Traditional Technology Park Developed in Bhopal

Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya develop a Traditional Technology Park, the traditional technique related material is collected from the various parts of India. Traditional technology has played an important role in the technological splendor of the contemporary world.

Underlining this fact, the audience is familiarised with the intellectual and creative skills of simple societies. The traditional artists of Kuki tribe from Ningel, Manipur will be performed Tui-Changsu.

The Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Bhopal collected this unique pounding lever from a resident of the village Sri Tongleng Kipgen. A team of three members leaded by Sri Tonglen were invited to the museum in March 2008 for the installation of Tui-Shum as one of the important exhibit representing the State Manipur in the Traditional Technology Park- an open air exhibition in the National Museum premises.

The most fascinating aspect of the village is that almost every household possesses Tui-Changsu as one of their important household. Water from the fast flowing streams of the hills are diverted to the center of the village and manage to pass every settlement areas for the use of this kind of lever by every household and further allows the water pass their paddy field for irrigation through a small canal.

Tui Shum is about 12 feet long heavy wooden lever dug out at one end like a ladle/spoon. The ladle or spoon shaped structure serves the purpose for receiving water to tread up and down. The other end has a pestle. On the bank of stream, this wooden lever is mounted on an iron axle supported by two upright post about 1 to 2 ft above the ground to sustain the level of balance required for the structure.

Installing the lever, a small shed is constructed in a way that the spoon shaped portion of the lever is extended horizontally from the rear wall and left to a level where this spoon shaped structure could receive the fall of water from above and simultaneously can drop it down to a pit with considerable depth lying downside. A mortar with a cavity engraved in a block of stone is embedded on the floor inside the shed to an exact distance where jerk of the pestle attached with the lever could be harnessed.

In the morning hours before the family members leave their home for agricultural works, they put some desired quantity of paddy into the cavity of mortar and left for pounding till they return. In the evening, it is removed and winnowed to store for their day-to-day consumption.