feAture

VerUS FerreIrA

I

f you need to

familiarize

yourself with

the vast culture

and tradition of all

the north-eastern

states of India, visit

Shillong.

I was fortunate

enough to have a

chance to visit the

Don Bosco Museum

in Shillong (known as

Don Bosco Centre of

Indigenous Cultures)

last month. Believe

me, it isn’t just a

museum... it’s more

of an institution with

its own publications,

Each floor is well-maintained with

an automated energy-saving lighting

system, official archivists to help you

out with information and short films

playing on each floor. The exhibits

are beautifully maintained and well-

explained so that people can take

their time to read and explore the

museum at their convenience.

The ground floor has 22 alcoves

wherein colourfully dressed

representatives welcome you.

As you climb up there’s the

Neighbours’ Gallery that showcases

countries surrounding the North

East of India — Nepal, Bhutan,

China, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

The photo gallery showcases some

rare black and white photographs

dating back to the 50’s and 60’s

explaining the early life in the NE,

the local life, tribal life and ancient

lifestyles of the region.

As you move on, each exhibit gets

more and more interesting. The

Culture Gallery (Meghalaya) has a

replica of the first wooden church

that was destroyed by fire in 1936.

Today in its place stands the very

beautiful Mary Help of Christians

Cathedral in Laitumkhrah.

The Pre-History Room gives you a

clear picture of the evolution of man

through different stages right from

the stone era. The Land and Peoples

Gallery introduces the visitor to

large and life-size figures showing

each local tribe. Children would

love the realistic statues. We were

fascinated, too.

research wing, newsletter and a

calendar full of cultural activities.

The building entrance is grandiose

and is shaped like a Naga house

which in itself is a great attraction.

Sprawled over seven floors depicting

everything about the seven sisters

of the North East, namely Assam,

Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram,

Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland

and Tripura, it is a feast to the

eyes and a source of knowledge.

With 17 well-laid out Galleries of

international standard containing

artefacts, paintings, fibreglass figures,

earthernware, costumes and other

details, the museum is an excellent

experience of learning at a level that

is interactive enough to grasp for both

the young and the old.

Lifelike statues with weapons

Different dresses of the

North East