Tribal Museum at Bhadrachalam soon

The purpose of setting up the museum is to promote, preserve and document the festivals, culture and traditions of indigenous tribes besides exhibiting the same for the knowledge of mainstream society.

Bhadrachalam (Kothagudem): A Tribal Museum will soon come up at Bhadrachalam in Kothagudem district.

The museum is under development and experts at the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) are working on it. The officials and experts in tribal lifestyle and traditions have been procuring artifacts, statues, jewellery, utensils and other material for display in the museum.
Speaking to Telangana Today, ITDA Deputy Director (Tribal Welfare) Shaik Zaheeruddin said the Tribal Museum was being established at Youth Training Centre (YTC) building on the ITDA office premises.

The purpose of setting up the museum is to promote, preserve and document the festivals, culture and traditions of indigenous tribes besides exhibiting the same for the knowledge of mainstream society.

“We are in the process of procuring the material from interior habitations of tribal communities in the district as well other places. We have already collected a great number artifacts, statues created by tribals, material of daily use”, he said.

Zaheeruddin informed that while searching for the tribal artifacts they have come across amazing pieces of artistic items and have collected them. “There is much more to do, so that the museum will truly be a place worth visiting and represents tribal culture”, he added.
According to him a museum developed by the Tribal Cultural Research & Training Institute, Hyderabad in the year 1986 existed in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh at Yetapaka at a short distance from Bhadrachalam. But that museum was not taken care of, and closed later.

In due course of time the exhibits at Yetapaka museum were brought to Bhadrachalam YTC with the entry limited to visiting VIPs. With an objective to develop a full-fledged museum the ITDA Project Officer P Gowtham sent a proposal to the Commissioner, Tribal Welfare, recently.
“With the Rs 10 lakhs sanctioned by the department we started the work and there is a need for more funds. We are planning to send another proposal. It is planned to shoot documentary films by interviewing the tribal elders to learn about their lifestyle, festivals and related legends” Zaheeruddin explained.

Meanwhile, the leaders of local tribal associations are demanding the government to allot Rs 1.5 crore for the development of the museum and to construct it near the Bhadradri Temple so that devotees coming from other places can visit it.

 

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