From Earthenware To Handicrafts, This Tribal Cultural Museum Celebrates Art By Maharashtrian Tribes

You’ve probably heard of the Agha Khan Palace Museum, the Museum of Miniature Railways, and historical sites like Shaniwar Wada and Sinhagad Fort..but did you know Pune also has a Tribal Cultural Museum?

Established by the Tribal Research and Training Institute {TRTI, since 1962}, which celebrated its 50th anniversary a few short years ago. The museum features a collection of artifacts and installations depicting the culture and community of several regional Maharashtrian tribes like Mavchi, Pawara, Kokna, Bhil, Madia Gond, Halbi, Kawar, etc. Compared to some of the other museums we’ve seen, this one seems to be in well enough shape – the artifacts are neatly contained in well-lit glass showcases, but could be better maintained. This could be because the TRTI doesn’t receive enough funding – which is reason enough to support them, by visiting for a nominal ticket fee {INR 10 for Indian nationals, INR 200 for foreigners}. Though we wish there was some kind of additional reading material provided on each of the tribes, we enjoyed browsing through their collection of crafts {bamboo, papier-mâché, earthenware, woodwork, and metalworks}, wedding paraphernalia, musical instruments, tools, weapons, jewellery, hunting gear, ornaments, masks, and artwork. Timings: 10:00am – 5:30pm Monday to Friday. Closed on Sundays, and every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month.

There is also a small souvenir shop on the property, which stocks a few of the aforementioned artifacts like bamboo crafts, papier-mâché sculptures, Warli paintings, etc. We picked up a couple of the latter – priced between INR 200 – INR 800 based on size of the paintings.

If you’d like a little more insight into the regional tribal culture of Maharashtra, pay a visit to the Tribal Cultural Museum. It’s small, and won’t take you more than an hour to complete, but a fascinating look at indigenous culture and traditions.