Adivasi - The Odisha State Tribal Museum in Bhubaneshwar

 

Adivasi is the term for tribal people in India, and Odisha is one of the states with a large number of different indigenous cultures. The Odisha State Tribal Museum in Bhubaneshwar provides a glimpse into their world. 

The museum was opened a few months after I visited Bhubaneshwar in late 2000. Only the research institute was open at the time, from where I picked up a few interesting books. It's somewhat ironical that the establishment is maintened and managed by a mining corporation, as some of the tribes fought against such organisations in the past. 

The display I liked the most shows the altars of different tribes. Some of them are Hindu, probably in their own interpretations, others are animist. 

I also liked the display of houses, although they were being renovated at the time. 

The exhibitions inside the actual museum building present different items of the different tribes.