Jamshedpur, April 14: Traditions of the Santhal tribe, which are under pressure from growing urbanisation, will be documented and archived near the steel city.

Jamshedpur-based Kalamandir, a two-decade-old social outfit, and Intach (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) are working to set up a Santhal museum in Kerwakata village under Dalbhumgarh division of East Singhbhum, some 60km from the city.

Intach, which has approved the project, will disburse funds to the tune of an estimated Rs 1 crore within a couple of months, Amitava Ghosh, co-convener of Intach, Jharkhand, said.

To come up on an acre of land donated by the villagers, the museum is expected to attract tourists from across India, he added.

The museum will showcase artefacts, utensils, Santhali dress and document festivals and their importance, common practices, rituals and other relevant details of the tribal community.

"The museum will allow tourists to know and appreciate with Santhali lifestyle and culture and help preserve the rich culture in the form of documents, pictures and films (documentaries). Every tribal community has its own characteristics, rituals and traditions. With the increase in urbanisation and deforestation, tribals too are now compelled to dwell in cities. This museum will ensure a proper documentation of the culture," Ghosh added.

Calling the proposed museum a labour of love, Ghosh said was a lengthy process and it would take another seven years to complete the entire project.

"We need to trace the community right from its inception to till date. We have currently started interacting with the Santhali villagers," he said

"As of now, we are interacting with villagers and training them. We also plan to celebrate Santhali festivals like Makar Sankranti commonly known as Tusu Parab or Sohrai," said Devla Murmu, one of the officials of Kalamandir based in Jamshedpur.