Aizawl: Mizoram Art and Culture Minister C. Lalsawivunga on Wednesday inaugurated the Mizoram State Museum at the New Secretariat Complex in Aizawl, describing it as an important institution for preserving the state’s history, traditions and cultural identity.
The minister expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, for funding the construction of the museum building and to the Smart City initiative under the Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation Department for supporting its interior works.
Lalsawivunga said a museum was not merely a place to preserve old objects but an institution that connected the past with the present and helped protect a community’s way of life, traditions and cultural heritage.
He said the Mizoram State Museum, described as a multipurpose museum, would provide younger generations and students with an opportunity to learn about Mizo history and culture.
Urging students and young people to visit the museum regularly, the minister said Mizoram’s own people should develop greater appreciation for the institution.
He noted that more than half of the artefacts displayed in the museum had been donated voluntarily by individuals and appealed to people possessing historically or culturally significant objects to contribute them for preservation and public display.
Lalsawivunga said the museum was a reflection of Mizoram and its people and therefore its preservation was a shared responsibility. Sustained efforts were needed to ensure that future generations could continue to use it as a place of learning, he said.
The museum’s construction began on September 18, 2007, and was completed on October 2, 2012. It was formally handed over to the Art and Culture Department on July 25, 2019.
Located at the New Secretariat Complex in MINECO, near the Mizoram Public Service Commission office, the museum has nine galleries and an archaeology section.