Santal Sohrai Wall Art in Purulia: Winds of change
How Santal wall art in Purulia is transforming tradition with modern hues.
Changing Santal Sohrai Art
Purulia, a district in West Bengal, India lies in the lower southeast corner of the Chhota Nagpur plateau.
During our fieldwork in northern Purulia in 2016, two villages in Hura block stood out, in stark contrast to the monochromatic compositions we had seen till then.
Sohrai Murals - A recent trend (January 2017)Daricha Foundation
The walls of each hut were covered in a kaleidoscope of bold design in bright synthetic colours. It had started with a single home in Hatimara village, the brainchild of one man, and gradually spread to the rest of the village and subsequently, villages nearby.
The men took an active part in this trend, outlining geometric patterns on the wall with ruler and thread, which the women would then fill out
Sohrai Murals - A recent trend (February 2024)Daricha Foundation
With each consecutive visit to the region, multi-coloured walls in dramatic geometric designs began to pop up, proudly standing out among the monochromes.
The designs seemed inspired by the bright saris and shawls of the women. This development marked a transition from the representational to the purely graphic.
Sohrai Murals - A recent trend (January 2025)Daricha Foundation
But our first visit post Covid in 2022, showed us a drastically altered scenario. Gone were the monochromes; villages at a great distance from Hatimara, so far untouched by the craze for colour, were all flaunting the new trend.
If the walls were not in colour, they were mostly left plain. It was as if the Hatimara 'effect' had spread like wildfire during the lockdown.
Sohrai Murals - A recent trend (January 2025)Daricha Foundation
Most of the traditional artists too, egged on by the younger generation, had by now caved in to the new demand. They too felt that the coloured walls were far more attractive even though they had to now invest in paint and brushes.
Sohrai Murals - A recent trend (January 2025)Daricha Foundation
While on many walls, the first layer of potao remained, the subtle monochromatic motifs were now replaced by high drama in colour.
It was clear that most Santals had decided that these colourful walls were now their preferred style. We the outsiders, the Dikus, could only be helpless observers
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