Tribal Museum Bhubaneswar
Museum of tribal arts and artifacts in Bhubaneswar has opened up a new vista into the future direction of Orissa’s tribal economy and culture. It would usher in a cultural renaissance in the State. The aim of setting up this museum is not only to help preserve tribal cultures from extinction but also to promote appreciation of a better understanding of tribal development vis-a-vis culture.
The idea of setting up a tribal museum in SCSTRTI (Scheduled Cast and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute) located at C.R.P.F. square, Bhubaneswar was originally conceived in 1987, but materialised on March 5, 2001.
This museum has approximately 2000 displayed tribal artifacts in five halls. They exhibit dresses and ornaments, dhokra items, dances and musical instruments, hunting implements, fishing nets, weapons of offence and defence, personal belongings, arts and photographs.
The indigenous tools, technologies, weapons, basketry, pottery, textiles, dresses, ornaments and rural objects are losing their meaning to the new generation. Hence protection and preservation of these tools, appliances and material traits in the museum have become a necessity to know the antecedents of human life and living.
Museum Have
The dress and ornament section of the museum has 34 textile items of 8 tribes and ornaments belonging to 17 tribes. The traditional costumes include typical textile items like ‘ringa’ of Bonda, ‘phute saree’ of Santal, ‘gatungkap’ of Lanjia Saora etc. Bead neckless like ‘tangam’ of Lanjia Saora, ‘Shaska’ of Kutia Kondh, ‘Kunti’ of Juang, coin neckless like ‘mecodica’ of Dong Kondh, ‘puste’ of Koya, ‘dabu’ and ‘lubeida’ of Bonda tribes figure in the ornament section.
Dhokra and musical instruments section of the museum has 117 dhokra items of Bathudi, Desia Kondh, Dongria Kondh and Kondh tribes. Among these Dhokra items ‘lionet’, ‘paji’ and ‘snake charmers’ of Desia Kondh, ‘ox head’ of Bathudi and ‘elephant’ of Bhuinya tribe are quite spectacular. Besides, 13 musical instruments like horn trumphet of Kutia Kondh / Lanjia Saora / Santal / Bonda, double membrance drum of ‘holva’, ‘flute’ and ‘violin’ of Santal, ‘changu’ of Juang attract all categories of visitors including musicians.
The agricultural implements include a variety of hoes of primitive tribal groups, wooden ploughs of progressive farmers alongwith 168 tribal household objects such as ‘tumba gourd container’ of Dongria Kondh, siali net, siali oil extractor and siali fibre basket of Mankirdia, wine container of Paroja and wine pot of Lanjia Saora create a vivid picture of the ancient culture of a remote tribal area in the visitor’s mind.
Hunting implements of 22 tribes including the primitive groups, 36 items of fishing nets and crafts of 15 tribes add to the speciality of the museum where axe of Kondh, spear of Paroja, sword of Oraon / Bonda, knife of Dongria Kondh and bow-arrows of all the tribes attract researchers and commoners alike. Besides all these, the presence of net -traps of Mankirdias / Kutia Kondh / Santal / Kisan, Gunstick of Juang, fish basket of Bonda, fishing traps of Gond enhance the beauty of the museum.
The attraction of the arts and photographs section includes snaps like ‘shaman’ and ‘anital’ of Saora, Koya dancing girls, women of Bonda and Dongria Kondh with traditional costumes and sketches drawn by tribal children at school.
Saora shrine crafts like ‘Manduasum’ / ‘Jenanglosum’, Dongria Kondh shrine crafts like ‘Kateibali’ / ‘Meriah’ post / ‘Kandruduma’displayed on the open air platform inside the museum and Saora shrine crafts like ‘Jodisum’ / ‘gunwar rang’ beneath the trees beyond the museum premises amuse visitors of all hues.
