Sohrai and Kohbar Painting | 18 Sep 2021

Why in News

• On September 17, 2021, the Governor of Jharkhand, Ramesh Bais released a special envelope on Sohrai and Kohbar painting issued by the Department of Posts at Raj Bhavan, Ranchi.

Key Points

• Sohrai and Kohbar art are the two main folk arts of Jharkhand. Both these paintings depict the development of human civilization.
• Natural colors are used in both these paintings. This art is more prevalent mainly in Hazaribagh and Chatra.
• There is a rich tradition of Kohbar and Sohrai in many districts of Jharkhand. Possibly the present-day Kohbar art is a modern form of the age-old cave paintings found in Jharkhand. The Kohbar paintings of Hazaribagh are mainly tribal.
• The depictions on clay walls are made by women. The illustrations are very artistic and clear enough to be read easily.
• The subjects of Kohbar's paintings are generally fertility, male-female relations, witchcraft, which are represented by such symbols of husbands, animals and birds, sorcery, which are popular and valid for progeny growth, For example, bamboo, elephant, tortoise, fish, peacock, lotus or other flowers etc. Apart from these, various figures of Shiva and human figures are also used. These pictures are painted in full size on the outer or inner walls of the house.
• Kohbar painting has been done for centuries in the villages of Jorkath, Isco, Shanreya, Sahaida, Dhetrige, Kharati, Raham etc. of Hazaribagh district.
• In the Sohrai paintings, the background of the walls is of the original color of the soil. Figures are made on it with brown resin, lap (kaolin) and black (manganese) colors. In Kohbar and Sohrai paintings, slight variation has been found according to different tribal groups or sub-castes.