Now Reading: Sohrai-Khovar: Jharkhand’s ancient women’s art goes global
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Sohrai-Khovar: Jharkhand’s ancient women’s art goes global
Sohrai and Khovar, ancient women-led art traditions from Jharkhand, have moved from mud walls to airport terminals and diplomatic gifts. The art, traced back to Mesolithic and Chalcolithic cave paintings, received Geographical…
The Story in Brief
Sohrai and Khovar, ancient women-led art traditions from Jharkhand, have moved from mud walls to airport terminals and diplomatic gifts. The art, traced back to Mesolithic and Chalcolithic cave paintings, received Geographical Indication status in May 2020. Hazaribagh became the first district in Jharkhand to paint all its government buildings with Sohrai motifs, including the chief minister's residence and Ranchi's Birsa Munda Airport. Prime Minister Modi is reported to have gifted a Sohrai painting to Russian President Putin.
The art form is tied to harvest and wedding rituals, passed down through generations of women. Forest officer Sanjeev Kumar says painting fills income gaps between crop cycles, giving women a way to earn during off-seasons. Starting in 2007, he organised folk art camps that drew participants from India, Australia, and Bangladesh. Local organisers now report dozens of women directly employed and hundreds more earning supplemental income through the art.
The Indian Opinion
Two lazy narratives circle this story. One says government patronage is saving a dying tradition. The other claims a harvest ritual is being cheapened for tourism. Both miss the point. Sohrai-Khovar has survived for millennia because women adapted it to their seasons, not because of any scheme. The real test will be whether the women keep control of the supply chain as orders grow. Watch the share of the final price that reaches the artist. That number will tell the truth.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
