Month-long exhibition on nomads inaugurated at Mysuru museum

Mysuru: They are among the most romanticised of communities in the world, and yet there is so little that the lay public knows about Nomads. Films, documentaries and books give us mere glimpses of their traditions and practices. In a bid to bridge this gap in the knowledge of the public, the city-based Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya at Wellington House organised an exhibition, which was unveiled on Monday, to showcase the history and heritage of the many nomadic communities of India.
The month-long event will provide those interested to learn more about those who lead a mobile life, ample information about communities of the Himalayas, Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh et al. Garments, jewellery and other implements used by these nomadic tribes will be on display at the museum.

Visitors to the museum will get a chance to learn about the lifestyle and habits of Gujjar Bakarwal tribe of the Himalayas, Changpas of Ladakh, Rabrris of Gujarat, Lambanis of Rajasthan, Khasis of Meghalaya and Mizos of Mizoram. Photographs depicting the various traditions of these nomadic communities are expected to be among the highlights of the exhibtion.

Women’s garments made from yak’s wool and used by Changpa tribe, a long white coat made from wool used by women of Bhotia tribe of Uttarakhand and wooden masks used by tribes in Arunachal Pradesh are among the artefacts on display.

Noted anthropologist Prof Pramode Kumar Misra, who inaugurated the exhibition, said that the life of nomadic communities represented a sense of freedom, and the urge to move and discover something. “It is this spirit that has taken human beings to space. Nomadic culture is a huge part of India,” said Misra.

Joint director of the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Bhopal Dilip Singh was present at the inauguration.