Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Chanchal Kumar paid a special visit to the exhibition ‘Living Heritage in Metal, Bamboo and Clay: Traditional Utensils of Northeast India’ at IGNCA in New Delhi today. The exhibition is inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of the Northeast as ‘Ashtalakshmi’, highlighting the region’s immense cultural richness, natural abundance, spiritual heritage, and developmental potential. During the visit, Mr Kumar appreciated the carefully curated display featuring Longpi pottery from Manipur, Larnai pottery from Meghalaya, bell-metal craft from Assam, and a diverse range of traditional wooden crafts and basketry from across the Northeast. He interacted with the participating artisans, witnessed live demonstrations of their traditional crafts, and commended their exceptional craftsmanship and sustained efforts to preserve and promote the rich cultural heritage of the region. As the former Secretary of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Mr Kumar lauded the exhibition as a significant effort to promote the traditional crafts of the Northeast. He held detailed discussions with the artisans on the cultural significance of the artefacts and described them as an important expression of India’s cultural diversity.