Recently, a unique and historical museum named “Dhunge Sangrahalaya” has been established in Aathrai Rural Municipality ward no-4(savik Iwa-5), Terhathum in the Eastern Nepal. The museum comprises of the varieties of things consisting historical importances such as different art, sculptures, instruments and weapons that is made up of stone. So, the museum is also called a rocky museum. The main motive of opening this museum is to conserve and protect the rare instruments and different valuable things of nepali culture by sculpting them on the stone.
Different varieties of stones are found in the Aathrai area in the abundant quantity where the museum is situated. There are also a lot of caves near this museum area in Terhathum. And the museum is constructed in over 5 ropani area which is huge. You can find the Nepali cultural and traditional things such as JhuloChakmak, Dhiki, Jaato, Okhal, Chautho, Theki, Madani, Bhune, Fipi, Dhunche, Khurmi, Dhakar, Tokmaetc in the DhungeSangrahalaya and such things holds so much importance to our Nepali Culture. Likewise, the museum also beholds some arts and things that are related to the local limbu culture and tradition of the area such as Bharuwabanduk, Mahadave, Sadhe, Basaha, Pokhari, Dhal, Tarbar, and so on. The main thing is that these all are made up of stones and kept in the museum. Isn’t this just amazing and unique?
The jewelleries and the dresses that are related to the local population such as Haar, Reji, Pauju, Kantha, Sirbandi, Pwalo, Fuli, Bulaki, Mundra and other costumes that reflect the culture of people living in the area are also made up of stone and kept in the museum. The museum beholds more than hundred things carrying rare Nepali culture and they are kept in the museum in the unique and extraordinary way on the stone.
Although the museum is constructed, there are a lot of things that needs to be improved in the area. There is no proper facility of road to reach to the museum which can create difficulty in reaching there. The local people are supporting the every way possible but still the museum needs to be properly noticed and supported by the upper level.
The cultures and traditions of Nepal are now in the phase of beginning to extinct. Our ancestors used to follow and maintain different cultures that many of us do not follow anymore. The museum like Dhunge Sangrahalaya helps in preserving our cultures and traditions upto thousands of years that are being rare. The Dhunge Sangrahalaya is putting so much efforts to preserve cultural heritage sites across Nepal by restoring and reinforcing them, and in the process, mitigating the impact of them being rare and contributing to the tourism potential as well as the sustainment of livelihoods based in traditional crafts such as stone carving. As a whole, the museum carries so much of importance and such museum needs to be promoted and shown to the whole Nepal and also they should be supported by the Government of Nepal in every way possible.
-Article written by: Saru Niraula for Land Nepal
