Live Size Huts of Nicobarese, Jarawa and Shompen Inaugurated at AnSI Premises

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Port Blair, Jan 19: The Anthropological Survey of India, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, Andaman & Nicobar Regional Centre, Port Blair organized an inauguration programme of the traditional huts of Nicobarese tribe, Jarawa tribe and Shompen tribe on 19 January 2023. The programme was held at 04.00 PM in the museum premises.

Under the special campaign 2.0, of the Swachhata Abhiyan special drive initiated by Govt. of India towards utilization of unused museum campus, lying as dump yard for years has been initiated and converted into cultural landscape after clearing the bushy, non-timber plants, wild grasses.

Three traditional dwelling unit/huts of three tribes has been raised with the natural materials available from the habitat of the tribe to maintain the indigeneity, with the involvement of tribal and other local people in order to create a visitor friendly ambiance of Zonal Anthropological museum.

Shri Arvind Kumar, Director, Ministry of Culture has inaugurated the traditional hut of Nicobarese tribe and Shompen Huts. Dr. M Sasikumar, Joint Director Anthropological Survey of India inaugurated the traditional hut of the Jarawa Tribe in the presence of representative of Tribal Welfare Department, AAJVS and tourists/ museum visitors.  

As the tourists to Andaman are restricted to travel to Nicobar group of Islands (as the A&N Administration declared the whole Nicobar Archipelago as tribal reserve area due to its tribal dominated locale), the display of traditional Nicobarese hut will be a place of tourist attraction. The museum in Port Blair being an important tourist centre situated in the heart of the town, the live size Nicobarese hut will add value to the Museum as well as the Port Blair town.

In the year 2004, due to catastrophic natural disaster caused by Tsunami, most of the traditional beehive dwellings had submerged due to high sea waves. As a part of reviving such traditional hut and for showcasing to the public, ANRC, Port Blair is initiating the work for installation with the active participation of the community members.