Under the 49th series of its online exhibition, Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya on Thursday presented in its open air exhibition -Traditional Technology Park , Tui–Changshu (Traditional pounding lever operated by the water) with its basic information and photographs and videos.
About this exhibition, Praveen Kumar Mishra, Director, IGRMS said that Tui -Changshu is a traditional wooden made pounding tool widely used by the Kuki tribe of Manipur. It is used by the people of Kuki community to hit paddy and remove rice husk from rice. The Kuki tribe is found primarily in various States of North East India such as Manipur, Assam, Mizoram and Tripura etc. It is densely inhabited in Kangpokpi, Chandel and Sultanpur etc districts of Manipur.
In this regard, Museum Associate Pritam Chaudhary told that Tui-Changshu is a typical form of pounding lever that operates automatically by the naturally flowing water. Dugout wooden log called Thi-Shum in the local language is made from the wood of a local tree called Kherai. Its length is about 12 feet. The pestle at one end and the cup-shaped trench at the other gives it dugout shape in structure.
The water flowing in speed over the cup shaped part of this dugout is dropped on the Thi Shum by a wooden canal. It acts like a lever. When the water is fully filled in the trench of dugout, it goes down due to weight of water and the water spills out on going down according to its structure.
