Tribal Museum Bhopal: Timings, Ticket Price, Location

Bhopal, also referred to as the ‘city of lakes’, has emerged as the museum capital of India. Located in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal showcases the true colours of southern and northern influences and reflects the charisma of the bygone era. This beautiful city is a hub of art and cultural connections, giving you a glimpse of its rich historical background. The city has some spectacular museums which display indigenous art and sculptures. The Tribal Museum in Bhopal, which is amongst the most-visited museums in the city, which is dedicated to the tribal people in that region. Concomitantly, the museum showcases the art, customs, culture, paintings, artefacts, and practices of tribes in Madhya Pradesh. Here, the art exhibits are pretty compelling as they create awareness about the tribal customs, forms of worship, rituals, and so on. Located in Shymala Hills in Bhopal, Tribal Museum is one of the best places to visit in Bhopal.

History of Tribal Museum Bhopal

Established in 2013, the museum was inaugurated by former President Pranab Mukherjee and designed by Revathi Kamath. The Tribal Museum in Bhopal was created with the hard work and labours of numerous tribal artists, reaching there in shifts from each corner of the state. Made out of conventional materials such as mud, jute, clay, wood, iron, leaves, hemp, straw along with glass, acrylic, and canvas, the museum is a must-visit in Bhopal. The Tribal Museum is not like any usual museum where dead objects are stored and exhibits are showcased with some contextual information. Rather, it is an ode to the state’s tribal art and culture, celebrating the life lived by the seven indigenous tribes of Madhya Pradesh, including the Gond, Sahariya, Bhariya, Kol, Baiga, Korku, and Bhil. So, the theme of the museum is about tribal life and facts of local aesthetics and traditions. The purpose of the Tribal Museum Bhopal is to raise awareness about tribal culture and life among the general public.

Tribal Museum Bhopal – Design

Spread across 7 acres of land, this incredible museum narrates the tales of local tribal tradition and culture via full-size models and vivid art installations and performances. It is different from other museums in the country owing to the approach in which the exhibits are presented. Here, the colourful rituals, beliefs, farming practices, and spiritual aspects of tribal people are displayed in an impressive way, almost as if you are directly witnessing their lives and homes. One of the most interesting places in your Bhopal sightseeing tour, the museum has a small boutique shop of artefacts, an auditorium, and a restaurant. The plays, poetry, musical performances, and cultural shows, organized at the museum’s amphitheatre provide people with an actual inside look at tribal life and culture. Apart from this, you can shop for souvenirs, tribal jewellery, regional books, and other artefacts from the museum shop.

The Tribal Museum in Bhopal has six diverse galleries, showcasing the diversity of the tribes in the state. These galleries include: -

Cultural Diversity

The first gallery inside this grand museum has the theme of cultural diversity. It features a map of Madhya Pradesh which depicts the geographical region where the tribes live. There is a huge banyan tree, right at the centre of the gallery. Here, musical instruments such as Damru and Dholak hang from the banyan tree, a 'vivah mandap' at the centre, and some other rituals of tribe culture, all have been beautifully portrayed.

A Gallery of Homes

This is the gallery having a big open courtyard, presenting a glimpse of traditional homes of tribes. These house models were built using the natural material and similar architectural styles that tribes use to construct their houses. The museum creates a practical depiction of the traditional homes with realistic surrounding landscapes. With colourful murals and paintings, these houses provide an insight into the living style of tribes, how they cook, the basic tools used, and how tribal preserve the food grains.

The Tribal Aesthetic Gallery

This gallery showcases the rituals and customs of the tribes, reflecting the life circles –birth, wedding, and death. There are four intricately carved trees, having spiritual denotation and signifying the beginning of life, the cycle, life in totality, and eternity. Also, wedding customs and symbols are carved on trees while terracotta pictures display death rituals of Bhil tribes. Besides, a big illustration of a traditional wedding bangle is also there in the gallery. It is a big version of a bangle, presented to a Bhil woman at her wedding.

The Spiritual World Gallery

The Spiritual World Gallery in the Tribal Art Museum of Bhopal depicts a magical land illuminated with stunning blue and red lights. This is a fascinating world where realism and spirituality unite. The exhibits in this gallery represent the afterlife, the mystical and spiritual world of the tribes. It illustrates both good and bad spirits. The tribal communities believe that spirits dwell in nature and these spirits include gods, any wandering spirits, and souls of ancestors. Also, tribal people practice their worship through images, signs, and symbols as they think that deities have no tangible form and thus cannot be confined only in temples. The presence of God can be felt in several objects such as stones, sticks, flags, and mounds. There are figurines, terracotta sculptures, and memorial pillars, encouraging visitors to experience the mysticism and spiritual world of the tribes.

Guest State – Chhattisgarh

The fifth gallery in this museum in Bhopal has exhibits on the tribal communities of Chhattisgarh which was once a part of Madhya Pradesh but now it is an independent state. Each year this state organizes the Dussehra festival that lasts for 75 days. Every year, a new chariot is constructed for it.

Exhibition Gallery

The moment you step inside the sixth gallery of the Tribal Museum in Bhopal, you relive your childhood. The exhibition gallery represents the games and sports played by tribal communities. Children in tribal communities learn to sing, dance, hunt, and fish through various games. The sculpture and figurine of children playing these games are designed in a way that visitors have a genuine feel of these games.

The Tribal Museum Bhopal location is easily accessible through the cab, taxi, bus, and Rickshaw. When you decide to go on a trip to Bhopal, you shouldn’t miss out on this wonderful attraction.

Tribal Museum Bhopal – Timing

The timing of the Tribal Museum in Bhopal is from 12:00 PM to 08:00 PM.

The Tribal Museum Bhopal closing day - Monday

Tribal Museum Bhopal - Entry Fees

• Indian - INR 10 (for 10 years and above)
• Foreigner: INR 100 (for 10 years and above)

There is a lot to explore at the Tribal Museum in Bhopal, so make sure your Bhopal tour package allows you to explore the museum to the fullest.