SHARED HISTORY

From utensils made of stone, that are still used in some homes, to farm implements; from traditional clothes like pullet and handmade shoes to handmade carpets, the museum, named Himlok Darshan, showcases these artefacts that are typical of the community’s lives.

A majority of the artefacts that have landed in the museum have been sourced from six main monasteries of Lahaul and Spiti. Though the museum is yet to be formally inaugurated, visitors have already started coming in.

C. Dorjey, a retired government official in Lahaul, said he had donated some old manuscripts in Bhoti language and a seal, approximately 150 years old that dates back to the era when people of Lahaul had trade links with the Mongols. “A Mongolian purse embroidered with traditional Mongolian motifs, which a Mongolian trader is said to have gifted to his great grand mother nearly 150 years ago, will find its place in the museum,” said museum curator Suresh Sharma.

Old musical instruments used in religious functions of Lahaul that include a peculiar flute made of human bones and melang, a traditional copper flask used to store the popular namkeen chai, are contributions of Kardung Monastery in Lahaul.

Lama Paljor who heads the Kardung Monastery, nestled in the cold desert of Lahaul, says, “Since the monasteries of the area are treasure houses of the area’s history, it was important to open up such things to the public. Communities attached to monasteries like Shashur, Larchung, Pukaer, Tayul and Bokar readily agreed to the idea.”

The idea has been such a hit that many people have attached their houses to the project and have opened their doors to visitors, who are given guided tours.

“Household items like the donmo, a bamboo flask in which tea and butter is mixed to make salt tea, are rare and if we don’t preserve them, they will soon be trashed,” said Nawang Nurbu, a teacher of Bhoti, an indigenous language of the region.

Ten scholars—college students—are undergoing a part-time, one-year cultural course in the tribal area of Kalpa in Kinnaur district. They will be the first cultural ambassadors to be attached to the Keylong museum. These students are also scripting monographs based on the culture, history, folklores and development of the area.

“Ten to 20 years from now, this museum will be a true chronicler of the area’s history,” said Professor G.N. Devy, Director of Tribal Academy, Tejgarh (Gujarat) and founder of the museum. Devy conceptualised the idea with Himachal academic O.C. Handa.

In September, the community museum will spread out to include many houses of Keylong, where researchers and tourists alike would get a peek into the life of the people here, said Devy.