A new museum in New Raipur is bringing long-overlooked tribal freedom fighters to the forefront of India’s Independence narrative. The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Memorial & Tribal Freedom Fighter Museum, inaugurated on November 1, spans 9.75 acres and showcases powerful stories of resistance led by tribal communities between 1774 and 1939.
Through life-sized sculptures, rare documents, traditional weapons, immersive films, and digital experiences, the museum highlights the contributions of leaders such as Veer Narayan Singh, Birsa Munda, Gaind Singh, and Gundadhur. Its 16 galleries depict both the cultural richness of tribal groups, including PVTGs like the Baiga, Kamar, and Abujhmadia, and the struggles they endured under colonial and Maratha rule.
Visitors enter through Sarguja-style wooden carvings listing 200 tribal revolutionaries and are greeted by a life-size statue of Birsa Munda in the courtyard. Inside, digital screens and a mini-theatre narrate the leaders’ stories, while dimly lit galleries recreate pivotal moments of rebellion, such as the tribal uprising that thwarted Captain Blunt’s advance into Bastar in 1795.
Developed at a cost of ₹53.13 crore, the museum also features multilingual digital content, including the ‘Adi Vani’ app with translations in Gondi and Halbi, ensuring accessibility for local communities and providing a deeper understanding of this vital chapter of India’s freedom struggle.
