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{{Short description|Museum in Rajasthan, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}{{Use Indian English|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox museum
| name = Arna Jharna
| image = Arna Jharna Museum.jpg
| map_type =
| established = {{Start date|2000}}
| location = [[Rajasthan]], [[India]]
| coordinates = {{Coord|26.29651|N|72.89511|E|display=title,inline}}
| type = [[Folk museum]]
| website = {{URL|https://www.arnajharna.org.in/}}
}}

'''Arna Jharna Museum''' (or Arna Jharna{{Dash}}The [[Thar Desert]] Museum) is a [[folk museum]] located in a village called Moklawas near [[Jodhpur]] in [[Rajasthan]]. The museum opened in 2000 under the aegis of Rupayan Sansthan. It is a ''Museum of Folk Culture'' envisioned by eminent [[Folklore studies|folklorist]] and [[Ethnomusicology|ethno-musicologist]], [[Padma Bhushan]] [[Komal Kothari]] (1929{{Dash}}2004). ''Arna Jharna'' literally means ''Forest'' and ''Spring''. Its location showcases the terrain of [[Marwar]] region through rocky outcrops, desert cacti, and ravines.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tiwari |first=Vaibhavi |title=6 Ingenious Eco-Villages in India! |url=https://theindianness.com/6-ingenious-eco-villages-in-india/ |access-date=2023-04-13 |language=en-US}}</ref>

The museum captures the ethnography of Rajasthan through everyday objects that reflect ecology, intangible heritage and cultural practices of the region and its communities. Kothari had stated that this museum will not house antique artifacts, precious curios, or objects of high monetary value. Many facets of knowledge and skills of a culture are kept alive by communities by passing it from one generation to another. Thus, the museum displays objects to explain cultural processes, community linkages, and regional contexts. It is also called a [[living museum]] where the objects are part of the daily lives of common people.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2010-02-03 |title=A museum for sustainable lifestyle |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/A-museum-for-sustainable-lifestyle/article16812248.ece |access-date=2023-04-13 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

== Vision ==
The aim of the Arna Jharna Museum is to showcase indigenous and traditional knowledge systems of Thar Desert. It houses objects that link cultural practices of the region to larger ecological frameworks. Komal Kothari, who conceptualized this museum, was a renowned folklorist. He saw that the rich traditional knowledge is vanishing rapidly with increasing urbanization. He would say, “My grandmother could identify ninety-five colours, today we can name about twenty…”<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jhingan |first=Shikha |date=2009 |title=Here to Eternity, on a magic jharu |url=https://www.sahapedia.org/sites/default/files/Ifl_16.pdf |journal=Indian Folklore |volume=3 |issue=3 |pages=22}}</ref> These concerns were at the base of his vision of an [[Ethnography|ethnographic]] museum. Museum director and secretary of Rupayan Sansthan, Kuldeep Kothari recalled the words of his father Komal, that the museum “will relate the story of the creative ingenuity of the common folk by tracing the history of tangible cultural objects and the role they play in their daily life.”<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kothari |first=Kuldeep |date=2009 |title=Letter from Kuldeep Kothari, secretary, Rupayan Sansthan |url=https://www.sahapedia.org/sites/default/files/Ifl_16.pdf |journal=Indian Folklore |volume=3 |issue=3 |pages=3}}</ref>[[File:Entrance, Arna Jharna Musuem.jpg|thumb|Entrance, Arna Jharna Museum]]
=== Theme ===
Main theme of the Arna Jharna Museum is folk elements of knowledge which have both tangible and intangible aspects.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nagpal |first=Isha |date=2021-01-15 |title=Arna Jharna |url=https://dhaaramagazine.in/2021/01/15/arna-jharna/ |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=Dhaara |language=en-US}}</ref> Therefore, the physical display of objects has been complemented by research-based documentation of the cultural process related to it. The purpose is to curate a collection based on scientific research of the folk culture of Thar which can be taken forward by experts and scholars of the field. It focuses on objects that carry stories of use, continuity, and survival of traditional knowledge of the folk.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ever thought of visiting a broom museum? |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/culture/heritage/ever-thought-of-visiting-a-broom-museum/cid/1692060 |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=www.telegraphindia.com}}</ref>

=== Method ===
For deconstructing the folk culture, Kothari found the political and administrative divisions of little or no use. He divided Rajasthan into three zones based on their predominant crop. Thus, Rajasthan was divided into three crop zones – ''Bajra'' ([[millet]]), ''Jowar'' ([[barley]]), ''Makka'' ([[maize]]) and objects were collected and displayed zone wise.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bharucha |first=Rustom |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=41duAAAAMAAJ |title=Rajasthan, an Oral History: Conversations with Komal Kothari |date=2003 |publisher=Penguin Books India |isbn=978-0-14-302959-5 |language=en}}</ref>

Kothari also devised an ecological framework of socio-economic activities based on the crop patterns of rural communities in Rajasthan. Rural folk conduct marriage, fairs, festivals in accordance with crop patterns of sowing, harvesting, marketing etc. Specific [[biodiversity]] is showcased through rural folk objects that use locally available produce to create utility and decorative objects. Thus, local and regional context of connections of ecology and folk culture are illustrated in the design and display of the museum.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Chaturvedi |first=Neekee |date=2021-01-01 |title=Historian of Cultural Memory of the Desert Folklorist Komal Kothari |url=https://www.academia.edu/86286657 |journal=Jijnasa}}</ref>

== Design and display ==
The museum aims to foster experiential learning through recreating a holistic ambience of desert life and folk culture.

=== Location and space ===
[[File:Open Space, Arna Jharna Museum.jpg|thumb|Open Space, Arna Jharna Museum]]
The museum is located on a terrain that is home to desert flora and fauna and the open spaces between different exhibits highlight desert vegetation and trees of the region. The buildings are designed according to the principles of local architecture. The red-brown walls are coated with local mixture of animal dung. The thatched roofs make use of local grass, and the decorative motifs are drawn from the repertoire of folk art of desert villages. The constructed structures merge seamlessly with the terrain. With the carefully curated exhibits, museum premises have been designed to facilitate a holistic experience of desert life and culture.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Photo Essay on Arna Jharna: The Desert Museum |url=https://www.sahapedia.org/photo-essay-arna-jharna-the-desert-museum |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=Sahapedia |language=en}}</ref>

=== Display and labels ===
[[File:Object Label, Arna Jharna Museum.jpg|thumb|Object Label, Arna Jharna Museum]]
The objects are all divided into the three crop categories. For example, broom collection of which zone is displayed in different section. The objects are not kept in closed cases but kept in the open just as they are kept in households.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Bharucha |first=Rustom |date=2010 |title=Community-based approach to museum development in Asia and the Pacific for culture and sustainable development |url=https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000189902 |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=unesdoc.unesco.org}}</ref> The labels indicate the name of the object, for example, the type of the broom or the specific folk instrument. It has a photograph of the object, sometimes with its owner or creator, in real conditions. It records the details of the manufacturer, community, and region associated with the object. A small outline map of Rajasthan has been included in the label to indicate the exact location from where the object has been procured.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-09-03 |title=All a-bristle: Inside Jodhpur's broom museum |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/art-culture/all-a-bristle-inside-jodhpur-s-broom-museum-101630680564722.html |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>

== Collections ==
The collection of the museum has more than a thousand objects of which brooms alone are more than three hundred in number. The collection has been arranged into five exhibitions in the museum – [[broom]], [[Musical instruments of Rajasthan|folk musical instruments]], [[pottery]], [[puppetry]], and [[Millet|millets]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-03-24 |title=This museum has 350 varieties of brooms |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/content/321126/this-museum-has-350-varieties.html |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=Deccan Herald |language=en}}</ref>

=== Broom ===
The broom exhibition is unique in showing the diversity and ecological linkages of common household objects. It is the largest exhibit of the museum. Kothari had initially thought of a museum based on the [[ecology]] of brooms. The brooms are exhibited in ''makka'' and ''bajra'' zones and different uses are showcased through the variation in their design and manufacturing material. The different types of grass of the desert are identified. The display recreates rural styles of tying a broom, some simply with whatever came in hand, some artistically with designer knots, while some have colour or [[Ghungroo|ghunghroo]] added to them. The exhibition also has an album of grass. There is also an exhibition brooms of shrine. A traditional shrine with doors, called ''Kawad'' in Rajasthan, is used for storage and display of manufacturing process and material of different types of brooms. The display was designed and curated by display artist [[Madan Meena]].<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Dr. Madan Meena |url=https://anu.edu.in/faculty/dr-madan-meena/ |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=Anant National University {{!}} Best Design college/ Institute in Ahmedabad-India. |language=en-US}}</ref><gallery>
File:Broom made of Daab Grass.jpg|Broom made of Daab Grass
File:Broom Shelf, Arna Jharna Museum.jpg|Broom Shelf
File:Lampana broom.jpg|Lampana broom
File:Broom made from Rohida.jpg|Broom made from Rohida
File:Broom of Jhojhri Grass.jpg|Broom of Jhojhri Grass
File:Broom Exhibit, Arna Jharna Museum.jpg|Broom Exhibit
File:Broom Made of Seniya Grass.jpg|Broom Made of Seniya Grass
File:Kavad, Broom Shrine.jpg|Kavad, Broom Shrine
File:Kavad, Arna Jharna Museum.jpg|Closed Kavad
</gallery>

=== Folk musical Instruments ===
Kothari had worked extensively with folk musician communities of western Rajasthan.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Neuman |first1=Daniel M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4oC7CvBiVUAC |title=Bards, Ballads and Boundaries: An Ethnographic Atlas of Music Traditions in West Rajasthan |last2=Chaudhuri |first2=Shubha |last3=Kothari |first3=Komal |date=2005 |publisher=Seagull |isbn=978-1-905422-07-4 |language=en}}</ref> He had collected many folk musical instruments that find a place in this exhibition.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Arna Jharna Desert Museum, Rajasthani Folk Art |url=http://www.travelscopeindia.com/activity/arna-jharna-desert-museum/ |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=Travel Scope India |language=en-US}}</ref> Kamaicha, [[Sarangi]], [[Alghoza|Algoza]], [[Morsing|Morchang]], [[Pungi|Poongi]] are some of the folk instruments that are housed in the museum.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Folk Music Instruments {{!}} Arnajharna |url=https://www.arnajharna.org/folk-music-instruments |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206113935/http://www.arnajharna.org/folk-music-instruments |url-status=usurped |archive-date=6 December 2017 |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=www.arnajharna.org}}</ref><gallery>
File:Komal Kothari with Langa Musicians.jpg|Komal Kothari with Langa Musicians
File:Morchang, Arna Jharna Museum.jpg|Morchang
File:Algoza.jpg|Algoja
File:Kamaicha, Arna Jharna Museum.jpg|Kamaicha
File:Poongi.jpg|Poongi
File:Sindhi Sarangi and Sipahi Sarangi.jpg|Sindhi Sarangi and Sipahi Sarangi
</gallery>

=== Pottery ===
Water being scarce in Thar region is an important resource for the communities. Pottery for water and food storage, and cooking were essential. Thus, skills of potter community are showcased in the museum. It has been a platform for collaboration of local artisans and design students of [[IIT Jodhpur]] to produce efficient pottery for desert region.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Martins |first=Shefali |date=2022-09-27 |title=Rajasthan's rural life museum enchants visitors |url=https://www.villagesquare.in/brooms-in-arna-jharna-museum-offer-food-culture-climate-connect-of-villages/ |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=Village Square |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=FRAMED 2019: an annual art exhibition |url=https://iitj.ac.in/students/acac/index.php?id=upcoming_news&num=10&category=archives |website=IIT Jodhpur}}</ref><gallery>
File:Desert Pottery, Arna Jharna Museum.jpg|Desert Pottery
File:Pottery Exhibition, Arna Jharna Museum.jpg|Pottery Exhibition
File:Pottery of Everday Use, Arna Jharna Museum.jpg|Pottery of Everyday Use
</gallery>

=== Puppetry ===
[[File:Puppetry, Arna Jharna Museum.jpg|thumb|Puppetry, Arna Jharna Museum]]
The art of puppetry, with a flavour of folk songs and music, adds liveliness to the museum. The performing art exhibition brings the artists and the objects together.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Martins |first=Shefali |date=2022-09-27 |title=Rajasthan's rural life museum enchants visitors |url=https://www.villagesquare.in/brooms-in-arna-jharna-museum-offer-food-culture-climate-connect-of-villages/ |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=Village Square |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Millets ===
Local knowledge, methods of production, rituals, pottery and food around millets is showcased in this new section.<ref name=":2" /><gallery>
File:Millet Cooking, Arna Jharna Museum.jpg|Millet Cooking
File:Millets in Festive Rituals, Arna Jharna Museum.jpg|Millets in Festive Rituals
File:Chaki, Arna Jharna Museum.jpg|Chakki
</gallery>

== Activities ==
The museum organizes workshops for children. The museum also runs Komal Kothari School of Folk Music to train pupils from folk musician communities of Langas and [[Manganiar|Manganiyars]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Iqbal |first=Mohammed |date=2023-03-06 |title=Old songs, new voices from the deserts of Rajasthan |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/old-songs-new-voices-from-the-deserts-of-rajasthan/article66588398.ece |access-date=2023-04-13 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

== Awards and recognition ==
The museum was recognized by [[UNESCO]] in its document on ''Community Based approach to Museum Development'' and featured at the top of the list.<ref name=":0" /> It has also found a mention in the [[Limca Book of Records]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 Feb 2023 |title=अरना झरना मरु संग्रहालय लिम्का बुक रिकॉर्ड में दर्ज |url=https://doordrishtinews.com/arna-jharna-desert-museum-registered-in-limca-book-of-records/rs-thapa/ |access-date=22 July 2023 |website=doordrishtinews.com |language=hi}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{Official website|https://www.arnajharna.org/}}

[[Category:Museums in Rajasthan]]
[[Category:2000 establishments in Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Museums established in 2000]]

Arna Jharna Museum - Revision history

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