Culture in Jharkhand

Jharkhand culture is rich and diverse and as a result unique in its very own way. Jharkhand culture treats guests as God and serves them and takes care of them as if they are a part and parcel of the family itself. Archaeologists have unearthed pre-Harappa pottery, pre-historic cave paintings and rock-art from various parts of Jharkhand. That hint at ancient, cultured civilizations inhabiting these parts. The intricate woodwork, the pitkar paintings, tribal ornaments, stone carvings, dolls and figurines, masks and baskets, all are pointing towards the cultural wealth of Jharkhand existed even before the Harappa age. Among the most delicate, fragile, beautiful and threatened indigenous tradition of India are for example, the Kohvar and Sohrai paintings, which are sacred, secular and relevant to a woman’s world. This is the part practiced exclusively by married women, during weddings and at harvest time, and the skill and the information is handed down to younger females of the clan. Comb-cut of finger-painted Kohvar art celebrates marriage, and the wall-painted Sohrai, bumper crops. Elaborate design motifs, animal and plant forms, fertility motifs are abundant and often echo ancient cave art found in the surrounds. The colours used are all natural shades, red oxide from stone, red ochre, kaolin white, manganese black earth etc.

Different Traditions in Jharkhand culture

Oraon: Oraon comb-cut paintings can be traced back to ancient times. Images of cattle, feeding troughs, papyrus, birds, fish plants, circled lotus, zigzag, square, opposing triangle geometric forms, arches in series-are common. Floral art forms are used during harvest time.

Ganju: Ganju art forms are characterized by images of animal, wild and domesticated, and plant forms. Large murals of animal, birds, and floral exotica, decorate homes. Endangered animals are often depicted in picture-story tradition.

Prajapati, Rana & Teli: Prajapati, Rana & Teli the three sub-castes decorate their homes with plant and animal fertility forms, using both finer painting and comb cutting techniques. The ‘prajapati’ styles uses filigree work, with emphasis on zoomorphic plants representations and Pashupati (Siva) the God of Animals, and floral motifs filled with colour.

Kurmi: Kurmi, a unique style of ‘sohrai’, where drawing outlines are scratched onto the surface of wall with nails and a wooden compass is used to etch the segmented lotus, Pashupati or Lord Shiva is depicted as a horned deity on the back of a bull, Red, black and white lines are drawn in pairs on either side to represent the ashes of ancestors. The Kurmis of Bhehwara use glyptic art to represent plants on the walls and floors of their homes.

Mundas: Mundas use their fingers to paint in the soft, wet earth of their homes and use unique motifs like the rainbow snake and plant forms of deities. Lavender-gray coloured mud from rock-art sites next ot Munda villages, are used with ochre mud as contrast colour.

Ghatwals: Ghatwals use glyptic paintings of animals on their forest dwellings.

Turi: Turi who are a small community of basket-makers use predominantly floral and jungle-based motifs in natural earthy tones on the walls of their homes.

Birhor & Bhuiya: Birhor & Bhuiya use simple, strong, and authentic graphic forms like ‘mandalas’, painting with their fingers, Crescents, stars, yoni, rectangles with corner petals, ovals with flared lines and concentric circles, are common.

Manjhi Santhal: The striking warring figures painted in black o simple clay plaster walls are startling reminders that their origins probably had links with the Indus Valley civilization.