Visitors at the Ranchi University museum on Tuesday. (Hardeep Singh)

Ranchi, March 23: Indigenous past comes alive in the revamped museum of postgraduate department of anthropology, Ranchi University (RU).

The museum, which enjoys considerable academic footfall, has showcased Jharkhand’s ethnographic and tribal exhibits. Anthropologists, research scholars, students and history buffs can pore over the wide array of tribal ornaments, textiles, ceremonial clothes, hunting equipment such as bows and arrows, farming tools and musical instruments such as nagara, mohuri, turi, dhumsa, flute, bheri and conch shells.

The department’s museum is also a great storehouse of information with displays such as stages of human evolution, human fossils, volcanic ashes, Mesolithic tools, pottery, palm leaf scriptures of the Birhor tribe, skeletons of adults and children, among others.

But easily the most eye-catching are Chhau masks in vibrant colours. Jharkhand’s Chhau folk dance is a masked form, which makes it so dramatic on stage. Equally captivating is the colourful Tusu castle.

The museum also has a collection of Baghut figurines from North Karanpura. Baghut is Jharkhand’s tiger god.

Department head of anthropology A.K. Singh said all biological and prehistoric artefacts had been collected on field visits. “This museum is a great source of learning for our students,” he said.

Earlier, these exhibits were stacked in a haphazard manner. But now collections are neatly displayed in the newly constructed mirrored racks, enabling scholars to pick up information in an organised manner. Renovation, started in November last year, was completed in February.

Singh also said they were researching on the changes among tribals of Gumla, Latehar, Giridih and Chaibasa. “We are also collecting artefacts in the process, which will be later stored in our museum,” Singh said.

Faculty member P.K. Singh said the entire museum was a testimony to the rich life of prehistoric tribals of Jharkhand. “Our students also collect artefacts during their field trips, which we keep in the museum,” he said, adding that the hub provided valuable data for scholars researching on Jharkhand’s tribes.

The museum is earning rave reviews from academics. Anthropologist S.M. Patnaik of Delhi University, who presented a paper on globalisation and tribal communities in RU recently, called it an “excellent museum”.

“It will greatly aid research scholars working on the changes in the tribal communities due to globalisation,” he added.