Under the popular museum series ‘Exhibit of the Month’ of Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, a traditional object was displayed in the appearance for a whole month. The exhibit for the month of February, 2021 - ‘Thaal’ (A traditional ritual plate) from Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, is on display in the indoor exhibition building – Veethi Sankul.
The 'exhibit of the month' was inaugurated by P. K. Mishra (Director, IGRMS), and renowned people present on this occasion. This exhibit of the month had been collected by R. M. Nayal, Assistant Curator and composed by Rajendra Kumar Jhariya (Assistant Keeper).
About the exhibit displayed in the exhibition Rajendra Kumar Jhariya, Assistant Keeper told that Himachal Pradesh, the land of gods and goddesses is known for its scenic geography and natural prosperity. Crafts of the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh including metal craft, wood carving, basketry, embroidery etc. also represent the rich cultural tradition of the state. Present exhibit is a traditional ritual plate that evidences an excellent metal craftsmanship of the area. This traditional plate is used by the Gaddi and other folk communities in households and temples for religious offering as well as the wedding ceremony and other auspicious occasions.
Types of Thaal- Two types of Thaal are prevalent in metal craft traditions of Chamba. - Ganesh Thaal: As it is obvious with its name that Lord Ganesha occupy the central position in this plate. Four handed image of Shri Ganesh is shown decorated with conch, bangles, crown, garland etc.
Usually this type of Thaal is smaller in size. Vishnu Thaal: This relatively bigger sized plate consists of Lord Vishnu seated on lotus as the central image and surrounded by other incarnations-Matasya, Kurma/ Kachchhap, Varah, Narsingh, Vamana, Parshuram, Shri Ram, Shri Krishna and the Kalki. Beside these, artists have also started preparing varieties of Thaal in different shapes like rectangular, square, hexagonal etc containing images of other deities and their stories as per the demand and taste of their clients.