Under the popular museum series ‘Exhibit of the Month’ of Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, a traditional object is displayed in the appearance for a whole month.

The exhibit for the month of July, 2023 “Mandar : A Traditional Musical Instrument” Baiga  Community from Baiga Chak, Dindori, Madhya Pradesh, is on display in the indoor exhibition building–Veethi Sankul. The 'exhibit of the month' was inaugurated by Dr Bhuvan Vikram Director IGRMS, Many dignitaries were present on the occasion. This object has been collected composed by Museum Associate Dr Preetam Choudhry.

About the exhibit displayed in the exhibition Dr Preetam Choudhry Museum Associate said that  Mandar is a special traditional double membrane musical instrument of Baiga tribe made of clay shell, covered with leather parchment on both sides. The Baiga tribe is included in the list of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups of India. The dense forests and hills of Eastern Satpura are their original abode. Baiga men and women are fond of dance and music during various rituals and festivals dance to the rhythm and beats of Mandar. Baiga men in their traditional attire, wear Faita (headgear) with crests, yellow kurta as upper garment with jacket and yellow colour jhanga as lower garment. They hung the strings of Mandar on the neck and played it with both hands.

The clay shell of Mandar known as Gharang is prepared by the potter community. After this the work of covering leather (chhawani) on both side of the clay shell is done by the Sahis and Ghasia community. The layer of leather applied on the wide part of the gharang is called dhamak and on the other narrow part is called tari.

A coating of the mixture of saal glue and castor oil is applied on  the inner surface of the leather to get a good sound of beat and resonance. The layer of coating protects the leather from moisture and harmful fungus. The leather membranes covered on both sides of the clay shell are tied tightly with narrow leather straps by making holes on the edges.