A Hindu Tribal Museum Transforms Oral Narratives Into Huge Paintings and Sculptures

THE HINDU
By Gowri Ramnarayan

Madhya Pradesh tribal museum with work by Gond, Bhil, Baiga,
Kol, Korku, Sahariya, Bharia tribes. Photo: Gowri Ramnarayan

INDIA---A new museum in Madhya Pradesh showcases the oral narratives of seven major tribes. And it’s put together by the tribals themselves, says Gowri Ramnarayan. Such stories from seven major tribes of Madhya Pradesh (MP) — Gond, Bhil, Baiga, Kol, Korku, Sahariya, Bhariya — are recorded in their traditional bardic songs. Now, Jan Jatiya Sangrahalay, the new tribal museum in Bhopal, transforms these oral narratives into huge paintings and sculptures. Two years ago, at a meeting of bureaucrats, archaeologists, anthropologists and sociologists, Bhil painter Bhuribai asked, “Shouldn’t a tribal museum be made by the tribals themselves?” With grants mostly from the State, but also from the Central Government, the museum took shape. [link]