Advertised under Rule 41 (1) of Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Rules, 2002

in the Geographical Indications Journal 129 dated January 10, 2020

G.I. APPLICATION NUMBER – 658

Application Date: 23-08-2019

Application is made by Sohrai Kala Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti Limited at Sanskriti Centre, Dipugarha,
Post:- Hazaribagh, 825 301, Jharkhand, India for Registration in Part A of the Register of Sohrai-Khovar
Painting under Application No. 658 in respect of Painting falling in Class – 16 is hereby advertised as
accepted under Sub-section (1) of Section 13 of Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and
Protection) Act, 1999.

A) Name of the Applicant : Sohrai Kala Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti Limited

B) Address : Sohrai Kala Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti Limited,

Sanskriti Centre, Dipugarha,
P.O- Hazaribagh, 825 301,
Jharkhand, India.

C) Name of the Geographical Indication:

SOHRAI-KHOVAR PAINTING

D) Types of Goods : Class 16 – Painting

E) Specification:

Sohrai-Khovar Painting is a ritualistic tribal painting with distinct features, traditionally being
practiced mainly in mural art form in the region of Hazaribagh district (State of Jharkhand), and is
also being made on other canvases too including paper and cloths, with same distinctive traditional
features being practiced by women of different local tribes, and some other communities. Sohrai-
Khovar painting is a profusion of lines, dots, animal figures and plants, often representing religious
iconography.

“Sohrai” is a local festival whereas “Khovar” is a nuptial chamber designed and decorated to
bless the newly married couple. In local traditional practice during Sohrai festival and in Khovars –
made in local marriages, ritualistic mural paintings are being made on the walls, such paintings are
distinct in nature and due to events in which it is being practiced it is being referred as Sohrai-
Khovar painting.

Form of handicraft: Painting

Artisans: Local tribal women in the region of Hazaribagh.
General Characteristics - Monochromatic and Coloured both- (In case of coloured
murals (Distinctness by the use of limited number of colours)

GI Journal No. 129 29 January 10, 2020

 - Geometric symbols, drawings of local flora and fauna,
symbolic designs or patterns like Pashupati (lord of
animals) Purainpat (forest of lotuses).
- Depiction of drawings are normally borderless
- Drawings are mostly non-narrative
Ritualistic Characteristic: Sohrai is a Festival in which such paintings are being made
to keep evil spirits away (local ritualistic believe) whereas
Khovar is nuptial chamber which is designed and decorated
by such paintings to bless the newly married couple.
Traditional Season Harvest season (late October to December) and Marriage
of practice: Season (late January to June)
Features, Pattern and essential By the use of limited number of coloured soil (naturally
elements: available locally) motifs of the animals, birds, plants, floral
and wildlife of local forest along with ritual symbolic designs
or patterns like Pashupati (lord of animals) Purainpat
(forest of lotuses).
Featuring Pashupati (lord of animals) and Purainpat (forest
of lotuses) is very common.
Appearances: Monochromatic (Khovar) as well as coloured also (distinctly
limited to four to five fixed colours).
Colours used Red, White, Yellow, Black, Cream colour
Social adoption: Through matriarchal practice, the tradition of such art
passes from mother to daughter in local tribes.
Tribes and other communities Santhal, Oraon, Munda, Agaria, Kurmi, Ghatwals, Ganju,
who practice Sohrai-Khovar Prajapati.
Paintings:

F) Description:

“Sohrai-Khovar Painting” is a traditional and ritualistic mural art being practiced by local tribal
women during local harvest and marriage seasons using local naturally available soils of different
colours in area of Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand. Mural of Sohrai-Khovar painting is a profusion
of lines, dots, animal figures and plants, often representing religious iconography such as the
mythic tree of life or Pashupati (a horned image of Lord Shiva as the lord of animals).

Such mural paintings are being practiced by women of different local tribes, and some other
communities largely the Santhal of west Hazaribagh, Munda, Oraon, Ghatwals, Ganjus and
Prajapati of south Hazaribagh, whereas Agaria and Kurmis of east Hazaribagh.

The traditional term “Soh” means to drive away and “rai” is a stick in local language, denoting the
early domestication of animals for agriculture and accumulation of wealth. Sohrai is a traditional
harvesting festival, which is being celebrated for domesticated animals- helpful in their agriculture
and daily life. The Sohrai festival which marks the beginning of harvesting season is of five days.
On the second day of the festival, which is devoted for invoking blessings from Bongas (spirts
which are worshiped) for individual homes, when the cattle are sent to the fields in the morning to
graze, in their absence, the womenfolks decorate their huts by this traditional ritualistic painting
over the walls.

Since domesticated animals are important part of their life in terms of agriculture and daily life and
for which they celebrate this festival, a ritualistic symbol of Pasupati (lord of animals) is
predominantly found in drawings made during Sohrai. This mural paintings generally have
drawings of some ritualistic geometrical structures and motifs of local animals, birds, plants, and
local wildlife. Similar practice of painting in mural is being made in mural form, during local

GI Journal No. 129 30 January 10, 2020

 marriage season in Khovar (word made from the combination of “Koh” means cave and “Var”
means bride, whereas it is the nuptial chamber made for bride and the bridegroom) in which more
colours are being used with same motifs of local flora and fauna which traditionally being
symbolizes with fertility, having same features. Both Sohrai and Khovar however are not singular
traditions but in broad terms it encompasses a range of same mural practices and designs
characterised in such paintings of this region.

Such ritual practice of painting making is traditionally being practiced only by local tribal women
and is a matriarchal practice in which tradition of such art passes from mother to the daughter. The
local population of Hazaribagh in which the practice of such paintings are more prevalent may be
identified as: Santal, Oraon, Munda, Agaria, Kurmi, Ghatwals and Ganju, Prajapati.

Time and occasion of the : Harvest season which starts with local
practice of Sohrai-Khovar festival Sohrai.
painting: : Marriage season which starts from spring (late January) and runs
till the advent of monsoon (June) in form of murals in Khovar,
which is a nuptial chamber designed to bless the newly married
couple)
Artisans Women of different local Tribes and other communities of
Hazaribagh. Primarily being practiced by following communities of
Hazaribagh:
Santhal – West Hazaribagh
Munda – South Hazaribagh
Oraon - South Hazaribagh
Agaria - East Hazaribagh
Kurmis -East Hazaribagh
Ghatwals - South Hazaribagh
Ganjus - South Hazaribagh
Prajapati – South Hazaribagh
Colours used Only soil of which colours are naturally available in the earth of
local geography- only such colours are being used in Sohrai-
Khovar Painting. Such colours primarily may be identified as
follows:
:Red
:White
:Yellow
:Black
:Cream colour
Distinct Pattern Strong aesthetic value with combination of rhythmic and lyrical
patterns of geometries including triangle, circle, ovals, and curves
along with animals, trees, birds and flowers which have
traditionally been found in local forest and the area.
Primarily two kinds of murals – Comb-cutting and Simple
Technique.
Ritualistic belif Related to the tradition belief, ritual, life & surrounding environment
including different abstract natural forms and motifs of forests,
trees, animals, birds, flowers. Purainpat (forest of lotuses), along
with ritual symbolic designs or patterns like Mother Goddess and
Pashupati (Lord of animals) are very common characteristics.

Based upon different areas and specific tribes of Hazaribagh among which Sohrai- Khovar painting
is being practiced, it has gathered different specialties in respect to characteristics. Based upon

GI Journal No. 129 31 January 10, 2020

 such specific area of practice and specific tribes involved into it following nine characterized
practices of such painting may be found in the region of Hazaribagh:

Hill Kurmi Khovar of Jorakath (Barkagaon block)

The Kurmi Khovar of Jorakath is made for the marriage and the houses are decorated in the
middle of the village, and subsequently again during the harvest. The mud wall surface is prepared
by covering the clay walls with the black kali-mati (manganese), over which a coat of the cream
dudhi maati-yellow earth is applied with cloth swab. Then they cut or scrape with pieces of broken
combs the wet cream layer large animal forms which are unique in that they are almost exclusively
wild animals forms such as elephant, tiger, deer, peacock, birds and plants. They also have a wide
repertoire of wild forest birds like the peacock, moorhen, egrets, jungle-fowl. The most striking
attributes of this particular art is the X-ray forms in which young animals are shown inside their
mother, animals with holes in them typical of rock paintings, and man-animal conflict such as tiger
attaching man etc.

Kurmi Sohrai of Bhelwara (Bishungarh block)

In the east of the Hazaribagh plateau there are Kurmi village of Bhelwara, famous for its beautiful
Sohrai-Khovar paintings. The design referred to as Kamalban which directly translated means
“forest of lotuses” is as noted drawn using an improvised compass, the women (and even small
girls) expertly drawing the intersecting circles scraped in the earth of wall. Later the stems, fronds,
and other details are drawn with nails, the lines being always in triplicate, the outer and inner lines
being in white and black respectively and the middle line in red. The white is for rice, red for
sacrifice or puja, black for Shiva. Shiva is depicted in his female form as a drum or “damru”. The
broad expanses of earth on large Kurmi houses in Bhelwara are ideal for this fantastic floral art
with large animal forms representing cattle.

Ghatwal Sohrai of Oriya (Churchu block)

The Ghatwals of Hazaribagh and Palamau are known as keepers of the western passes between
the plains and the plateau of Chotanagpur. The Ghatwals of Bhelwara, Oriya and adjoining regions
practice a glyptic stencil art on the walls using red oxide, manganese black, milky white earth
colours decorating walls and floors of their houses using a cloth swab technique called potna, and
the principal form being the cattle and Pashupati (Shiva) and the marriage mandala called Shadi
Chowk. Sometimes animals of the forests also appear in the glyptic art-form which is not surprising
for a forest dwelling tribe.

Agaria Sohrai of Daujinagar (Padma block)

The Agarias of Hazaribagh are a pre-plough agriculture society similar to the Asur and identified
with the first iron smelting of Jharkhand. The village at Daujinagar decorate their mud houses with
large coloured floral motifs and geometrical forms. Their art is glyptic and similar to the Ghatwal but
it contains no cattle or Pashupati, but only the icon of the numinous Shiva identified in leaf form
with arms.

Santhal Sohrai of Lukiya-Purnapani (Bishungarh block)

The Santhals of eastern Hazaribagh live in forest villages of Purnapani, Lukiya and Jarwadhi,
(Bishungarh block) and Nano (Churchu block) calling themselves Manjhi or headman. The designs
are painted in black, red and milky white earth colour on the simple clay plaster of their houses.
The Santal houses are decorated with plain mud plaster with a high dado of black manganese
earth sometimes with ornate forms. Very distinctive feature of many of the houses is a low
courtyard wall with an ornately painted entrance. Rows of white dots form the decorative feature on
the mud walls. A distinctive feature are the ornately carved wooden doors made of Saal or
Gambhar wood joined with heavy iron nails and hung on heavy iron hinges. Very rarely one finds
painted forms other than two small triangular ancestor figures painted on either side of the
entrance doorway with the ink of the Bhelwa Indian Marking Nut (Semecarpus anacardium). The

GI Journal No. 129 32 January 10, 2020

 traditional metal-smelters, the Malhars of the region in Kendwatoli still follow traditional methods of
casting bronzes and have similar art-forms.

Munda Sohrai of Isco (Barkagaon block)

Women artisans of the village of Isco adjoin the rock-art sites in the Sati hills, with Munda tribe
inhabitants, often paint the simillar designs on their house walls giving a historical link to such art.
The Mundas paint with their fingers in the soft-wet earth of their houses, using unique motifs such
as the rainbow snake (Lorbung) and plant forms of a deity similar to the Prajapatis and Kurmis.
They commonly spot their painting with vermilion and white dots. The mud in these villages is of a
beautiful lavender grey colour, and the mud used is of a unique ochre colour. The painting on the
mud houses of Isco are of a standard type following the traditional technique for Khovar finger
painting and the comb is used less, sometimes walls are painted with red oxide earth colour and
manganese black. First the designs are cut in mud clay and then filled in with white markings, and
vermillion. The designs are generally plant forms.

Prajapati Khovar of Kharati (Barkagaon Block)

The tradition of Khovar comb cutting is to be found exclusively in the two hundred villages of the
Upper Damodar valley also known as the Barkagaon valley in the east, and North Karanpura
Valley The important Khovar villages in the eastern-central part of the valley are Punkri-Barwadi,
Bhadul-Pipradih, Kharati, Nayatand, Napo, Barhmaniya. Most of the villages are predominantly the
Prajapati caste which is an agricultural community, but also an artisan castes such as Kumhar or
potter, Rana or carpenter, Teli or oil extractors, Turi or basket makers and bamboo workers, and
the wandering groups such as the Malhar metal-casters.

Ganju Sohrai of Saheda (Barkagaon block)

Ganju painting has its own distinctive wild and domestic animal forms, and unique jungle plant
forms. During the harvest as well as the marriage season they decorate their houses with beautiful
large murals of jungle animals and birds, and exotic plant forms, as if bringing the forest indoors. It
is a quality which is most enduring. The Ganju houses at Saheda are painted with the forms of wild
and domestic animals and birds forms like peacocks, elephant, tiger, crocodile, snake, jackal,
plants, etc.

Oraon Sohrai of Dato & Isco (Katkamsandi & Barkagaon Block)

The Oraons use a lot of floral art form in the decoration of their mud house walls in the harvest
season during the Sohrai. They also has a unique form of ancestor paintings (Purkha) practiced by
the families of an older cattle-keeping generation (Gorait-Oraon). Their art has almost died out but
for a few Oraon villages of northern Jharkhand such as Dato, Khorar, etc. The arrangements of the
Purkha or ancestor paintings is explained through linear motifs in strong bands of natural colours.
The Oraon houses like the other village houses are mud walled and tiled with roof. The outside
walls are painted with floral designs and on rare occasions one finds the totem design in vertical
plains for which the tribe is known. They also make a very attractive arched design with the fingers
in the mud walls called Baserai (Bas is bamboo and era is the forest goddess). This is considered
very auspicious for the house.

G) Geographical area of Production and Map as shown in page no: 43

The Sohra-Khovar painting is primarily being practiced only in district of Hazaribagh, however in
recent years for promotional purpose it is also being practiced in some other parts of Jharkhand.
The Hazaribag district of the State of Jharkhand is situated in the north east part of North
Chotanagpur Division. The boundary of this district consists of districts of Gaya (Bihar) and
Koderma in the north, Ramgarh in the south, Giridih and Bokaro in the east, and Chatra in the
west.

GI Journal No. 129 33 January 10, 2020

 Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand is approximately 1,982 feet above the sea level having area of
4,302 Sq.KM and enjoys tropical climate i.e. stays hot in summer and moderately cool in winter.
Hazaribagh is located at coordinates of 23.98°N 85.35°E.

Hazaribagh plateau, the part of Chotanagpur Platue is the northern tract of the massif divided by
the Damodar River from east to west, with the Ranchi plateau lying to the south. The Hazaribagh
being a part of Chotanagpur plateau is surrounded by forests having different hills like Sitagarha,
Bamanbere and Canary Hill.

There are availability of different types of soils in the region of Hazaribagh having differences in
mineral content and therefore in pigmentation. Due to the presence of iron, soil of Hazaribagh is
generally red in colour, whereas at many places, the presence of mica makes it pink also. Lower
soil of Hazaribagh is yellowish white in colour, whereas sandy loam soil is found around the
Damodar River basin giving the white colour to the soil. The presence of manganese in the region
also makes the availability of black soil in the region.

River Konar, a tributary of Damodar River traverse through the Hazaribagh town, whereas the
Barakar, the Damador, the Haharo (in Barkagaon range), the Garhi (in Tandwa Range) and the
Barsoti river (in Barhi Range) are other rivers flowing in the region of Hazaribagh.

H) Proof of Origin (Historical records):

The name ‘Sohrai’ is said to have derived from a paleolithic age word—‘soro’, meaning to drive
with a stick. One of the oldest art forms of wall painting, this tribal art has the history of more than
5000 years and can be traced somewhere between 7,000-4,000 BC. The Sohrai-Khovar art
tradition is evidenced in the prehistoric Mesolithic rock (7,000 BC) in form of rock cave art in the
hilly ranges of Hazaribgah district of north Jharkhand. However, such art has been in practice
locally since time immemorial but the local origin may be traced from such pre-historic age only.
Such ancient rock art was first discovered, on a Mesolithic rock in form of ancient art at Isco,
Hazaribagh in 1991 and which was followed later by the discovery of around a dozen prehistoric
rock art sites of more than 5,000 years old, in the North Karanpura Valley of Hazaribagh. The
history of such form of art is related to prehistoric age, and such historical fact came into light in
1991 by the discovery of Isco rock art site, in nearby area of Hazaribagh. Subsequently over twenty
such painted shelters have been discovered. Furthermore, hundreds of motifs associated with the
Mesolithic rock art found in palaeoarchaeology sites like Isco, Nautangwa Pahar (Salga),
Hazaribagh and several shelters in the Satpahar range (formerly in Hazaribagh, but now in Chatra
district, i.e. Thethangi, Raham, Sidpa, etc) carry rock paintings with motifs found in the Sohrai-
Khovar paintings of Hazaribagh. Many of these sites are also acknowledged by the Archaeological
Survey of India in 1992- 1993. The rock art was studied in 1993-95 by Erwin Neumayer of Vienna,
a renowned authority on Indian rock art, and S.B. Otta, Head of the Prehistory Department of the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Nagpur. Both authorities dated the rock art to the Meso-
Chalcolithic period.

Linking these ancient rock drawings and the practice of present day drawings on their walls by
locals, a renowned ethnographer Erwin Neumayer in his book “Lines on Stone, The Prehistoric
Rock Art of India” notes as follows:

“A comparison between ancient rock pictures and modern house wall pictures often discloses
strong stylistic and thematic analogies. The close study of housewall pictures teaches us, that the
pictures are an ideologic construct, which in many cases is defined much more by its use during a
particular festival-season than by its shape, which although the iconography might be fixed- will be
recognised even if the artist has not kept to many of the necessary features of this convention.”

GI Journal No. 129 34 January 10, 2020

 Some authoritative sources claim it to be related to the Indus valley civilisation (Harappan, Lothal,
Mohenajodaro Civilizations) because similar symbols may be found on the soap stone or steatite
seals of those civilisations. And such similar symbols may still be found in use in respect to this
indigenous mural art. Many of the designs of Sohrai-Khovar painting which are still prevalent in
practice, may be compared to prehistoric rock art found in nearby areas and prehistoric seal motifs
from Harappa.

It is being claimed that the following upon the similar patterns and styles once used to create ‘Isko’
and other rock arts in the region like Satpahar in Hazaribagh district, earlier this form of art making
which was prevalent in caves, got shifted to the houses once the civilisation developed and local
people shifted themselves to houses with mud walls.

The traditional term “Soh” means to drive away and “rai” is a stick, denoting the early
domestication of animals for agriculture and accumulation of wealth. Sohrai is an ancient word
carrying traditional significance enacted in ritual paintings done only by tribal and traditional women
artists.

Traditionally during the Sohrai festival (harvest festival) which is being celebrated on the 16th
Kartik, the day after the Dewali, village houses are being painted by tribal women as a ritual of
thank giving for a good harvest with mural paintings, whereas in marriage season similar murals
are being made the walls of Khovars. After the name of Sohrai festival and Khovar in which such
murals are being practiced, such paintings are being referred as Sohrai-Khovar painting. This
Ritualistic art being made on walls of their houses are to welcome the harvest and to celebrate the
cattle in case of Sohrai festival and to bless the newly married couple in case of Khovars. Durring
the Sohrai festival women clean their houses and decorate their walls with such murals, whereas
during marriage such murals are being made by women in the wall of Khovars (Nuptial chamber).

Describing the love of colours and application of those on their walls in form of naturally available
local soils of different colours, ET Dalton- an ICS officer of British Period in his book “Descriptive
Ethnology of Bengal” writes about the Santals of this region in 1872:

“They paint their walls in alternate broad stripes of Red, White and Black – native clays and
charcoal furnishing the pigments……”

D H E Sunder, a British officer of erstwhile British India in the “Final report of the survey and
settlement of the Palamau government estate, Palamau district, in Chotanagpur, Bengal, Seasons
1894-95 to 1896-97” describing the rituals of marriage ceremonies being practiced in adjoining
region writes:

“…… Two baskets are then brought and the bride and bridegroom step on one and then on the
other and so enter a hut, the walls of which are painted with circles called Kohbar.”

Sarat Chandra Roy, who is also known as the father of Indian Anthropology, the first Indian
ethnographer, and as the first Indian anthropologist, in his famous book “The Oraons of Chota
Nagpur: Their History, Economic Life, and Social Organization”, published in 1915, has referred the
following picture depicting a outer wall of the house of a Oraon of this region showing the drawings
made over the wall, which can easily be identified as Sohrai-Khovar painting as it has drawing of
“Purainpat”, the making of which is still a distinguished prevalent practice in their drawings of
Sohrai-Khovar painting by local tribals.

S.C Roy as the editor of pioneering Journal of Antropology in India, Man of India, in an edition of
1921, recording about the practice this wall painting among Ho tribes of Chotanagpur (Hazaribagh
is the part of old Chotanagpur region) under the title “Ethnographic notes and queries”, writes:

GI Journal No. 129 35 January 10, 2020

 “Ho females paint the outer walls of their huts with red earth, coal-dust and Wall-painting, yellow
earth. Geometrical figures and the figures of elephants and horses are among the common
designs for ornamental drawings on the walls.”

William George Archer, who wrote as W. G. Archer, served as a British civil servant in nearby
areas and was an art historian, and later become a museum curator of prestigious Victoria and
Albert Museum, London, along with his wife Mildred Archer who was also an Art Historian of high
repute had published their first known publication in Axis magazine of London which was a well
known abstract publicising magazine of contemporary art as “Santhal Painting” in year 1936. The
pictures published by them under the title “Santhal Painting” with their background in form of
abstract is the depiction of mural paintings being drawn in adjoining areas of this region on mud
walls. The geometric designs, drawings of elephant and woman in their published picture of murals
of nearby areas can still be correlated with the prevalent art practice of Sohrai-Khovar painting.

“The paintings themselves are done by the women in terracotta and ochre, obtained from oxides in
the soil ….”

Further describing the uniqueness of such painting imbedded in their traditions, they mention:
“With their common style the paintings form part of tribal stock, developed by family sensibilities
and matured by repetition.”

Describing the importance of such paintings, they further write:

“The necessity of these paintings in Santhal life — a life based on agriculture and with no margins,
a bare “rice” culture — would prove, if any proof were needed, the “naturalness” of an abstract
style.”

The Santals which are major tribal inhabitants of the Hazaribagh region apart of some other parts
of India, Charulal Mukherjea in his book The Santals, describing about the artistic characteristics of
this tribe mentions “Santal walls are the beauty-spots of the hamlet. Here the inner artistic craving
of the primitive tribe has displayed itself in a realm of phantasy. In some places, we saw the walls
painted with a variety of colours, white, yellow, black, red and chocolate; sometimes with one
colour and sometimes with alternate stripes, again with queer patches of triangles and rectangles”.

Somnath Chakraverty, in his paper “Interpreting rock art in India: a holistic and cognitive approach”
in XXIII Valcamonica Symposium, 2009 describing the link of ancient rock art found on different
sites of Hazaribagh region with the present practice of Sohrai-Khovar painting, writes as follows:

“In Jharkhand state the rock art sites are related to a local legend of ‘Kohbar’ or marriage booth of
a tribal king and the newlywed couple spent the night of their marriage in the rock shelter already
decorated with paintings. Some of the sites, located near the Kiul river and in the bordering areas
between Bihar and Jharkhand are also known to the local villagers as - Kohbar and local rivulet is
identified as - Rani Gadar or after the unknown queen. The figurative motifs, often stylized horse
riders, single or in groups, two persons carrying another within a palanquin or marriage - litter,
symbolic designs and other unidentified motifs are common.”

I) Method of Production:

Raw Material
The “Sohrai-Khovar Painting” has traditionally been painted on mud house walls but in recent years
it is being painted on other canvases too. Raw materials used for Sohrai-Khovar painting also
changes with the use of canvases. However due to addition of new other canvases, few materials

GI Journal No. 129 36 January 10, 2020

 which is being used in the painting process has also changed but the distinct features,
characteristics and making of Sohrai-Khovar Painting remains same on every canvas.

Depending upon the use of different canvases for Sohrai-Khovar painting, following different kinds
of materials is being used painting of this art.

Different types of Canvases

A. Mud House Walls
B. Pukka House Walls and other Pukka walls
C. Hand Made Papers
D. Cloths

Different canvases and respective Raw materials and instruments

Canvas / Raw Material/ Instruments Description

Platform
Mud House Brush (i) Twig toothbrush (i)A manually chewed twigs of
Walls (Datwan) and /or Saal tree- a plant available in local
(ii) Cloth swabs forests of Hazaribagh
(Lipna-Potna) (ii) Cloth swabs daubed in liquid
and /or earth colors
(iii) Fore Finger tips (iii) Fingers daubed in earth colour
Colour Locally available different (i) Laal maati
Sources kinds of soils with different (red oxide)
colours (ii)Kali maati (Manganese black)
(iii)Pilla maati
(yellow ochre)
(iv) Charak maati
(Kaoline white)
(v) Dudhi maati
(cream earth colour)
Diluent Natural water Water as the diluents
Pukka Brush (i) Twig toothbrush (i)A manually chewed twigs of
House Walls (Datwan) and /or Saal tree- a plant available in local
and other (ii) Cloth swabs forests of Hazaribagh
Pukka walls (Lipna-Potna) (ii) Cloth swabs daubed in liquid
and /or earth colors
(iii) Fore Fingers tips (iii) Fingers daubed in earth colour
Colour Locally available different (i) Laal maati
Sources kinds of soils with different (red oxide)
colours (ii)Kali maati (Manganese black)
(iii)Pilla maati
(yellow ochre)
(iv)Charak maati
(Kaoline white)
(v)Dudhi maati
(cream earth colour)
Diluent Natural water Water as the diluent
Hand Made Brush (i) Twig toothbrush (i) A manually chewed twigs of
Papers (Datwan) and /or Saal tree- a plant available in local
(ii) Cloth swabs forests of Hazaribagh
(Lipna-Potna) (ii) Cloth swabs daubed in liquid
and /or earth colors

GI Journal No. 129 37 January 10, 2020

 (iii) Fore Fingers tips (iii) Fingers daubed in earth colour
Colour Natural Soil of different The same colour material
Sources colours
Diluent Natural Water Water as the diluent
Sticking Gums Locally made Gums
agent
Cloths Brush (i)Twig toothbrush (i)A manually chewed twigs of
(Datwan) and/ or Saal tree- a plant available in local
(ii) Fore Fingers tips and/ forests of Hazaribagh
or (ii)Fingers daubed in earth colour
(iii) Other Brushes (iii)other types of brushes
available; broken comb
Colour Natural Colour The same colour material
Sources
Diluent Natural water Water as the diluent

Local soil used as colour

The basic palette is red, white, black and yellow, all of whose raw materials are found in the
villages of Hazaribhagh, however white kaolin has to be dug out of caves in Hazaribagh. Yellow is
an ochre strand of earth used by potters and to wash hair. Its name is tila-mati, (tila meaning child,
mati the earth), so yellow is the colour of young earth and also that of the rice sheaves celebrated
during this harvest festival. Red is the normal colour of the earth in this region and represents the
blood of the ancestors; while black manganese symbolises Kali, the mother goddess.

The Natural earth soils which are naturally available in Hazaribagh district (a platue region) is being
used to make “Sohrai-Khovar Paintings”. The different types of soil are as under:

Name Colour Found / Origin

Natural Earth/ Ground Red Commonly available, for deep colour is
Haematite prepared by grinding the stone of the
(Local name Gerua) same colour with water
Manganese Earth Black Available around the edges of fields
bordering the forests area
Natural Earth Ochre (Local Yellow Commonly available
Name Nagri)
Plain Kaolin White Available in local sites called Chuna
Khaan (the mines of white lime)

There are two techniques used to produce the murals viz. Comb-cutting technique and Simple
technique.

Comb-cutting Technique
Comb-cutting Technique is a technique of producing such murals mostly being used by Kurmi
women in the few villages of Hazaribagh. In Comb-cutting technique- a layer of black or dark grey
manganese-rich clay is first applied on the wall. Once it dries, a second layer of whitish kaolin clay
is applied. When the second layer is just set but not fully dry, the designs are scraped onto the wall
using a broken comb or a similar toothed instrument. This scratches of comb in form of drawings
over the wet kaolin clay revealing the blackened surface below, resulting into designs comprising
multiple delicate black lines on a whitened surface, giving a unique form of murals.

Simple Technique
To make this mural painting tribal women firstly coat the wall with a layer of white mud, and while
the white layer is still wet, they draw the painting with their fingertips or with chewed sal wood

GI Journal No. 129 38 January 10, 2020

 (scientific name - Shorea robusta) tooth-sticks (datwan). Local tribal women use chewed
toothsticks (datwan) of trees which grow locally as their brushes. The frayed and softened edge of
the chewed twig becomes a paintbrush (Kuchi), which allows the artist to produce lines and dots
on the walls. They make a liquid pigment of three or four shades (red, white, black, yellow) from
locally available soil of different colours, in which they dip the kuchi or datwan and make the
painting, applying the liquid earth colours directly on the clay walls which immediately soak up the
paint like a sponge. Sometimes cloth pieces are dipped in the colour as a brush.

Towards making the ritualistic mural paintings of Sohrai-Khovar, the red line is drawn first as
according to their belief it represents the blood of the ancestors and is helpful in further procreation
and fertility. The next line is black which signifies eternal dead stone and mark of the God, Shiva in
their customary ritualistic belief. The next all-encompassing outer lines stand in their traditional
values of protection, fidelity, and chastity. The white is painted with the last year’s rice, grounded
with milk into gruel, this represents food.

Process of Painting

To make this Sohrai-Khovar painting tribal women adopt the following indigenous method:

Collection of material Kuchi

for painting -Made of chewed Sal wood (Shorea robusta) tooth-sticks (locally
called as ‘Datwan’) - locally Sal trees are in abundance.
- Broken Comb
- Cloth swab
Soil (Natural coloured)
Local Soil available in different colour
Water
Local Water
Pre-preparation Mixing and preparing a liquid pigment of three or four shades (red,
white, black, yellow) from locally available soil of different colours
The Making (Drawing) - Coating the wall with a layer of white mud
Drawing the painting
- Drawing the painting by dipping the Kuchi or Datwan while the white
layer is still wet by using their fingertips or with chewed sal wood
(Shorea robusta) tooth-sticks (datwan) and/or sometimes with broken
pieces of combs.
- Applying the liquid earth colours directly on the clay walls which
immediately soak up the paint like a sponge
Method and The Red Line
Methodology The red line is drawn first as it represents the ‘blood of the ancestors’,
(Step by Step) procreation and fertility.
The Black Line
The next line is black which signifies eternal dead stone and mark of
the God, Shiva.
Outer Lines
The next all-encompassing outer lines stand in their traditional values
of protection, fidelity, and chastity.
The White Line
The white is painted with the last year’s rice, grounded with milk into
gruel, this represents food.

GI Journal No. 129 39 January 10, 2020

 Nowadys, apart of mud walls other walls like pukka walls and different other canvases including
cloths and handmade papers are also being used for said purpose. Following is brief description
about the method of production in respect to each such canvas.

Mud House Walls as the canvas / Platform

Sohrai-Khovar Paintings are traditionally being made on mud house walls. It is a unique
combination of scraping by tips of human fore fingers, twig-brush and cloth swab paintings using
naturally available soils of different colours while using water as the diluent.

Pukka House Walls and other Pukka walls as the canvas/Platform

Sohrai-Khovar painting is nowadays done with brushes using commercial as well as earth colors to
paint motifs on cement walls

Hand Made Papers as the canvas/Platform

The handmade paper (of different sizes, usually of 30 x 22 inches) is treated with the base coat
consisting of dudhi maati, office glue (epoxy binder) that is then painted over with the natural earth
ochre colours – red oxide, manganese black, kaoline white/cream, yellow ochre using the finger tip
or a brush made of datwan. The finished painting after drying may be rolled for packing.

Cloths as the canvas/Platform

The cloth canvas of various sizes is treated with the base coat consisting of dudhi maati, office glue
(epoxy binder) that is then painted over with the natural earth ochre colours – red oxide,
manganese black, kaoline white/cream, yellow ochre using a brush. The finished painting after
drying may be rolled for packing.

J) Uniqueness:

The Sohrai-Khovar painting is unique due to its distinctive characteristics in respect to following
factors:

Material used and the method of painting

Traditionally very unique and only locally available natural materials are being used for the Sohrai-
Khovar Painting, which includes twig toothbrush (Datwan) i.e chewed twigs of Saal tree - a plant
naturally available in local forests, and soil of different kinds and colours naturally available in
particular distinct geography as the paint. The soil used for white colour is plain kaolin; yellow is a
natural earth ochre; the black is a kind of manganese earth; the red is the natural red earth colour
or ground haematite stone. All such soils of different colours are naturally available in Hazaribagh,
which is a platue region. The white soil is being brought from local sites which are called chuna-
khaan, chuna being the local name for white lime and khaan being a mine. The black manganese
earth is dug up around the edges of fields bordering the jungles. The yellow earth is a common
earth called nagri. The red earth is gerua which is very commonly found, whereas the deep
purplish red colour which also appears sometime in the paintings of Ganju women is haematite,
which is made by grinding the stone of the same colour with water.
The natural availability of such soil together in any particular geography and use of it for such
purpose is the distinctness associated with the Hazaribagh, Jharkhand.

Features
This tribal indigenous form of practicing art in mural form is being used to decorate their houses at
different traditional occasions. Depiction of murals on their mud houses in colour of Red, White &
Black with strong aesthetic value are combination of rhythmic and lyrical patterns of geometries
including triangle, circle, ovals, and curves along with animals, trees, birds and flowers which have
traditionally been found in local forest and the area. Depictions in their such non-narrative murals
are related with their tradition belief, ritual, life & surrounding environment, which includes different

GI Journal No. 129 40 January 10, 2020

 abstract natural forms and motifs of forests, trees, animals, birds, flowers, Purainpat (forest of
lotuses), along with ritual symbolic designs or patterns like Mother Goddess and Pashupati (lord of
animals).

Geographical distinctness
A. Artisans of Sohrai-Khovar painting, which are largely tribal and village people, are traditionally
being found only in particular geography i.e Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. The Sohrai-Khovar painting of
Hazaribagh is done by local Santal, Oraon, Munda, Agaria, Kurmi, Prajapati, and Ganju of
Hazaribagh.

B. Materials used are distinct, as different kinds of soils which are being used for different colours
in Sohrai-Khovar Painting are locally available soil only. The natural availability of such different
soils (which are distinctly being used for Sohrai-Khovar painting as colours) together in any
particular region is the distinct feature of the region of Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. The twig toothbrush
(Datwan), which are being used as painting brush for different canvases, are manually chewed
twigs of Saal tree- a plant available in local forests.

K) Inspection Body:

Each Sohrai-Khovar painting are treated with the natural earth ochre colours & epoxy binders to
ensure durability, which ensures genuine quality in terms of material used, pigmentation and others
through experienced supervision of Artisans.

An inspection committee has been constituted to regulate the use and control the quality of the
production of Sohrai-Khovar Paintings of Hazaribagh.

The inspection committee consisting government authorities, representatives of different

government bodies, highly reputed personalities of related field and some artisans representing
different blocks of Hazaribagh is an eleven (11) member independent body, presided by the
General Manager, District Industry Centre, Hazaribagh, Government of Jharkhand.

Inspection body – Structure

1. (Chairmen) – General Manger, District Industry Centre, Hazaribagh, Government of Jharkhand

(Ex- officio).
2. (Member) – A representative from Mukhymantri Laghu evam Kutir Udyam Vikas Board (An
undertaking of the Government of Jharkhand).
3. (Member) - A representative from Jharcraft (An undertaking of the Government of Jharkhand).
4. (Member) - A person reputed in respect to History/ Art/Anthropology/ Conservation of Art
5. (Member) - A person from any Non-Governmental Organization working in field of Art and
culture
6. (Member) - A working or retired academician from any college/University related to the subject
of Art/ History/Anthropology
7. Five (5) Members - One representative each from five different administrative blocks in which
Sohrai-Khovar painting is being practiced

L) Others:

Reputation and Recent References

Walls of many important public places of Jharkhand such as Birsa Munda Airport, Ranchi,
Hazaribagh and Tatanagar Railway Station including walls of many other important public places
and buildings have been decorated by Sohrai-Khovar painting in recent years.

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 This form of Art is being presented and acclaimed in several National and International exhibitions.

Many articles on this art have appeared in important museum and ethnographic journals apart of
leading magazines.

The Films Division of India has made an important film on this art in 2000, which won the
prestigious Rajat Kamal Award given by the President of lndia. More recently a film has also been
produced on this art in Germany.

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GI Journal No. 129 43 January 10, 2020