: The state government has created a statewide network of permanent cultural infrastructure by completing 21 projects worth nearly ₹120 crore across 15 districts in less than three years. The projects, now awaiting inauguration, are expected to transform the way cultural activities are hosted in the state by providing dedicated venues for theatre, music, research, festivals and heritage conservation.Unlike earlier initiatives centred around annual festivals and cultural events, the latest investment focuses on building lasting public infrastructure that can serve as year-round cultural hubs while strengthening tourism and local economies.The completed projects include museums, cultural centres, memorials, music institutions, renovated Ramlila grounds, open-air theatres and heritage sites spread across Lucknow, Chitrakoot, Azamgarh, Kannauj, Ballia, Shahjahanpur, Fatehpur, Gorakhpur, Mainpuri, Banda, Firozabad, Hardoi, Kushinagar, Pratapgarh and Aligarh.Officials said the projects have been designed not only to preserve the state’s rich cultural traditions but also to create modern public spaces capable of hosting large-scale cultural programmes, academic activities, exhibitions and performances.Director general of Tourism Vedpati Mishra said the infrastructure represents a long-term investment in Uttar Pradesh’s cultural identity.“For decades, cultural activities were largely confined to temporary arrangements and annual festivals. Today, Uttar Pradesh is creating permanent institutions that will preserve our heritage and serve future generations. Under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s leadership, culture has become an important pillar of development alongside tourism,” Mishra said.Among the flagship projects is the Maharishi Valmiki Cultural Centre in Chitrakoot, envisioned as a major centre for research and cultural activities linked to the Ramayana tradition. In Azamgarh, the Hariharpur College of Music has been developed to strengthen formal education in India’s classical music traditions.Lucknow has emerged as a major beneficiary with the completion of the Dr B R Ambedkar Memorial and Cultural Centre, museum interiors and extensive renovation of the Bhartendu Natya Academy, one of the state’s premier theatre institutions.The government has also invested in heritage interpretation through projects such as façade illumination and a musical fountain at the Freedom Struggle Museum in Shahjahanpur, while the Shaheed Tridev Prasad Memorial in Fatehpur commemorates the region’s contribution to India’s freedom movement.One of the more distinctive projects is the International Roma Memorial and Open-Air Theatre in Kannauj, which highlights the historical links between Uttar Pradesh and the Roma community spread across Europe and other parts of the world.At Ballia’s historic Nath Baba fairground in Rasra, new retaining walls, improved lighting and visitor amenities have been added to better manage the thousands of pilgrims and visitors who attend annual fairs.A major share of the investment has gone into reviving traditional Ramlila grounds in eight districts—Mainpuri, Gorakhpur, Banda, Firozabad, Hardoi, Kushinagar, Pratapgarh and Aligarh. The upgraded venues now feature permanent stages, audience facilities, boundary walls, entrance gates, sheds and improved civic infrastructure, enabling them to host not only Ramlila performances but also folk festivals, theatre productions, cultural fairs and community events throughout the year.