Please note: India has far more museums and archives with “tribal collections” than can be shown here. Smaller collections are rarely advertised in tourist brochures or on the internet yet accessible by appointment (e.g. anthropology departments and research institutions).
Collections and documentations of musical instruments are also found in the premises of the Sangeet Natak Akademi (New Delhi), exhibitions at some of the Zonal Cultural Centres (Government of India), and in educational institutions across India (universities, colleges and music schools).
Depending on a museum’s own history, India’s tribal culture may be represented either by a specialized museum collection; or as part of departments such as anthropology or folk culture, arts and crafts.
As this map is constantly being updated, we welcome your suggestions on spreading the news on new or existing collections worth visiting. On this website updates are readily found under two major categories:
Tribal Arts in India: The National Inventory of Tribal Museums
“This Inventory, if not an exhaustive listing of the rich diversity of the materials, is nonetheless a definite invitation for researchers and institutions engaged in conservation of tribal culture for a future exploration.”
