Colors of the Soul: Unraveling the Stories of Santhal Wall Paintings
When we look at it, India has always been the home of vast cultures, so diversified and unique from each other that they can never be counted within the grasp of fingers; it is a never-ending panorama, limitless within its core, and all of which are united by the root of self-preservation and integrity. Similarly, we seek the cultural manifesto of the Santhals, who are a tribe that is spread over the region of present-day Jharkhand, Bihar, and West Bengal spread around the states of the Indian subcontinent.
Intricately, like any other tribal culture, the Santhal also have their own way of showcasing art; from a perspective that is very individualistic to them, they reflect their artistic perception in a unique manner that is deeply imbued in their cultural traditions and is also influenced by their geographical stratigraphy.
Who are the Santhals?
From research, we can gather that the Santhal tribe belongs to the pre-Aryan period. Considered one of the largest groups of tribes in India, they are also renowned as one of the great fighters, especially during the British regime in India. But today, we mustn’t look into their heroic tales but rather explore the exquisite sight of their creativity, which makes them stand out from all.
We all have our own understanding when it comes to aesthetic design; decorating and crafting, by all means, is the reflection of our soul and how we perceive the world to be. The same factors to the Santhal of West Bengal, who magnificently paint the walls of their huts during any village festival that occurs as an event concerning ceremonial celebration, which, in essence, influences their own artistic mind. Recognized as ‘Sohrai’ because this traditional wall art is related to their harvest festival, which is also renowned as Sohrai, it is the time frame that is celebrated as a thanksgiving for the cattle that have tremendously helped them cultivate their land. This festival, which is celebrated at the end of October or sometimes even in January, coincides with the harvesting season, which is very prominent to them.
Decorating the Clay Walls
A practice that has long prevailed in the rural areas of Bengal, we find this artistic beauty in the clay-built houses of Bankura, Midnapore, Purulia, and Burdwan. In said villages, it is the women who use their sheer skill in producing these magnificent wall paintings with honesty and clarity that makes us reminisce about the spirit of the ancient times. And it is mostly the tribal groups of Santhals as well as the Mahato and the Sadak community who, with time, have become deft in this art form.
Seeking The Walls of Art
In Sohrai the Santhals uniquely paint the walls of their huts, the main inspiration here being ‘Devotion.’ They showcase unending belief in a stone, which is a formless representation of their divine; they sing all the burdens of their life to that reflection, and in the avenue of making it a memorable venture, the individuals paint these whole processes in their walls. The main idea here is to portray a vivid scenario of their life, which also conjures their day-to-day experiences.
The Murals and Motifs
In the walls of the Santhals, we will find done in primary colors it is mainly infested with leafy patterns in the foreground, background, and borders. The paintings are simply characterized by directness and are siphoned with a rhythmic flow. With the purity and austerity of a child-like direction, these walls also depict insects, animals, and birds. The figures characterize the basic morality that we find in the groups of Santhal individuals who have the virtue of that of a child. They don’t let them tangle in the so-called complexities of the societies and are just satisfied within their mindful rituals of nature, which they all propel in their walls.
The figures in this painting are static, frequently multicolored, and are artistic rather than diverging on realism. What we mainly find in these paintings are bodies of fish and birds joined together in one head which ceaselessly represents a sense of aesthetics. Similarly, human, animal, and bird couples are also drawn together to foreplay the unanimous understanding of love and union; some images also personate the figure of mother and child, which artistically puts the front that how the Santhals believe that there is no strong and emotive relationship than that of a mother and child.
The view of the village Itself is also frequently found on the backdrop of the huts, where women are shown carrying firewood and water, and men are delineated by driving bullock carts to the market. Images also reflect singing and dancing scenarios under a tree, lovers or couples are presented under the essence of flowering creepers. Equivalently, men and women cutting wood, gathering firewood, and carrying water on their heads have also been framed, which nominally gives us the basic view of a family going for cultivation in these walls. What we also find are paintings of fishing, flying kites and swinging, hunters returning with their catch, and brothers of the bridegroom carrying the bride in a basket. All of these images and daub surfaces simply weave and explore the day-to-day experiences and the elementary life that the Santhals lead. It doesn’t quintessentially glorify either the art or their nature.
These, in short, tell of the strong family bond and how eventful the lives of Santhal are, which, as a result, also diffuses a rare sort of energy that magically animates the Santhal art.
Interestingly, what we find unique in the Santhal art is that the color scheme here holds no logic. A fish or a bird may appear in many colors, and in this procession, the pictures are first drawn in black, and then they are colored. Also, the Santhals use natural colours for this pursuit which are made from plants and stones with a special and striking tinge. Although, with time, the younger generation has taken the lead with synthetic colors, the older generation still sticks to the use of natural colors.
Role of Rabindranath Tagore
It was because of Rabindranath Tagore that the art of Santhals was able to find prominence and a footing. When Tagore got interested in the lives of Santhals, who were living close to Shantiniketan, he effortlessly started promoting their art and also appointed Nandalal Basu as an art teacher in ‘Kala Bhavan.’ It was during this momentum when interest in traditional crafts and folk arts started populating in the ridges of Bengal, specifically in Sreeniketan and Shantiniketan. And, soon after this recognition, an artist’s colony was established in 1930 near Shantiniketan with Ramkinkar Baji, a Santhal painter and sculptor, as one of the founding members. Today, anyone who visits Shantiniketan comes back with fond memories, including Ramkinkar, who, because of his explicit works, forever has become an unforgettable memory etched in the minds of the individuals.
Conclusion
Today even though younger artists have catered to acrylic and using said paint on canvases yet, this particular art form is still rooted in the villages of Bengal who during occasions like Kali Puja and Durga Puja also start painting anew these walls so as to celebrate and welcome the divine with prosperity and joy.
References
- Daricha Foundation: Sohrai Wall Art of The Santhals
- Das, Animesh & Rai, Dr. (2025). Sohrai Wall Art Of The Santhals: A Visual Chronicle Of Culture And Tradition In The Indian Knowledge System. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CREATIVE RESEARCH THOUGHTS. 13. 32-40.
- Santhal Paintings: Indian Culture. Gov.in
- A Tribal Tale, Folk Paintings by Santhals in Bengal- Get Bengal
- Pal, S., and Kalam, M.A. (2023). Modernization of Tribal Wall Paintings: A Study on the Santhal Community of Dhatkidih village of Galudih, Purba Singbhum, Jharkhand