29 Oct Prelims Bits: Sohrai and Khovar Art
This article covers “ prelims related topic Sohrai and Khovar Art
SYLLABUS MAPPING:
GS: Indian visual art and culture.
FOR PRELIMS:
What is Sohrai and Khovar Art: region and GI tag?
Why in the news?
PM Modi gifts Jharkhand’s art to Russia’s President Putin during BRICS summit
Sohrai and Khovar Art:
Region: Predominantly practiced in eastern India, especially in the Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand.
Cultural Significance:
1. Sohrai relates to the harvest festival following Diwali.
2. Khovar connects to marriage rituals, which are celebrated post-monsoon at the start of the paddy harvest.
Modern Adaptations
Art on Paper and Cloth: The traditional murals are now also created on paper and cloth for commercial sale.
Historical Background
Origins: Dates back to the Paleolithic period (7000 – 400 BC) with cave paintings showing similar animal and floral motifs.
Revival Efforts: Environmentalist Bulu Imam brought attention to the art form’s historical significance.
Etymology
Sohrai: Derives from the Mundari term “Soroi,” meaning “to lash with a stick.”
Khovar: “Kho” means house or room, and “Var” means groom.
Characteristics
Sohrai:
1. Matriarchal art passed from mother to daughter.
2. Common motifs include pregnant figures, animals with young ones (e.g., hens and chicks), buffalo, rhinoceros, cows, tigers, wild pigs, and Nilgai.
3. Dedicated to Pashupati, the ruler of creatures.
4. Uses red (ancestors’ blood) and black lines (eternal death/Shiva).
Khovar:
Matriarchal origins are similarly passed from mother to daughter.
Themes related to fertility and relationships; motifs include bamboo, elephants, turtles, peacocks, lotuses, and flowers.
Artistic Process
Base Coating: Wall surfaces are prepared with a mixture of soil and dung, followed by white clay.
Sohrai Process: Red lines depict fertility, black lines for Shiva, and white lines for food, reflecting the harvest festival.
Khovar Process:
Black earth (womb) layered with white clay (sperm).
Patterns are created with a comb, symbolizing a Mother Goddess.
Pregnant peacocks are drawn as an auspicious symbol in the marriage room.
Present Situation
Popularization: Bulu Imam established the Sanskriti Museum & Art Gallery in 1992.
Government Initiatives:
Plans to adorn trains and government buildings with Sohrai murals (2018).
Geographical Indication (GI) Tag: Sohrai-Khovar received GI status in 2020.
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PRELIMS QUESTION
Q.With reference to Sohrai and Khovar Art, consider the following statement:
1. The Sohrai Khoavar Art is a type of mural painting
2. This art is primarily predominant in the states of Kerala and Karnataka
3. The Sohrai Khovar art is unique in its features as it is a matriarchial art
How many of the above-given statements are correct?
A. Only one
B. Only two
C. All three
D. None
ANSWER: B
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