Mizoram State Museum Opens to Preserve Tribal History

Aizawl: Art and Culture Minister C. Lalsawivunga opened the Mizoram State Museum to protect local heritage. The building sits at the New Secretariat Complex in MINECO, right near the Mizoram Public Service Commission Office. It features nine galleries and one dedicated archaeology section.

Lalmuanpuia Punte, an MLA and adviser to the Chief Minister, attended the event alongside government officials. Construction kicked off on September 18, 2007, and wrapped up on October 2, 2012. The state officially handed the facility to the Art and Culture Department on July 25, 2019.

The Ministry of Culture provided construction funds. The Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation Department, specifically the SMART CITY project, covered the interior costs. More than half of the displayed items came from private donations. Lalsawivunga encouraged citizens to keep bringing in valuable historical pieces.

The minister explained the site acts as a multipurpose hub rather than a collection of rigid, separate galleries. He pushed students to visit often to learn their history. During his speech, Lalsawivunga said, "a museum is not merely a repository of old objects but an institution that safeguards a community's traditions, history, way of life and cultural treasures." He expects the community to take collective responsibility for the maintenance of this new learning center.