Aizawl, Oct 25: A ‘living’ museum showcasing ancestral Mizo life at Falkawn has become a tourism hub, attracting more than 9,600 visitors in its very first year. Nearly half of the tourists came from outside Mizoram.
The weekly Living Museum at Zokhua (Mizo Typical Village), organised by the Art and Culture Department, completed one year on Saturday. The department marked the occasion with a cake-cutting ceremony attended by officials and tourists visiting the site.
Director of Information and Public Relations Mina Zoliani Joute, Deputy Secretary of the Art and Culture Department Lalengvari and other officials visited the museum to mark the anniversary.
Established in 1992, Zokhua was developed as a mini living museum to recreate a traditional Mizo village as it existed in ancestral times. The first live demonstration of traditional Mizo life was organised there in 2011 under the name, Mizo Nun Kutpui.
In 2023, a three-day demonstration titled Zonun Kutpui was organised in connection with India’s hosting of the G20 Summit and the Chapchar Kut celebrations. Similar two-day programmes were subsequently held during Chapchar Kut in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
The department launched the weekly Living Museum programme on October 25, 2025, to give younger generations first-hand experience of Mizo traditions, help students relate textbook lessons to real-life practices, and offer tourists a deeper understanding of the State’s cultural heritage.
Held every Saturday, the programme features demonstrations of traditional village life, dances, folk songs, indigenous games, traditional food and costumes. Visitors can also buy traditional Mizo attire there.
The museum operates in two sessions – from 11 am to 1 pm and from 1.30 pm to 3.30 pm. The entry fee is Rs 200, with a 50 per cent concession for students of government middle schools and below.
The initiative is organised in collaboration with local organisations, including the Young Mizo Association, Mizoram Upa Pawl and Mizoram Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl.
According to the department, Mizoram is the first State in India to establish a living museum of this kind. The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has appreciated the initiative and encouraged other States and Union Territories to establish similar museums to preserve and promote their cultural heritage.