A ₹ 2 crore museum to showcase the culture of Koya tribe, which would be the biggest in India, is ready for inauguration. The museum in Medaram of Jayashankar-Bhupalpally district will exhibit 2,000 artefacts.
Museum curator and support staff have already collected 1,000 artefacts which will be part of the main display, which would be maintained by the Tribal Welfare Department. It is expected to be inaugurated on January 31.
Other than artefacts, the museum will display four kinds of of exhibits, including 30 life size photographs of Koya lifestyle. The Koyas are forest dwellers who make settlements after clearing inhabitable space amidst forests. Museum will also exhibit Koya painting and manuscripts. Koya’s traditional rangoli and wall paintings will be replicated in the museum.
Unique motifs
“Koya tribe has a unique way of plastering their walls and painting on them following specific motifs. Replicas of their painting made by members of the same community will be on display,” Curator of the Medaram Tribal Museum D. Satyanarayana told The Hindu .
Installation of Koya dieties will be another attraction. “Koya Gods and temples will be replicated without image dilution. For example, installation of Illaram or Koya temple for the deity Musalamma will have the original size, shape and dimensions,” Mr. Satyanarayana explained.
Visitors to the museum will also get to watch short films on Koyas. A projector room will continually play films which can be watched by at least 200 people at a time. “Video stories will have footage shot in Koya dwelling. Each short film will cover a single aspect of Koya life. From hunting to daily cuisine all will be covered. Most films were shot by Koya youth who are educated and town dwelling,” Mr. Satyanarayana said. Museum’s inauguration will coincide with Sammakka-Saralakka Jatara, a Koya festival to celebrate two female tribal leaders.
The State government is expected to improve facilities and display at Komaram Bheem Museum in Adilabad district.
Strengthening museums
“The museum built three years ago to preserve Gond culture still needs additional artefacts. The State government will allocate funds for its revival this year,” said Sarveswar Reddy, Director of Tribal Cultural Research and Training Institute. A museum that showcases life of Chenchu tribe already functions in Mannanur which also has a tiger reserve.
State government’s museum revival project is also to improve visitor footfall. In Hyderabad, Nehru Centenary Tribal Museum gets 300 visitors per day on an average. “Footfall at other museums should improve,” Mr. Reddy said.
