Objective
Preservation, promotion, and enhancement of the rich and vibrant cultural elements of Uttar Pradesh, focusing on their nurturing, dissemination, and positive aspects.
Mission
- To preserve and document ancient sites, monuments, artifacts, architectural remains, inscriptions, and other heritage treasures.
- Preservation, revitalization, training, and promotion of classical, folk, and tribal traditions from various regions.
- Taking measures to enhance and popularize diverse cultural expressions.
- Promoting education and research to maintain the tradition of music, dance, drama, and fine arts, while providing creative expression opportunities to artists in these fields.
- Advancing research related to ancient culture, archaeology, and museums.
- Encouraging these efforts through publications related to the above activities and permanently documenting research findings.
- Providing necessary facilities for the establishment, expansion, and modernization of essential infrastructure for cultural development.
- Undertaking necessary actions to honor and preserve the memory of national leaders and great personalities.
- Providing necessary support for the welfare of elderly and underprivileged artists.
- Honoring individuals from the state who have brought pride through their achievements.
- Recognizing distinguished artists, notable individuals, and talents from the state with awards and other honors from time to time.
Activities
- Survey, preserve, collect, and maintain monuments, sites, and artifacts of archaeological, historical, artistic, and architectural significance.
- Undertake archaeological explorations, excavations, and publications.
- Archive and preserve records available in various departments of the state government, divisional and district-level offices, and semi-government institutions, while promoting research and publication on these records.
- Organize educational programs, exhibitions, and seminars to raise public interest in the aforementioned topics.
- Provide scholarships in the field of music and fine arts, and implement welfare schemes for artists.
- Organize cultural programs such as music, dance, and drama across various regions of the state, offering opportunities for both renowned and emerging artists to showcase their talents, and connecting the public with the positive aspects of the state's cultural heritage.
- Commission statues of national leaders and great personalities to preserve their memory and provide opportunities for public inspiration.
- Offer training in all three classical music disciplines—vocal, instrumental, and dance—as well as in semi-classical singing.
- Organize art exhibitions, provide awards, recognitions, and scholarships to encourage and promote fine arts and artists. Conduct lectures, seminars, symposia, and workshops, as well as publish art-related content and facilitate the sale of artworks.
- Promote, preserve, and disseminate the traditions of folk music, drama, and folk dance.
- Provide theater training.
- Carry out the preservation, promotion, and exhibition of tribal and folk arts.
- Organize centenary or anniversary events to inspire the younger generation by highlighting the lives and achievements of great personalities and to keep their memory alive.
Our Customers
- General public, intellectuals, and citizens interested in research, along with the cultural and investigative community, non-governmental, and semi-governmental institutions.
- Ministries, departments, and organizations of the central and state governments.
- Universities, research institutions, libraries, and research scholars.
Our Services
- Preservation, promotion and dissemination of art and culture through grants-in-aid through the following schemes.
- Promotion and dissemination of tribal/folk art and culture.
- Study, promotion and dissemination of various aspects of ancient culture etc.
- Preservation and maintenance of ancient heritage and monuments, sites, archeological sites.
- Advising for systematic maintenance of ancient records and their scientific conservation.
- To make the general public and intellectuals aware of the departmental activities and their major achievements through exhibitions, lectures, symposia and seminars.
- Providing education in classical, folk and tribal music, dance and drama genres.
- Providing financial assistance for art exhibitions, cultural programs, gallery and audience facilities for art activities.
- Giving awards and giving due respect to artists from time to time.
- Providing grants for research related to Buddhist, Jain, Ayodhya and publications related to it.
- Providing opportunities for promotion, upliftment and development of folk, tribal and Indian arts through programs, competitions etc.
- Providing monthly pension to old and poor artists.
- Making statues of national and folk heroes.
- Publishing archaeological explorations and their results.
Assistance Schemes Operated by the Department
- Financial assistance to elderly and underprivileged artists.
- Financial support for the construction, expansion, and modernization of auditoriums.
- Annual scholarships and financial support for solo exhibitions for emerging artists by the Uttar Pradesh State Lalit Kala Academy.
- Reviewing, recommending, and forwarding applications from state artists and non-governmental cultural organizations for various schemes operated by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
Organisational Structure
The activities of the Department are implemented through three Directorates, their subordinate institutions and autonomous institutions. Their details are as follows:-
Directorate of Culture :
- This directorate primarily oversees the management of subordinate governmental and non-governmental institutions, organizes cultural programs, provides pensions to elderly and underprivileged artists, commissions statues of notable individuals, organizes centenary/anniversary events to honor great personalities, awards distinguished artists, and surveys and registers the state's heritage materials.
Subordinate Office :
1. Uttar Pradesh State Archives -
This office, through its units in Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, and Agra, provides facilities for the preservation, conservation, and research of manuscripts and records available in various departments of the Uttar Pradesh government, divisional and district offices, semi-governmental institutions, and private collections. It also offers information related to these records, facilitates their cataloging, and provides training to the aforementioned institutions on record preservation.
2. Bhatkhande Sangeet Sansthan (Sam University) -
The institution offers degree programs in all three disciplines of classical music (vocal, instrumental, dance), including B.Music, M.Music, and Ph.D., as well as certificates, diplomas, and proficiency courses in Prathama, Madhyama, Visharad, and Nipun levels, and in semi-classical singing (Thumri). It also conducts three-year programs in folk dance. Additionally, it organizes cultural events, music appreciation programs, and music evenings.
3. State Lalit Kala Academy -
This institution organizes national and international art exhibitions and award ceremonies in Uttar Pradesh, provides financial assistance for art exhibitions, grants scholarships for higher education to talented artists, and conducts art-related lectures, symposia, seminars, and workshops. It also acquires artworks for permanent collections, provides facilities for art libraries and reading rooms, publishes art-related materials, and offers auditorium and performance space facilities for art activities.
4. Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi -
This academy promotes and preserves the traditions of music, dance, drama, folk music, and folk theater in Uttar Pradesh. It works on the dissemination, enhancement, preservation, documentation, and publication of these traditions. The academy also provides encouragement and training to emerging talented young artists, honors distinguished artists, organizes competitions for new artists, and conducts music, drama, and dance-related programs. Additionally, it offers archival and library facilities for related records.
5. Bharatendu Natak Akademi -
This academy provides training in various aspects of theater through a two-year diploma course and organizes theater presentations and workshops.
6. Acharya Narendra Dev International Buddhist Studies Research Institute -
The primary objectives of the institute include the study, research, and publication of Buddhism, its philosophy, art, historical sites, and monuments both in India and globally. It organizes lectures, symposia, and seminars related to these topics and provides library resources, scholarships, and travel grants for research purposes.
7. Ayodhya Research Institute -
This institute focuses on the history of Ayodhya, its cultural traditions, ancient culture, and its various dimensions. It works on documenting, preserving, promoting, and disseminating this heritage through cultural programs, lectures, symposia, and seminars, as well as publishing related research.
8. Jain Vidya Research Institute -
The main goal of this institute is to study various aspects of Jainism across different regions of India from a national perspective. It conducts research on fundamental beliefs, values, and art artifacts of Jainism, and promotes, preserves, and analyzes these aspects. The institute organizes lectures, symposia, seminars, and workshops, and provides research facilities.
9. Tribal and Folk Art Culture Institute -
The institute aims to preserve, promote, and showcase tribal and folk cultures. Its activities include surveying and documenting these cultures, providing encouragement, training, and publishing related materials. The institute also organizes lectures, symposia, seminars, cultural programs, exhibitions, and craft fairs.
10. National Kathak Institute -
The institute focuses on documenting the traditions of various Kathak gharanas at the national level, encouraging young talent, preserving senior artists, and organizing training workshops and programs to promote Kathak dance.
11. Uttar Pradesh Archaeological Directorate -
Through its directorates and regional units in Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, Jhansi, and Agra, this institute works on the preservation and maintenance of archaeological sites and monuments in the state. It also conducts surveys, excavations, and publications related to its achievements, and promotes research and public interest in archaeology through exhibitions, lectures, symposia, and seminars.
12. Uttar Pradesh Museum Directorate -
The Directorate has been established to oversee the development, effective control, and supervision of all museums in the state. Museums serve as centers for safeguarding and preserving cultural heritage, historical, and archaeological treasures, where ancient artifacts are stored and the glorious culture of the nation's past is showcased to students, intellectuals, and the general public. The primary functions of the museums include collecting, preserving, researching, and displaying artifacts. Additionally, museums currently act as centers for informal education, organizing exhibitions, lectures, and symposia to promote educational outreach among the public.
Request to Citizens -
We kindly request you to review our publications and visit the following website for information about our activities.
Our Commitment -
We are committed to the preservation, promotion, and encouragement of various aspects of culture, safeguarding and researching cultural heritage, and supporting the positive efforts of artists and cultural organizations.
Our Commitment to Addressing Citizen Complaints -
For the prompt resolution of public grievances received by the department, the designated officer in the absence of the Joint Secretary is the Special Secretary, Uttar Pradesh. Suggestions and complaints can be sent to the following address.