Fly with me to tribal heaven !!!

Today am inviting you to join me on a journey that takes you into the world of the tribes of Central India, a call to catch a glimpse of the rustic world of the Gonds, Bheels, Korakus,Baigas and the Sarhaiyas, as portrayed at the Tribal Museum in Madhya Pradesh.

To let you into a secret, I am not very fond of museums. So when my parents suggested this excursion, I wasn't really turning cartwheels at the thought. But I most certainly did turn somersaults upon getting there as I realised what a beautiful, glorious, life size amalgamation the museum is, of the ways and means of the tribal communities of India. Scenes and sights of their villages, the practise of ancestor-worship, visuals of their festivities, their song and dance, the games that their children play, all of it recreated, reconstructed and available, larger than life, for you to see, feel and absorb...under one large roof known as the Tribal Museum, or the 'Aadivasi Sangrahalaya', Madhya Pradesh.

Starting off with the first section that caught my eye,where an entire hall that has been devoted to Tribal games, with life size models of the simple, innocent and pleasurable means of recreation available to their children, 'Gilli-danda' for instance...

Remember 'Poshamba' from school...see how artistically it has been depicted here ! :-)

And of-course the 'too-much-fun-Tug-of-war' :-) I was amazed at how realistically the scene has been recreated here, one can almost hear the grunts and the 'haiiiiyyya' ! ;-)

The charm of tribal aesthetics lies in the use of simple things that are available around the house for ornamentation....truly, in their world, art and life are inseparable. The use of things such as winnowing baskets, pestles, even brooms is testimony to the fact that in their world, there is no concept of life that is devoid of art.

Someday I hope to have space enough to adopt this idea for our own home, love at first sight for me, this was !

A'khatiya' used here so artistically, 'simple is beautiful' !

Dance and music play a huge role in their world. Tribal folk dances are performed to celebrate the advent of seasons, birth, marriage and festivals. The steps are simple and rhythmic. Musical instruments have great significance in their lives. The 'baana' for example is the most important instrument of the 'Gond' tribe. According to tribal mythology, the youngest Gond brother had propitiated Bada Dev, who had entered the Saja tree, by playing the instrument, who in turn was pleased with the music and blessed the tribe with happiness and prosperity.

You can find lots of inspiration here for wall art, with the beautiful folk paintings depicting different scenes from their life, that find place on the walls of their dwellings...

Gorgeous murals embellish the wooden doors and mud windows, adding colour to their huts...

Beautiful isn't it, am almost wishing our apartment had a mud window so I could try and recreate some of the stuff above ! :-)

A visit to this museum is a lovely way to experience the ways and culture of the tribes of central India, to see a beautiful platform that has been created to showcase the life of the 'aadi-vaasi'. I was truly transported to a different world when I visited this lovely place and could not wait to share it with you. Do put it on your 'to-do' list if and when you plan to visit Madhya Pradesh. I guarantee it will be a visit to remember. In the meantime, I am leaving you with a few more images and a bit of inspiration for your own home. I know I have returned with enough ammunition and an unstoppable urge to attempt a 'gond' painting :-) You go ahead and reel in the colourful and ethnic ecstasy as you feast your eyes on the earthy, homespun, ingenuous beauty that is the centre of their universe  :-) Do drop me a line to tell me what you liked the most. Until the next treat, stay happy all ! :-)