Focus: GS I- Art and Culture
Why in News?
Recently, ASI organised a two-day National Conference on Project Mausam – Jaladhipurayatra: Exploring Cross- Cultural Linkages along the Indian Ocean Rim Countries.
About Project Mausam:
- In an attempt to understand the Monsoon Winds and other climatic factors and the ways in which these natural elements impacted, at different periods of history, the interactions between different countries in the Indian Ocean region, ‘Project Mausam’ was launched by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India at UNESCO’s 38th World Heritage Committee Meeting held at Doha, Qatar, in 2014.
- Project ‘Mausam’ is a Ministry of Culture project to be implemented by Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi as the nodal coordinating agency with support of Archeological Survey of India and National Museum as associate bodies.
- Project ‘Mausam’ aims to understand how the knowledge and manipulation of the monsoon winds has shaped interactions across the Indian Ocean and led to the spread of shared knowledge systems, traditions, technologies and ideas along maritime routes.
- These exchanges were facilitated by different coastal centres and their surrounding environs.
Project Mausam functions at two levels:
- At the macro level, it aims to re-connect and re-establish communications between countries of the Indian Ocean world, which would lead to an enhanced understanding of cultural values and concerns.
- At the micro level, the focus is on understanding national cultures in their regional maritime milieu.
