Khovar (marriage art) & Sohrai (Harvest art) Traditional Village mural painting of Hazaribagh

TRIBAL ART PAINTINGS OF HAZARIBAGH DISTRICT (JHARKHAND)

The Hazaribagh district is the homeland of the world famous Khovar (marriage art) and Sohrai (Harvest art) Tribal paintings done annually on the mud house walls with natural earth colours by traditional women artists. The Khovar art, literally means : Kho = Cave/Chamber, Var = Bridal couple i.e Caves/Chambers of the Bridal Couple. This is an ancient art tradition which traces its origin to the pre-historic rock-art (10,000 B.C) found in the Hazaribagh and Chatra districts. Later this art tradition may have carried into Madhubani (Bihar), where it is known as Mithila Kahobar marriage art.

The Khovar marriage art is done by the married women or Devi’s who first prepare the mud house wall with Kali matti (black mud), which is then given a second coat of Dudhi matti (milky white mud). This layer is then scrapped off with the four fingers, broken pieces of combs or bamboo strips, while the dudhi matti is still wet. Thus revealing the black undercoat, hence the designs are painted. The Khovar painting is done in the bride’s house, where the marriage rites are performed and this special area of the house is painted and decorated.

The Sohrai harvest art is a painted art-form, where the walls are painted with Kali matti, Charak matti/ Dudhi matti, lal matti (Geru), and pila matti, using a datwan (chewed tooth-sticks) or cloth swabs daubed in the different earth colours. The Sohrai painting is done one day after Diwali (festival of light) for Celebrating a Good Harvest and the Lakshmi puja (Gobardhan puja), when the cattle is worshipped as the Goddess of wealth.

Cultural Village Tourism in Hazaribagh

The old Hazaribagh district included the districts of Chatra, Koderma and Ramgarh. Today it comprises of the plateau and hilly region north of river Damodar. The natural beauty of the district headquarter can be viewed at Canary hill, Hazaribagh lake and the national park. However this is limited to just a days visit which a tourist or visitor is presented with. The proposal below demonstrates a wider canvas for a three-days package.

Visit a village in  a valley:

There are few beautiful villages like Kharati, and Badhuli pipradhi in the Barkagaon valley, which are home of the famous Khovar marriage art done on the walls of the mud houses in the region. These are fast disappearing with the onslaught of the cement-brick houses that are emerging in these villages. The ancient tradition of painting the mud walls of the houses by the women artists is a dying culture that needs to be renewed and revived. Tourists and visitors in a days trip can see hundreds of houses painted with this vibrant traditional and tribal art of Jharkhand and take a visit to the ancient rock-art site of Isco on the Sati range, which has been dated to 10,000 B.C. The mural art is one of the longest continuing art traditions in the world which is unique to the region.

Visit a village in the hills:

There are few forest villages like Jorakath and Saheda in the hills east of Barkagaon, but approached from the National Highway 33 near Charhi. The forest department road winds through lush forest and reaches a beautiful lake with lotus near Jorakath village. This village is the home of the traditional wildlife paintings of elephants and peacocks painted by women artists in several dozen mud houses. A forest trail over the hills for a few kilometers leads to the famous Isco rock-art site. Tourists and visitors in a days trip can see several dozen houses painted with this traditional Khovar art and have a picnic or boating in the forest lake. A trekking trail over hills (for one hour walk – one way) can lead to a visit of the Isco rock-art site.

Visit a village in near a river:

The beautiful village of Bhelwara is home of the famous Sohrai harvest art. The walls of several hundred houses are decorated with paintings and exhibit a unique resemblance to the prehistoric rock-art of the region. The highly symbolic and iconic, geometric and graphic designs are very attractively painted in every part of the mud house walls. Tourist and visitors in a days trip can see hundreds of houses painted with the traditional Sohrai art and have a picnic at the scenic Seewane river. They can also visit the traditional Malhar dokra metal casters of the region and purchase this exotic handicraft item directly from the artisan.