This unique museum represents the culture of the tribals of this state. Beginning with a map on tribal habitation in Maharashtra, your visit will take you on a journey through the region. The bison headgear of the Madla gonds, fitted with two threatening horns on either side of a beaded veil, puts you in the right spirit. Occupying a prominent place, are the impressive marriage poles, because of the role that they play in the tribal life. In their liberated society, after a boy and girl have decided to get married, a maternal uncle seats them face to face on either side of the pole and performs the ceremony. Displayed along side are the various kinds of combs that the couple exchange, after the event.

Surprisingly elegant are the range of intricately carved tobacco containers. And infinitely superior is the curator Uttam Sonawane's most prized collection of embossed pieces, which includes a likenesses of Laxmi and Devi, apart from a range of tribal motifs. These were crafted by the jewellers who ran away from the pressures of court life and made their home with the tribals. Some ornament designs are akin to those seen in Ajanta and Ellora, which date back 2,000 to 2,500 years.

It is fascinating to discover that all the trendy chunky jewellery and bead work helts and pouches had their origin in the remote inaccessible regions of the state. The ojha of the village created them for women who covered themselves with necklaces because they did not possess clothes.

Their limited household needs have evolved only a few utensils, but some of them are charming. These are made of earth, wood and pumpkin. The pot used for storing grain attracts the eye. As does the Lassi-Maker bottle. The long wooden handle holding the three wooden pieces together, where they cross to form a star at the bottom is fitted inside the bottle. An admirable feat.

The importance of music and dance in tribal life is apparent from the array of instruments on view. Fabricated from mud, bamboo, gourd, wood, palm leaf and the hide and horns of animals, they make a varied collection. Of particular interest is the daka - a rounded earthen drum, which is tied to the ankle of the musician or daka bhagat. The pressure of the strings which go around the knee is varied by moving the leg.

Many different kinds of rattles are used to give a beat to their music, in which only four notes of our octave are used. The combination of ``sa, sa, pa, ni'' sounds like crying. Research has shown that the rhythm so created is used to hypnotise. Krishna Vani was composed of the same notes and had the same effect on all those whom he wanted to put under his spell.

The life-size tableau of a market that you come upon next, arrests your attention. A 24 feet by 8 feet oil painting by Dr. Vasant Rao Bedkar with life-size posters of Pan's models by Charudutt Joshi, a gold medalist from the J.J. School of Art, create a vivid replica of tribal life.

And the brightly coloured masks, add a festive touch to the display. Based on mythological figures, these masks are worn for performing the Bhavada, Bhangorya, the Dhemsa-Dander dances. The tribals believe that the wearer is visited by the spirit of the mask. That certainly makes it easier to understand the phenomenon of a seemingly normal man indulging in frenzied dancing with a 35 kg wooden mask of the ten-headed Ravana.

Nor can the display of the intricate paintings by the Warli tribe be missed. Originally, bamboo sticks were used to paint with rice paste on the walls of huts. With modernisation, the medium has been changed to poster paint and the walls have been replaced with paper, but the art has not lost its childlike spontaneity. On religious occasions, however, they revert to painting with rice paste.

The Director, NC Jain, plans to shift it to the ground floor in a year or so and attend to its shortcomings. Construction work is in progress. It is hoped that in the new building there well be a professional display and an ambience that will make people want to come. This collection deserves visitors. Entry is free and it is open between 10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. It is closed on Sundays and government holidays.