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 January, 2023 – “KANGKHONG GADI - Children’s Wooden Cart”Meitei Community from Manipur,is on display in the indoor exhibition building–Veethi Sankul. The 'exhibit of the month' was inaugurated by PK Mishra Director IGRMS, renowned people present on this occasion. This exhibit of the month had been collected and composed by N Sakmacha Singh, Museum Associate.
About the exhibit displayed in the exhibition by Rajesh Gautam said that toys have been a very significant part of children's lives and they immensely contribute to their cognitive development, physicality, and mental abilities. In many cultures, toys for children of various age- groups are seen in their crude or innovative forms. But with the evolution of playful wooden carts for children, a large variety of its kind started emerging in different areas of the globe. Some of them continue to remain as all-time favourite companions of the children.
This exhibit talks about a generation of children in Manipur who grew up playing with these types of wooden vehicles popularly known as Kangkhong-Gadi, which means 'wheel-cart'. Two different varieties of traditional carts were very popular in the hills and valley areas of the region. The three-wheeled carts (Ahum Panbi Gaari) were largely played in the hill areas while the four-wheeled carts (Maripanbi Kangkhong Gaari) were predominant in the valley. The idea of this exhibition is to recollect the childhood memories of the past and to inform its glory to the present generations.