Museum of Tribal Arts and Artifacts

A one-of-its-kind museum in Bhubaneswar, the Museum of Tribal Arts and Artifacts is a must-visit place in the capital city of Odisha. Labelled as ‘Museum of Man’, it is laid with displays of items pertaining to tribal lifestyle such as costumes, ornaments, coins, armory, weapons, personal belongings, murals, etc. which attract a horde of visitors everyday throughout the year.

About the Museum

Established in 1953, the Museum of Tribal Arts and Artifacts is one of the must-visit places in Bhubaneswar and one of the best tribal museums in India. With a wide variety of exhibits ranging from clothing, jewelry and art to household items, dokra items, hunting implements, fishing nets, weapons of offense and defense, agricultural tools personal belongings,Terracotta items, and musical instruments, the Museum of Tribal Arts and Artifacts was founded with an aim to preserve and promote the tribal culture and heritage of Odisha. The museum is listed as the best among 21 tribal museums by UNESCO in 2010.

The museum has five different halls that showcase the lifestyle of the tribal communities in Odisha. At present it houses 2247 artefacts in its premises. You can find items such as traditional costumes like phute saree of the Santhal tribe, Ringa of the Bonda tribe and Gatungkap of LanjiaSaora here. The courtyard is also a major highlight here as it contains idols of the tribal divinities with models of 14 tribal shrine crafts. Furthermore, visitors can also delight themselves with the display of huts of the tribes of Odisha like Gadaba, Saora, Santal, Juang and Kondh and life-like physical setting of their environment. Anyone interested in history or anthropology will be exhilarated to visit such as beautiful museum. The museum is also equipped with a library, a souvenir shop, food court, herbal garden, mini theatre and auditorium, and a small zoo.