At a distance of 200 m from Araku Bus Station, Araku Tribal Museum is a wonderful place which explores the tribal culture of Eastern Ghats. It is one of the top tourist places to visit in Araku Valley.
The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation established this museum in 1996. Araku Valley boasts of 19 tribes that live in the vicinity of the town. The purpose of the museum is to create awareness about tribal culture and lifestyle. Araku Tribal Museum is not a historical place but offers information about the tribes that currently live here.
Araku Tribal Museum is spread over two levels, built with mud and real metals to portray tribal life. The museum has been designed to showcase tribal lifestyle in motion, starting with a kitchen that displays utensils made of iron and mud. A series of 10 photographs capturing the wedding ceremony of the tribal is very interesting at the entrance. The passages within the museum that connect various sections are constructed of mud walls adorned with drawings and artwork made by tribals. The most impressive section of the Tribal Museum is the one that exhibits the local tribal Mayur and Dhimsa dance.
The museum consists of several clay monuments that depict their day-to-day activities. Various artifacts of the tribal people are exhibited which includes jewellery, hunting tools and kitchen utensils. The museum is well equipped with sign boards, which provides requisite information to aid the visitors. There is a stall in the museum where handicrafts items of the tribes are sold. To encourage tribal art, the museum also possesses a Tribal Art and Crafts Centre, where workshops and exhibitions are held.
