Sohrai Painting-The Ancient Tribal Art Of Jharkhand

These tribals heavily depend on domestic animals for agriculture, food, and living. Every year they celebrate the Sohrai festival with great enthusiasm. On this occasion, they celebrate the harvest by expressing gratitude towards the deities and the livestock.

Design Tools, Color pallets, and the Process 

Sohrai painting has a captivating color pallet just like its history.Colors extracted from nature, which are readily available in the area, are used in the paintings. Chewing twigs are used as the paintbrush. Cotton rage is used to create the background. Gerua mitti for Red, Pila mitti for Yellow, manganese or powdered coal or Kali mitti for black, and white clay or dudhi/charak mitti for white are the four widely used colors.

Creating the art involves preparing the canvas by applying a mixture of cow dunk and mud to the walls, allowing it to dry, and then creating the images using natural colors. The end result is a beautiful and intricate work of art that reflects the rich cultural heritage of Jharkhand.

Different forms of Sohrai Painting 

Sohrai painting’s one of the most distinguishing characteristics is that they differ from village to village and community to community. Each brushstroke tells a unique story, reflecting the distinctiveness of locales. This is also true in other communities as well around the state.

The different geographical locations of villages and the intermix of painting traditions between villages are the reasons for this. Artists, taking inspiration from their surroundings, beautify canvases with designs ranging from vibrant flowers and birds in the plains to mysterious creatures amidst Bumpy and rocky terrains.

When a girl marries in another village, she brings her art form with her, and we occasionally witness a variety of paintings even within a single community, since these paintings are passed down from mothers to daughters.

The most common topics in Sohrai paintings are the depiction of nature, matriarchy, Indus Valley symbols, and abstracts with no specific significance. Bhelwara village is known for its Indus Valley designs, Saheda village is known for its animal paintings, and Isco village is known for its lotuses and plant figures. 

Matriarchy being the foundation of Sohrai's cultural fabric, finds expression both in the transmission of artistic tradition from mothers to daughters and in the vibrant symbolism adorning the paintings. Pregnant animals and birds grace the canvas, symbolizing the continuity of life, while the intertwining of chicks and hens, peacock and peahen, celebrates the nurturing essence of femininity.

Village women take immense satisfaction in their art, which is both the decoration and a  regular element of their home repair and an inspirational employment and sacred ceremonial tradition. 

Current scenario of Sohrai art and artisans

Due to construction of concrete houses as a result of modernization, there is a lack of suitable surfaces for Sohrai paintings. Because of this situation, the art of Sohrai is facing numerous challenges despite its rich cultural heritage.

There has been a shortage of skilled artisans who can create this beautiful art form, since many of the younger generation are not interested in learning the art form and are instead opting for more modern and profitable professions. Individuals have the greatest amount of power to bring a change.

Efforts are being made to preserve this unique art form by a lot of NGOs and government initiatives are working towards creating awareness and promoting Sohrai art. Many artists are now creating contemporary versions of Sohrai paintings as the art form has gained popularity among art enthusiasts.

They have provided financial assistance to local artisans to help them market their products and reach a wider audience. They also set up several training centres where young artisans can learn the art form and improve their skills

Paintings by Sohrai should be given the attention they deserve as we have seen peopl’s lives change because of the power of individuals in these days of the internet and social media. These paintings, which are being forced out of their natural habitats, require new homes to survive, and those homes could be ours.

These paintings recently received Geographical Indication gives them hope, but hope alone does not sustain traditions; actions do and we must act immediately!