Why in the News?

The second Kala Utsav 2025 at Rashtrapati Bhavan celebrated India’s tribal art, with artists from Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal showcasing Sohrai, Pattachitra, and Patua paintings.

Artform in News: Soharai Mural Paintings

About Sohrai Paintings:

Origin: Indigenous to Jharkhand, especially the Hazaribagh region.
Etymology: Derived from ‘Soro’ meaning “to drive away with a stick.”
Historical Roots: Traces back to the Meso-chalcolithic period (9000–5000 BC).
Archaeological Evidence: Similar rock paintings found at Isko Rock Shelter in Barkagaon.

Key Features of Sohrai Art:

- Practiced By: Women of Kurmi, Santhal, Munda, Oraon, Agaria, and Ghatwal tribes.
- Geographical Spread: Found in Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, and West Bengal.
- Materials Used: Natural substances like charcoal, clay, and soil.
- Themes: Celebrates nature—forests, rivers, animals—along with harvest and fertility.
- Festival Link: Painted during the Sohrai festival, marking the harvest season and winter.
- Ritual Role: Rice-gruel mandalas drawn to welcome cattle into homes.
- GI Tag: Awarded in 2020 for Sohrai Khovar Painting.

Back2Basics:

Pattachitra Painting:

Artform in News: Soharai Mural Paintings

Origin: Odisha, associated with the Jagannath Temple, Puri.
Material: Painted on cloth (Pata) coated with chalk powder and tamarind seed glue.
Colors Used: Made from vegetables, minerals, and earth sources.
Artistic Method:
- No pencil outlines.
- Borders are painted first.
- Sketching is done with light red and yellow brushes.
- Finished with lacquer coating for shine and durability.
Themes: Centered on Krishna Leela, Jagannath tales, and other mythological stories.

Patua Painting:

Origin: West Bengal, practiced by the Patua (Chitrakar) community.
Spread: Also found in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Bangladesh.
Format: Painted on scrolls (pati or patta) backed with old sari fabric.
Tools & Colors: Uses bamboo-goat hair brushes and vegetable dyes, fixed with gum.
Usage:
- Scrolls used to narrate folk tales.
- Focuses on Mangal Katha, especially in Kalighat and Kumartuli.
- Practiced by both Hindu and Muslim Patuas.

[UPSC 2015] Kalamkari painting refers to:

Options: (a) a hand-painted cotton textile in South India* (b) a handmade drawing on bamboo handicrafts in North-East India (c) a block-painted woollen cloth in Western Himalayan region of India (d) a hand-painted decorative silk cloth in North-Western India

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Why in the News?

About Sohrai Paintings:

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Pattachitra Painting:

Patua Painting:

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