Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Village Heritage

It was a free day for me, I had the option of idling my day at my place or to go out and see the newly conceptualised brainchild of the Kurukshetra University : DHAROHAR.
It is a theme museum based on the village heritage of a typical Haryanvi village. It is near the auditorium, in the department of fine arts' old building. The effort is really commedable and has really making a wonderful theme museum. The museum basically has a collection of all the things of use for a self reliant village community. All the implements used for centuries and made from simple available resources, by the local artisans are on display here. It is worth mention here that most of these implements that were used by the farmers, weavers, potters, cobblers, iron-smiths, masons and gold-smiths etc. have totally become extinct(can not use obsolete) and can not be seen in use almost anywhere in Haryana and Punjab at least. Dharohar is the only place to see all these things under one roof. Last generation was totally dependent on thes implements, present generation has seen them disappering in the last 15 years only and the next generation will never see some of these. It is impossible these days to find an old regular wooden plough, leave aside a farmer ploughing his fields. Our children will only see these things in the museums.
Apart from this the museum houses a very well laid out typical and nearly identical kitchen(centuries old design no more used after 1990s) of a Haryanvi house hold.
A variety of Haryanavi wears and wares are on display.
The place is definitely worth a visit for anyone passing through Kurukshetra, 160 kms from Delhi on the GT Road towards Ambala.
The mention of this museum will not be complete without a special attention to the photgallery of one Mr. Raj kishore Nain, he has done excellent work in photographing the culture of Haryana. His phtographs are on display on the first floor.