Indira Gandhi arts centre brings Northeast India’s living heritage to Delhi through traditional utensils
Display includes bamboo baskets and bell-metal vessels, highlighting generations of inherited craftsmanship and cultural practices
In an age dominated by machine-made products and mass production, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is set to open a unique exhibition on Tuesday that celebrates the artistry, traditions and everyday lives of communities in Northeast India through objects often taken for granted—household utensils.
Titled ‘Living Heritage in Metal, Bamboo and Clay: Traditional Utensils of Northeast India’, the exhibition will showcase a diverse collection of handcrafted utensils made from natural materials that have remained an integral part of life in the region for generations.
Organised by the National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM) in collaboration with the North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation Limited (NEHHDC), the exhibition seeks to tell the stories behind these objects and the communities that continue to preserve traditional ways of living.
From intricately crafted bamboo containers and baskets to clay vessels and bell-metal utensils, the exhibit highlights generations of inherited craftsmanship, ecological knowledge and cultural practices. Organisers say the displayed objects are not merely artefacts but living expressions of identity, memory and a sustainable relationship with nature.
The exhibition will be inaugurated by Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal at IGNCA’s Darshanam-I and II Galleries on Janpath and will remain open to visitors until July 2.
Alongside the exhibition, two monographs—Bell-Metal Craft of Assam and Chiteri Art of Bundelkhand, will also be released. The publications document traditional craft practices and aim to contribute to the preservation of India’s artistic heritage.
At a time when traditional crafts face increasing pressure from industrialisation and changing consumer preferences, the exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to engage with living traditions that continue to shape everyday life in many parts of the country.
Officials said the event is expected to attract researchers, artists and members of the public interested in understanding how ordinary objects can reveal extraordinary stories about culture, community and heritage.
