KIRTADS Ethnological Museum

The KIRTADS Ethnological Museum, established in 1973, is located in Chevayur, Kozhikode. It preserves and displays the material culture of Kerala's Scheduled Tribes, featuring approximately 2,500 artifacts including tools, ornaments, musical instruments, and models of traditional tribal houses. The museum serves as a key resource for understanding the cultural identity and traditional knowledge of indigenous communities in Kerala.

Visitors can explore galleries displaying authentic tribal artifacts such as hunting tools, arrows, traps, storage baskets, measuring vessels, and handicrafts. The museum features life-size models of traditional houses of tribes like Cholanaickan, Kadar, Paniyan, and Muthuvan. A comprehensive reference library with books on anthropology and sociology is also available on campus.

The Ethnological Museum was established in 1973 as part of the Kerala Institute for Research, Training and Development Studies of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (KIRTADS). The institute itself was established in 1970 as the Tribal Research and Training Center.

The museum plays a vital role in preserving the material culture, traditional knowledge, and cultural identity of Kerala's Scheduled Tribes. It documents the lifestyles, techniques, and heritage of indigenous communities including Cholanaickan, Kadar, Paniyan, Vettakuruman, Kurumbar, and Muthuvan tribes.