Sohrai Khovar Workshop in Hazaribagh

About this experience

Long before canvas and gallery walls, there were mud homes in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh region, their surfaces alive with deer, birds, trees, and flowing rivers, painted in the ochres and whites of the earth itself. This is Sohrai and Khovar, two ancient art traditions born from harvest celebrations and wedding rituals, still practised today with the same reverence and joy. At Dipugarha, the heart of this living tradition, the Sohrai kala Samiti opens its doors for an experience unlike any other. You do not watch, you paint. You do not read about earth colours, you hold them in your hands, feel their texture, and understand why the land itself has always been the artist’s first muse. Spend a day in the company of artists who have grown up with these motifs, guided by a senior master who will share not just technique, but the stories, rituals, and community spirit woven into every line. A walk through the Samiti’s museum brings the bigger picture into focus, a timeline of a tradition that has survived, adapted, and continued to inspire. By the time you leave, you will have a piece of art you made yourself, and a story you will be telling for years.