Folklore Museum (Folklore Museum) a folk museum with representative collections of arts and crafts from across Karnataka, it is housed in the Jayalakshmi Vilas building on the Manasagangotri campus. The museum was established in 1968. It is the largest museum in the country owned by the University of Mysore. It is a hidden folk gem in Mysore.
It is about 143 km from Bangalore and about 49 km from Mandya Nagar and just 05 km from Mysore. It is just 02 km from Mysore Railway Station.
Entry to the Folk Lore Museum is free. The museum is open from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Closed on Sundays, second Saturdays and public holidays as public holidays.
The University of Mysore has contributed to folklore studies since the establishment of the museum and scholars such as P.R. Thippeswamy, Javaregowda and Jeesham Paramashivaiah contributed immensely to the building of the museum to bring the museum to its present level.
He collected folk art objects from across Karnataka to enhance the museum collection. Museum exhibits are organized in systematic order. The gallery is divided into Folklore, Big Dolls, Rural Folklore, Literature and Art.
With a section of the museum dedicated to folk performing arts such as Yakshagana and Kathakali, the Folk Lore Museum offers folk visitors to Mysore an insight into various art forms.
The Jnanapeeth award-winning Kuvempu room in the museum is displayed with photographs and information on his life. A decorative wooden pavilion and altar used by Kuvempu. The museum has a collection of around 6,500 indigenously made artefacts.
Uniqueness of performances. Apart from the usual items like sculptures and paintings, you will find a collection of traditional artefacts on display in this museum. The Folk Museum is housed in a magnificent mansion, which itself is a major historical and architectural attraction.
Predominantly used are materials used by rural folk, traditional artists and even tribals. A huge collection of traditional agricultural implements and tools can be seen, mostly made of wood and metal. Nearby is a large collection of kitchen utensils and tools from the past. Next you will see a long collection of vintage personal weapons and fitness equipment.
Another interesting section displays the tools used by tribal people for fishing and trapping birds. There is an entire section dedicated to traditional cane baskets, materials used by snake charmers and used in agriculture, while more traditional displays include archaeological artefacts. For example there is a large collection of Indus Valley artefacts and sculptures. Large collection of sculptures collected from ancient temple sites. You will also find a large collection of terracotta specimens excavated from various archaeological sites. You will also find brightly painted, huge leather puppets and a leather puppet section. There are some burial urns on display. Near the sculpture hall, there is a huge tiger around the corner inside the room.
A few pavilions are reserved for folk art and religious art forms, especially performing arts. You can see the costumes and tiaras (tenka thittu and badagu thittu) used in Yakshagana and Kathakali, which are made up of mythological and folk stories and paraphernalia.
Personal items used by writers like pens, glasses, shawls etc. The cuboidal wooden pillars displayed near the dance hall are unique for its size. Nearby are some huge wooden images of folk deities. Dance masks, puppets, leather puppets, wooden puppets from different parts of Karnataka, in which regional and historical influences can be discerned. Loser community items.
Folk music instruments include strings, percussion and wind instruments. String instruments include the kinneri of the Jogis, the chowdike of the Tattva Pada singers and the tambourine, the stringed instrument of the Nilagara Falls. Percussion instruments include Birapana Dollu, Khudigana Sambala, Halakki Goudara Gummate, Chande, and Dimmi Dammadi, Goravara Damaruga, Nagari. Wind instruments include Junjappa’s gane- a meter long flute, horn, trumpet and pungi.
Folk deities, ceremonial headdresses, ritual objects, village deities such as Soma, , Talebhuta, Kaibhuta, Mari and Gadi Marigalas and Bhuta. A collection of figures representing gods, kings, queens, gods, saints and soldiers.
In the life section there are instruments used by farmers, blacksmiths, goldsmiths, boatmen, fishermen, potters, cobblers and other artisans. It also includes household items such as lamps, weapons, agricultural implements, cooking utensils, measures, churns, weaving tools, pots, beads, baskets, folk games and clothes. A wooden chariot brought from Shimoga stands outside the building in an open courtyard.
