Sohrai is an ancient and intricate art form from the tribal regions of Jharkhand and Bihar in India. Its origin can traced back to the Paleolithic period between 7000 and 400 BC. The name "Sohrai" is derived from the word "soro" meaning "to drive with a stick". The skill is passed on from mother to daughter. Most depictions show pregnant figures and animals with their young ones. This craft is associated with the Sohrai festival, a harvest festival celebrated during the autumn after the Hindu festival of Diwali. During this festival, villagers adorn their homes with vibrant Sohrai paintings, depicting scenes from nature, folklore, and everyday life. The intricate motifs and symbols are believed to invoke blessings for a bountiful harvest and prosperity. Common motifs include animals such as elephants, peacocks and snakes as well as symbols of fertility such as trees, flowers and birds. The paintings are characterized by rhythmic patterns intertwined with geometric shapes to form mesmerizing compositions.
Technique and Materials
Craftsmen use natural resources like clay mixed with various colors of mud such as “Kali Mitti” (brown), “Laal Mitti” (red), and “Pili Mitti” (yellow). Women coat walls of their homes with a layer of white mud, and while still wet, draw with their fingertips, pieces of combs or saal wood tooth-sticks (“datwan”). Designs are painted with cloth swabs daubed in different earth colors.
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