The Himachal Culture and Folk Art Museum was set up in the Utopia Complex near the Temple of Hidimbi Devi in Manali. The museum was formed in 1998 to collect and showcase Himachal Pradesh’s cultural and folk art antiques. The museum displays and exhibits traditional clothes, utensils, musical and ritual instruments, wood carvings, and all other traditional items used by the Himachal Pradesh people. The Museum is a special and impressive collection of the state’s rare antiques. It shows the articles clearly showing Himachal Pradesh’s forgotten history, art and handicraft.
Not only has the Museum helped conserve culture and art, it also brings knowledge of the ancient Himachal traditions. The objects shown here illustrate the Himachal people’s traditional way of life. The museum exhibits temple models, old houses and forts, traditional clothes, utensils, musical and ceremonial instruments, carvings of wood and numerous other objects. This rare collection helps to learn more and explore, as well as examine our ancestors’ history, tradition, art and culture. It acts as an excellent mirror which reflects the state’s cultural and artisanal skills.
