ON A journey across Keonjhar district of Odisha, one house in Hariharpur village literally beckons. Structurally, the mud house with tiled roofs is no different from most other dwellings across tribal villages in Odisha and neighbouring Jharkhand. But vibrant, attractive murals on the walls set the house apart. One that piques interest depicts two white swans on either side of a flower with pink petals, yellow at the centre and a thick green stem.
Such murals are part of a long tradition of the Santhal community that dominates Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts of Odisha; East Singhbhum and Seraikela- Kharsawan districts of Jharkhand; and Purulia district of West Bengal. Santhali women usually paint the walls of their houses to mark Sohrai, a harvest festival coinciding with Diwali or Kali Puja. “Women in our village often compete with each other to make the prettiest murals during Sohrai,” says Sumati Marandi, who has made the swan mural. The art also adorns walls during ceremonies or special occasions, such as weddings and childbirth.
Social worker Jaypal Singh Sardar, a resident of Chandpur village in Potka block of East Singhbum, says murals are found in almost every village in the district. Apart from the Santhals, the Bhumij community in the district also paints them.
Denne historien er fra February 01, 2022-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra February 01, 2022-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
In leading role again
MOVIES AND WEB SERIES ARE ONCE AGAIN BEING SET IN RUSTIC BACKGROUNDS, INDICATING A RECONNECT BETWEEN CINEMA AND THE COUNTRYSIDE
One Nation One Subscription comes at a huge cost
As top US universities scrap big deals with top scientific publishers, India’s ONOS scheme seems flawed and outdated
Return of Rambhog
Bid to revive and sell the aromatic indigenous paddy variety has led to substantial profits for farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Terai region
Scarred by mining
Natural springs of Kashmir drying up due to illegal riverbed mining
Human-to-human spread a mutation away
CANADA IN mid-November confirmed its first human case of avian influenza, with a teenager in the British Columbia being hospitalised after contracting the H5N1 virus that causes the disease. The patient developed a severe form of the disease, also called bird flu, and had respiratory issues. There was no known cause of transmission.
True rehabilitation
Residents of Madhya Pradesh's Kakdi village take relocation as an opportunity to undertake afforestation, develop sustainable practices
INESCAPABLE THREAT
Chemical pollution is the most underrated and underreported risk of the 21st century that threatens all species and regions
THAT NIGHT, 40 YEARS AGO
Bhopal gas disaster is a tragedy that people continue to face
A JOKE, INDEED
A CONFERENCE OF IRRESPONSIBLE PARTIES THAT CREATED AN OPTICAL ILLUSION TO THE REALITY OF A NEW CLIMATE
THINGS FALL APART
THE WORLD HAS MADE PROGRESS IN MITIGATING EMISSIONS AND ADAPTING TO CLIMATE IMPACTS. BUT THE PROGRESS REMAINS GROSSLY INADEQUATE
