Odisha’s Crafts Museum ‘Kala Bhoomi’ Celebrates The Craftsmanship Of The State’s Artisans

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the city life, is the quaint and charming Kala Bhoomi Odisha Crafts Museum in Bhubaneswar. Apart from the temples, it has become a must visit place for tourists in the past one year. Envisioned by Naveen Patnaik who is the Chief Minister of the state of Odisha, the museum celebrates the craftsmanship of the Odia artisans by putting on display their breath-taking masterpieces.

Divided into 2 blocks, the museum has a display area and a live section. The display area focuses on galleries about Handicrafts and Handlooms from around the state like Tussar Silk, Applique work, Silver filigree etc. while the live section is equipped with an open air theatre as well as separate workshop zones. Kala Bhoomi has been built using local raw materials such as the laterite stone which can still be seen in some of the oldest monuments around the state.

The state’s Handicrafts and Handlooms department has further taken constructive steps to increase awareness and bridge the gap between the consumer and manufacturer.

In order to draw more crowds, Kala Bhoomi conducts regular workshops for different age groups and had guided tours in 3 languages on a daily basis. To add to that they recently started a multi-sensory trail for Handlooms enthusiasts. By the end of the year, the museum may also be hosting a festival. The museum on any given day is bustling with school and college children walking around partaking in activities organized specially for them.

Saneeya Singh, Museum Professional said: “We understand the need to make a visit experiential and fun. People will retain more if they enjoy. Thus the inclusion of trails, museums kits for children, workshops, activities, etc. Our mission is to give people the chance to engage with the Handicrafts and Handlooms of Odisha in a bid to increase awareness and appreciation. Along with a focus on making the everyday museum experience dynamic and interesting we also hope to bridge the gap between craftsmen and consumers.”

An additional step we have taken in this direction is to open Internships, Externships and Volunteer programs at the museum. We want everybody to be a part of Kala Bhoomi and contribute in their own way. This past summer we had students from the leading education institutes of Bhubaneswar as well as design institutes from across the country, she added.

The Kala Bhoomi Internship and Friends of the Museum(Volunteer) program is an ongoing program in which anybody above the age of 15 can apply and join across projects in different categories. The volunteer program is a favourite with working professionals as they can give time and work according to their schedule.

Apart from this, the museum also has a specially curated Sunday Museum Walk at Kala Bhoomi. This is an initiative by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, Bhubaneswar Development Authority, Odisha Tourism along with Handlooms,Textile and Handicrafts Department curated by Detour Odisha under the popular city trails of “ Ekamra Walks”

Taruka is a sports and travel writer. She is a former Asian Games Player and a British Council GREAT Scholar.You can read her travelogues here and find her on Twitter.

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