Aizawl: Art and culture minister C Lalsawivunga, while inaugurating the new Mizoram State Museum in Aizawl, said a museum was not merely a place for storing old objects but also an important institution for preserving a community’s way of life, traditions, history and cultural heritage.The minister expressed gratitude to the Union ministry of culture for funding the construction of the building, and to Smart City under the Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation (UD&PA) Department for funding the interior works. He also thanked everyone who contributed to the successful completion of the project.Lalsawivunga said a museum served as a valuable bridge between the past and the present. It also played an important role in protecting cultural identity and heritage while promoting cultural development.He said the Mizoram State Museum was called a multipurpose museum because it displayed a wide variety of objects and was not restricted to separate, specialised galleries.The minister said younger generations and students could learn about Mizo history through the museum, making it an important educational resource. He noted that many visitors were from other communities and included tourists, but said Mizo people themselves needed to develop a greater appreciation of their museum and visit it more often.Lalsawivunga encouraged students and young people to visit the museum regularly and see it as a place where they could gain a clearer understanding of their Mizo identity and learn about aspects of Mizo history firsthand.He said more than 50% of the objects in the museum had been donated by individuals. People who possessed culturally or historically valuable items, he said, could continue to donate them so that the objects could be displayed for the benefit of the wider Mizo community.The minister said the Mizoram State Museum reflected the state and its people, and that everyone shared responsibility for caring for and maintaining it. He emphasised the need for sustained efforts to ensure that future generations could use the museum as a place of learning. He also expressed hope that visitors would benefit from their experience at the museum.Construction of the Mizoram State Museum began on Sept 18, 2007, and was completed on Oct 2, 2012. The building was formally handed over to the Art and Culture Department on July 25, 2019.The museum is located at the new secretariat complex and has nine galleries and one archaeology section.
