Bhopal: Ruieh, a wooden ritual plate of Nicobarese community of Andaman and Nicobar islands, is this month’s first Exhibit of the Week, which has been displayed on the official website and social media pages of Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya.
The exhibition that began from Monday is part of latest and popular online series of the museum. The height and width of the exhibit, collected from the Nicobarese community of Andaman and Nicobar in 1989, are 197 cm and 105 cm respectively.
Museum assistant keeper Sudeepa Roy said the wooden ritual plate serves a powerful means to communicate with the spiritual and ancestral world. The spirits of the dead may appear in different forms like sacred birds, mythological characters or combination of both. The painted board is made to repel evil spirits. It also attracts good spirits to the place where it is installed and is believed to end misfortune, illness and death.
Museum director Praveen Kumar Mishra said Ruieh is a medium to express community’s belief in the Universe. They believe that every person, object is possessed by a spirit. The deceased members get assimilated in universe in the form of spirits who must be honoured and ritually propitiated to bring good fortune to the family.
Full view of Ruieh, a wooden ritual plate of Nicobarese community of Andaman and Nicobar |
