Santal Sohrai Wall Art in Purulia: Traditional Motifs & Compositions
Discover the traditional motifs and compositions of Santal wall art in Purulia, West Bengal, India.
Traditional motifs (April 2023)Daricha Foundation
Whether traditional or contemporary, monochromatic Sohrai Likhan motifs are primarily floral. If these motifs once symbolized something, most women today no longer remember this.
Drawn from the artist's memory of past practices mingled with her imagination, most traditional artists could only describe their motifs as a generic flower, vine or tree, bird, insect or fish.
Traditional motifs (January 2017)Daricha Foundation
The tree of life, likely a stylized date palm, in various artistic expressions, is an oft repeated motif.
Traditional motif, Kadam phoolDaricha Foundation
In subsequent visits, some women were able to liken their motifs to specific locally found flowers like shiuli, shaluk, ghurni, kadam and lotus, and vines like the betel leaf (paan) and ferns like shushni.
At any rate, all the motifs represented elements from their natural surroundings that previous generations were familiar with.
Traditional motifs (February 2024)Daricha Foundation
Eventually, these became old familiar patterns - reproduced instinctively or adapted from, and put together creatively in a composition unique to the artist.
The source of inspiration notwithstanding, the result is stylized, intricate "masterpieces" of incomparable beauty, elementary, yet replete with energy.
Traditional motifs-free flowing compositions (March 2023)Daricha Foundation
The ornamentation, whether geometric or floral, is usually executed in panels, though presenting a seamless continuity of the pattern across the wall.
Some compositions are also in the form of arabesque-like patterns – all derived from nature: seamless, intertwining vines and foliage running across walls as wide as 30 feet.
Traditional motifs-free flowing compositions (January 2025)Daricha Foundation
Another example of intertwining foliage, though on an inner wall. Skilled artists, with more time at hand, manage to decorate inner walls too.
Derivations from traditional motifs (March 2023)Daricha Foundation
A skilled artist sometime plays on traditional motifs to create a unique composition.
Sohrai Likhan- Geometric patterns (January 2017)Daricha Foundation
Instead of stylized motifs, traditional artists sometimes paint intricate geometric patterns with their fingertips.
The symmetry, control, precision and balance of these equally spaced lines achieved so effortlessly are noteworthy.
Sohrai Likhan - Contemporary compositions (January 2017)Daricha Foundation
Santal women paint their walls purely for aesthetic reasons. There is no association with ritual worship whatsoever. No religious figures are depicted.
Compositions vary from minimal to complex and are usually a function of the time at hand and the number of womenfolk available in the household.
Sohrai Likhan - Contemporary compositions (January 2017)Daricha Foundation
Though adhering to the traditional monochromatic technique, most young women had moved away (by 2016) from the complex traditional motifs and expressed themselves through free flowing and spontaneous contemporary compositions.
Sohrai Likhan - Contemporary compositions (January 2017)Daricha Foundation
These too were an expression of the artist’s aesthetic energy and her oneness with nature.
Sohrai Likhan - Contemporary compositions (January 2017)Daricha Foundation
Modern floral motifs however, appeared to be more realistic than stylized.
Painted geometrical patterns are not a common sight in northern Purulia (2017-01-01)Daricha Foundation
Here and there, instead of monochromatic compositions, earth pigments were used to create horizontal bands or running triangular borders above the plinth, a common practice among Santals in other regions.
Dramatic plinths (January 2017)Daricha Foundation
With the intrinsic Santal sense of style and balance, some plinths were highlighted with motifs or stripes. Daubs of earth pigments too were added sometimes.
Sohrai Likhan- Columns (January 2017)Daricha Foundation
Some aesthetically sculpted columns too were highlighted with these pigments.
Santal bas-relief walls (January 2017)Daricha Foundation
Though not created specifically for Sohrai, many traditional Santal homes have the most beautiful bas-relief work on their walls, both exterior and interior. The designs mostly replicated the traditional wall motifs. Bas-relief on walls are made at the time of building a home.
Santal bas-relief walls (January 2015)Daricha Foundation
Unlike the murals which are recreated every year, bas-relief decorations are permanent and only need a fresh coat of poli mati along with minor repairs, in advance of Sohrai.
Bas-relief work too is a very old tradition in this region. But even this is endangered as the younger women do not wish to devote the time it requires, when repairing or rebuilding their walls.
Santal bas-relief walls (March 2018)Daricha Foundation
Revisiting this village this year (2025), we found to our dismay that this extraordinary bas-relief work coloured with earth pigments was gone. A plain wall stood in its place.
Sohrai Likhan - A dying tradition (January 2017)Daricha Foundation
The monochromatic Sohrai Likhan tradition, has become endangered over the last several years. Only glimpses of it can be seen scattered across the region. Most of the educated younger women, having lost interest in this "old-fashioned" look, have moved on to a new style that has become the rage over the last few years. Besides, mud walls are rapidly being replaced by bricks and mortar.
Today, there is only a dwindling group of skilled women left, who are still in possession of this traditional knowledge.
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