The Odisha Crafts Museum - Kala Bhoomi is a one-of-a-kind crafts hub, created to display all the handicrafts and handlooms of the state of Odisha in one place. Inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Odisha on 22 March 2018, the  museum celebrates the craftsmanship of artisans. 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, while the live section is equipped with an open air theatre as well as separate workshop zones. Spanning across 12.68 acres at Pokhariput, Kala Bhoomi features 10 galleries, 8 of which are open. The galleries cover terracotta, traditional paintings, stone and wood carving, metal crafts, natural crafts, tribal crafts, pre-weaving techniques and sericulture and handlooms. A unique feature of the museum is the outdoor display sections in the form of courtyards. Courtyards dedicated to tribal living and temple architecture are part of the museum complex, while the entry courtyard which leads up to the museum has a special large container display section as well as a Kuldevi temple. The other amenities include an outdoor amphitheatre, workshop area, children's play are, a canteen, a cafe, a souvenir shop and parking. Permanent collections:

• Terracotta: votive horses, grain containers, lacquer dolls, roof tiles, etc.
• Traditional painting: Pattachitra, palm leaf engraving, wooden toys, etc.
• Stone and wood gallery: royal doors, treasury box, stone artefacts, fragmented stones, wooden panel, bamboo hand cover, wooden pieces of different gods, etc.
• Metal gallery: Dhokra artefacts, brass artefacts, aluminium, silver filigree, etc.
• Natural material craft gallery: applique paddy craft, sea-shell craft, cow dung crafts, bamboo coated with lacquer, etc.
• Pre-weaving gallery: cocoons (mulberri, eri, tassar), blended fabric, tassar penduncle, natural raw material for dying purposes, etc.
• Tribal gallery: tribal photographs, textiles, weapons, house-hold implements, agricultural implements, tribal jewelleries, musical instruments, etc.
• Handlooms: 114 sarees from different districts of Odisha and modern gallery.
• Dance costume gallery (under construction)

 

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