TRIBAL AESTHETIC

Aesthetic sense among tribals prevails so intensely that everything they use reveals their artistic perceptions with striking origilinality. Even simplest things like broom or grinding stone are touched by aesthetics. It is difficult to ignore even ordinary things.. This Gallery explains how life of a tribal family perceives art and aesthetics in everyday life. We find an octagonal wedding canopy under the shades of four beautifully carved trees, which represent myths from four different tribes. These trees symbolize the Origin of Life, life cycle, life in totality and eternity. Origin of bamboo, indelible tradition of tattoo, Ceremonial bangle, musical instruments, tales glorifying the life of ancestors, designs on important rituals have been represented with profoundest understanding of art. This Gallery also gives an opportunity to understand every aspect of tribal life. The life, death, festivals, and rituals every phase has a symbolic presentation leaving space for us to understand Tribal aesthetic even more systematically. Here we witness marriage rituals and symbols engraved on trees. Terracotta images depicting death rituals in Bhil and concept of death attract our attention. Death is also celebrated as marriage. These images are dedicated to the noblest Souls, which stays on Earth for some time. These terracotta images are generally installed on ground. But the purpose of their installation here is to elaborate various concepts in tribal life expressed through them. This is to make the visitors feel how an inexpressible world where ancestors live on has been expressed using household images. According to myths among Bhil and Bhilala tribals, those who depart from us stay in another world existing somewhere far away from Earth. The ancestors are invited using specific language of the dead called “Muruwa”. On special occasions earthen lamps are also placed in their memory. Special arrangements have been made in the Gallery to explain the phenomenon. Bangle the symbol of fertility all over the world.Newly wed bride is given brass made bangle or ring on which symbols of productivity like well, stairwell, ploughing, pair of bullocks, farmer, field etc are engraved. This bangle is very small and is not worn. She keeps the bangle in her hand at the time of preparing seeds. We see a large image of this ceremonial bangle is in the Gallery. This bangle is like a blessing to the new bride to take forward the tradition of the family. Apart from rituals pertaining to marriage, those regarding birth and death are also shown in totality. The folklores linked to these, rituals and rites and all aspects can be understood well.

Tribal festivals and events related to seasons and cultivation, dances, songs, are recreated here. Enlarged images of myths among Bhil community about making musical instruments, Gond's myth about Badadev residing in Saja tree and making of a string instrument called “Baana” from the same tree to please Badadev improve our understanding about the ethnic culture. A dried tree trunk gives an impression of Baana. Though Baana is a simple musical instrument but it symbolizes the vastness of Nature.