At The Tribal Museum In Bhopal!

I visited the Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum in Bhopal recently. And I was very happy that I did. Inaugurated on June 6, 2013, this lovely space offers a glimpse into the lives of various tribes of this diverse land. The entire museum is a work of art. The exhibits are simple everyday items used by the tribal people, but each and every one of them exudes beauty.

From the outside, the museum resembles a huge thatched hut. The tall walls are adorned with large wooden murals depicting life along the river Narmada. The museum is divided into six sections: Cultural Diversity, Tribal Life, Tribal Aesthetic, Tribal Spiritual World, Guest States and Exhibition Gallery. Once you buy your ticket and start exploring, you feel as if you were in a tribal wonderland.

Dwellings made with clay, bamboo, mud, grass and leaves are not only pleasing to the eye, but they also tell you about the lives of their inhabitants. One gets a peek into how they keep their cattle, how important their courtyard is to them, how they store their food grains. A mammoth food grain container dominates the view in one of the sections. The array of cooking vessels and accompanying stuff makes for interesting viewing too.

In another section the exhibits focus on their wedding rituals, jewellery, combs, birth and death rituals, farming, singing and dancing, costumes and other things. A gigantic bangle is the centre of attraction in one of the halls. It is a replica of a bangle that is given to the new bride while welcoming her into her marital home. Symbols of productivity like a pair of ploughing bullocks, farmer, field are ingrained on this bangle and the bride is supposed to keep this with her as a lucky charm while preparing seeds.

Music is an important part of tribal life. A mind-boggling variety of drums, string instruments, wind instruments and others occupy pride of place in a hall.

The tribal people have their own belief system, their own deities and their own symbols. A pillar, stone, stick or flag are often their objects of worship. The section showcasing their spiritual world could be called the most abstract amongst all since it is indeed hard to conceptualise.

The guest state featured presently is Chhattisgarh. It was a part of Madhya Pradesh until it was carved out of it on November 1, 2000 to be made a separate state. There is a large tribal presence in this state. The tribal homes featured here are simply awesome because of their pretty lattices made with bamboo and clay.

Photos by Lata

The exhibition gallery opens out before us the world of games played by tribal children. Their games need minimal or no objects, but they are designed cleverly towards making the players physically and mentally strong. It is amazing how many types of games they play inside or outside their homes. This gallery has real photographs as well as models of kids playing a particular game. A short description of the game is displayed too. An interesting and rather unique presentation!

Gond, Bheel, Korku, Baiga, Sahariya, Kol, Bhariya...terms that were just obscure names for us suddenly start making sense once you see--even if fleetingly--how they live their lives in the lap of nature, how well-developed their aesthetic sense is and how intelligently they devise ways to make the best of their minimalist surroundings.

Any downside? Well, the space may look too bright and a bit kitschy to some. That could be because it is still quite new and too many exhibits are on display, crowding the halls and the galleries.  But it does bring together many aspects of tribal life under one roof.

---

On a different note...when I was there, a big group of men, women and children had descended on the museum. They were not only loud and indisciplined, they showed utter disregard for the exhibits by touching them, scrambling around them for getting pictures taken, passing comments inanely, running, climbing and in general making a nuisance in the otherwise quiet halls. The museum attendants did request them to be silent or speak softly, but their polite pleas fell on deaf ears. It was only after the group had left that peace returned to the museum.

Magnificent Maheshwar

The majestic fort and temple complex stands elegantly by the banks of the genteel Narmada. The structure is massive, and in very good shape belying its almost three-century-old existence. The steps leading from the ghats to the fort complex look imposing and stately. We are on a boat sailing along the Narmada in Maheshwar.

The drive from Indore has been comfortable, taking 90-100 minutes for the 91-kilometer run on a cool sunny morning in late January. The fields on both sides of the road are lush green, alive with cotton, wheat and sugarcane crops. The roadside shops in villages are filled with farm-fresh juicy red carrots, huge white cauliflowers and bright green peas.

Once in Maheshwar, the fort is the obvious destination. The 18th century structure exudes beauty, and charms you with its simplicity. Nothing is over the top here. The carvings, walls and domes in the complex showcase a grandeur that is subtle, understated. Perhaps they reflect the demeanour of the woman who ruled Malwa from these precincts from 1767 to 1795.

 

Devi Ahilyabai Holkar (1725-1795) was clearly way ahead of her times. Married into the ruling family of Indore, she took the reins of the state in her hands after her husband, father-in-law and son passed away. Her father-in-law, Malhar Rao was a visionary who dissuaded her from committing sati after her husband's untimely death, and trained her in administrative and military matters. She moved the capital from Indore to Maheshwar--an ancient city that finds mention in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata--and ran her kingdom efficiently, justly and courageously. An ardent devotee of Shiva, she built many temples and dharmashalas (guest houses for pilgrims) in several places. The present day Maheshwar owes its development to her.

The Rajwada (Royal Residence) is built around a central courtyard having partially covered wide corridors on all sides. These lead into rooms. Today, these corridors give us an idea of what life must have been like in the days of yore. There is a life-sized statue of Ahilyabai seated at the head of one of the corridors. The floor is covered with comfortable mattresses under clean white sheets. Maybe Ahilyabai gave an audience to her subjects here. She is known to have had regular public meetings during her rule. Her palki (palanquin) and some arms are also on display. Another beautiful sculpture stands tall just outside the building.

The fort overlooks the river Narmada. There is a point on the topmost part of the fort from where one can get a lovely view of the river flowing gently below. The colourful boats bobbing up and down the water, people worshipping the holy river and pilgrims bathing on its ghats add their own charm to the view. The fort houses the large Rajarajeshwar Temple. Its dome dominates the skyline. There are several temples in the town. Prominent among them are the Sahastrarjun Mandir, Kashi Vishwanath Mandir, Chaturbhuj Narayan Mandir, Chintamani Ganapati Mandir, Ram and Krishna Mandir, Bhavani Mata Mandir and Khedapati Hanuman.

Photos by Lata

Maheshwar is known for its superfine silk/cotton sarees. Adorned with distinctive borders, they look very classy. They are produced by local weavers on hand-operated looms. It was Ahilyabai who had sown the seeds of this cottage industry with a view to provide means of livelihood to her people. Once flourishing, it had begun to disintegrate with time. It was revived by Richard Holkar, a scion of the erstwhile ruling family. This industry now functions under REHWA Society, giving employment to many women. There is a small unit in the fort where one can see looms in operation, and fabric and sarees being produced by weavers. They are kept for sale in an adjacent shop. They are sold in other parts of the town too. Madhya Pradesh State emporia all over the country stock and sell these beautiful Maheshwari sarees.

Situated at a short distance from Indore - the industrial capital of Madhya Pradesh - Maheshwar makes for a good getaway either for just a day trip or for a relaxed stay over a few days. The state government runs a hotel, and there are some private hotels too. The fort houses a heritage hotel called Ahilya Fort. One can find five-star comfort in an ethnic setting here. As for us, we returned to Indore the same evening, drinking freshly squeezed sugarcane juice for the road. Laced with ginger and lemon, it was the sweetest, most delicious and refreshing drink I have had in a long time.