Mysuru: An exhibition on the rich and unique heritage of various tribes of the country titled ‘Nomads of India’ was inaugurated at Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS), Southern Regional Centre, Wellington House on Irwin Road, here yesterday.

Anthropologist and Anthropological Association of India Mysore President Prof. Pramod Kumar Misra inaugurated the exhibition in the presence of IGRMS Bhopal Director Prof. Sarit Kumar Chaudhuri and Dilip Singh, Joint Director, IGRMS, Bhopal.

The exhibition showcases the lifestyle, cultural and family life they have adopted, all in pictorial forms. The photos of the household articles they use, traditional ornaments and costumes that the nomadic women wear as well as their knowledge system can be seen.

There is description on the ‘Khasi’ tribe of Meghalaya where their practise of ‘Maplang’ to protect the forest region and Gujarat’s Banjara community using silver ornaments ‘Damaru’ necklace-type ‘Hansali’ ‘moti gagar mala,’ ‘kadala’ Andhra Pradesh Lambani community’s ‘Gagri toppal’ and Gujjar community’s dance forms are all on display.

The other highlights include the tribals travelling on camel’s back crossing the Kutch desert with a special brass vessel called ‘Kyatho,’ the ‘Tang’ clothing and the ‘Java’ costume used to decorate the camels in Rajasthan, besides the attire used by the nomadic tribes and the musical instrument ‘turi’ and other items can all be viewed.

The eyes also automatically moves towards the other photographs of traditional dance of Gaddis, a wandering tribe that lives in the mountainous terrains of the Himalayas, Gujjar tribal leaders holding Panchayat and the Lambani women selling fruits and vegetables in the local market.

The expo also displays the North Indian rural hunters, shepherds and throws light on three types of peripatetic tribes. The prominent among them are Gujarat’s Rabaris or Baravad, Jammu and Kashmir’s Gujjar-Bakarwal, Himalayan region’s Gaddi, Ladakh’s Changpas and Brokpa, lives of tribals in Arunachal Pradesh are some of the other attractions.

Khiror tribe of Jharkhand hunting for birds and animals in the forests and the instruments they use for hunting and the agriculture implements used by the Lohar’s (blacksmith) are all showcased in this interesting exhibition.