В центре туризма Тала откроется музей племенного искусства для поддержки местных мастеров

Bhopal: The tiger may bring the tourists to Tala. Tribal art could make them stay — and spend. That is the big idea behind a state-of-the-art Tribal Art Centre and Museum coming up on the Tala-Manpur road, about 35 km from Umaria — at the gateway to Bandhavgarh tiger reserve, one of MP’s best-known tiger destinations. The Tala entrance is the main gateway to Bandhavgarh National Park, whose Tala zone is particularly known for tiger sightings. The project, estimated to cost around ₹35 crore, has already moved into the implementation stage, with construction work set to begin next week. The centre is expected to be functional in 2027. The numbers make the experiment particularly striking. At least 40,000 tourists visit the Tala area in a season, according to museum curator Ashok Mishra. The centre wants to turn even a slice of that existing tiger-tourism traffic into a market for tribal art, craft, music and performance. “Take even 20% of those tourists,” Mishra said. “That itself will be a big thing.” And the potential beneficiaries are not being counted merely as artisans. “More than 10,000 will benefit,” he said. “The sellers, the makers, co-makers, dancers, singers — everyone together.” That is what makes Tala different from a conventional museum. The centre will have dedicated Gond, Baiga and Kol galleries, representative tribal houses, workshops, landscaped spaces, a cafeteria and an open stage for regular cultural programmes. Mishra’s proposition is simple: bring the artist to the tourist. “The artisan who comes there is the beneficiary,” he said, pointing to a model where visitors do not merely see tribal culture but meet its makers — and buy directly from them. For tribal artisan Rajesh Tekam, that could change the equation altogether. “The fortunes of tribal people in this region can change with this centre. Our artists will get more opportunities, a bigger platform and exposure to visitors from across India and abroad.” And the economic story could have a distinctly female face. Tribal dancer Sunita Bhil sees the centre opening a new avenue for tribal women to turn traditional skills into income. “It could pave the way for greater economic freedom for tribal women. If women can showcase and sell their art, crafts and performances, they can contribute to family income and gain greater financial independence.”