‘It’s breathtaking’: ASEAN envoys daydream in MP’s tribal heartland

Bhopal: Their cameras clicked like joyous hearts, their footsteps slowed in reverence, and their voices softened — as if they were lovers, not diplomats, discovering something deeply ancient and dazzling. Onlookers watched in amazement on Thursday as a distinguished delegation from ASEAN countries wandered through the Tribal Museum in Bhopal, falling under its spell. The members of high-profile delegation including Nguyen Thanh Hai, Ambassador of Vietnam to India, Josel Ignacio, Ambassador of the Philippines to India, Rath Many, Ambassador of Cambodia to India, Karlito Nunes, Ambassador of Timor-Leste to India, Chavanart Thangsumphant, Ambassador of Thailand to India, Ina H Krishnamurthi, Ambassador of Indonesia to India, Syafi Alwali Pengiran Abu Bakar, head of mission, Brunei Darussalam - brought with them warm curiosity and genuine appreciation for India's indigenous legacy. This tour was hosted jointly by the department of culture and MP Tourism Board.The diplomats traced their fingers along carved wood, paused in front of painted panels, and lingered in the hush of the 'Likhandara' library. Every gallery — from the mud-and-bamboo homes of Gond, Bhil, and Baiga tribes to the spiritual world woven into terracotta and mural — felt alive, as if whispering stories of earth and sky. Museum director Ashok Mishra was their guide, unfolding tales of community, belief, and survival: "They told me, ‘We have never seen anything this stunning. It is breathtaking; thank you, Madhya Pradesh govt, for letting us feel so close to your raw, inspirational tribal heritage." Each diplomat was given a delicate brass deer in Bhareva style, alongside vivid Gond and Bhil paintings — keepsakes that carry the heartbeat of centuries.