ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING

The first Shilpgram was set up in the West Zone Cultural Center (WZCC) at Udaipur (Rajasthan) in February, 1989, followed by Thanjavur in March, 1995 (South Zone Cultural Center), Shantiniketan in 1996 (East Zone Cultural Centre), Nagpur in March, 1997 (South Central Zone Cultural Center), Patiala in April, 2000 (North Zone Cultural Center) and Allahabad in December 2002 (North Central Zone Cultural Center). With the inauguration of Shilpgram, Panjabari, Guwahati, all the Zonal Cultural Centres now have Shilpgrams of their own.

DORMITORY

NORTH - EAST STATE PAVILIONS

STATE PAVILION - ARUNACHAL PRADESH

STATE PAVILION - MANIPUR

The decision of the Department of Art and Culture, Government of India was to decentralize the locations of infrastructures of the Zonal Cultural Centres in the respective States.  Pursuant to that, the then Chairman of the NEZCC and His Excellency the Governor, Nagaland Padmashree O.N.Shrivastava got a Committee constituted on August 22, 1996 to decide on the location of Shilpgram.  All the States in the region were asked to provide land and Assam was prompt enough to allot 7 acres of land worth Rs.4 crores, adjacent to Srimant Shankardeva Kalakshetra, free of cost.  The Executive Board (EB) and Governing Body (GB) of the NEZCC in a combined meeting held on June 14, 1999 decided to have Guwahati as the abode of Shilpgram and set up the Shilpgram Construction Committee, under the Chairmanship of Hon'ble Chief Minister, Assam. The Committee also took a decision to appoint M/S Avikalpan, Guwahati as the Consultant in its first meeting held on February 26, 2000 at Guwahati and the Government of India sanctioned Rs.2.44 crores for the project.

Before accepting the architectural plans and designs, the NEZCC decided to set up Padmashri Ratan Thiyam Committee to examine the same for suggestions, if any.  On its observations, the plans and designs were modified and re-drawn. This necessitated the raising of project cost to Rs.3.98 crores in 2003 and it was approved by the Department of Culture, Government of India. The Construction Committee awarded the construction to M/S Bright Construction Corporation, Ulubari, Guwahati.  The works started in December 2003.

STATE PAVILION - MIZORAM

The Ratan Thiyam Committee considered the proposed establishment of Shilpgram at Guwahati as a step in the right direction for the presentation of art and culture in the region and better livelihood for the artisans, craft persons, weavers, singers and dancers, providing a window to market. Their exposure and activities would make their skills known and their socio-economic interests better safeguarded than before.  In this connection, the Committee appreciated the provision for a Dormitory with messing facilities in the architectural plans of Shilpgram.

STATE PAVILION - NAGALAND

AUDITORIUM

The Committee felt that the architectural designs of Shilpgram should reflect the cultural identity of eight States, including Sikkim. It also made recommendations on the design of the main gate and other facilities like the State Pavilion, Open-Air Theatre, Auditorium, Exhibition and Food Stalls. The Committee felt very strongly against the idea of 'duplicating' the designs of other Zonal Shilpgrams and underscored the imperative need for the Shilpgram of the NEZCC to maintain its own separate and distinct identity.  The Committee endorsed the idea of making Shilpgram a self-supported body but also cautioned that in a region like the North East, profit should not be the only motive, compromising the age-old tradition and value system of the region.

FOOD STALLS

In keeping with the recommendations of the Ratan Thiyam Committee, the Shilpgram Complex has 8 pavilions for the North Eastern States (including Sikkim), 9 exhibition-cum-sales counters, 8 food stalls, a dormitory block to accommodate upto 200 visiting artists/artisans, an auditorium with a capacity for about 400 persons, an open air platform with enough space for about 3,000 visitors, a ticket counter and an administrative block.