Meeting the women artists of Jharkhand
€3590
per person
Photos : Sanskriti Museum
Embark on an exciting and enriching 14-day journey to meet the Adivasi women of the Hazaribagh region. They perpetuate a tradition of extraordinarily beautiful mural paintings, believed to have originated in the region’s caves.
A Thousand-Year-Old Art in Jharkhand
Located on the Chhota Nagpur Plateau at an altitude of 610 meters, the Hazaribagh district lies in the heart of the state of Jharkhand, surrounded by dense and often unexplored forests. Within this lush nature, women of different ethnicities decorate the walls of their mud-brick houses with striking murals.
These works, called Sohrai, are created during the harvest season, around Diwali, the Indian festival of lights. Using natural pigments mixed with clay, they depict the local flora and fauna. They sometimes incorporate themes related to female sexuality, reflecting the exclusively matriarchal aspect of this art. The similarity in style and technique with the region’s rock paintings suggests that this tradition could be thousands of years old.
Preserving a Cultural Heritage
Faced with increasing urbanization, the practice of Sohrai now only survives in a handful of villages. To preserve this art, the Sanskriti Center of Hazaribagh, founded by Bulu Imam (Padma Shri), has been working to protect it since the 1980s. The center has notably developed the transcription of these paintings onto paper, thus giving new life to this heritage.
A Detour to West Bengal
Your trip will end on a high note with a foray into West Bengal. There, you will discover the art of the Chhau masks of Purulia and visit the emblematic site of Bishnupur, famous for its magnificent brick temples.
THIS TRIP INCLUDES:
- Accommodation in 3-star hotels.
- All breakfasts.
- All transportation by INNOVA AC car with a driver who speaks basic English (taxes, fuel, accommodation, and driver’s meals included).
- English-speaking cultural guide for your entire stay in Hazaribag.
- 24/7 support; we are in constant contact with you.
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Day 1
Arrival in Ranchi, capital of Jharkhand
Namaskar, welcome to Ranchi, the capital of the state of Jharkhand!
We'll greet you warmly at the airport and take you to your hotel. Get a good night's rest before this cultural journey to a region of India that's still rarely visited.
Overnight in Ranchi
Day 2
Ranchi > Hazaribagh
In the morning, we will visit several sites in the city of Ranchi, starting with the temple dedicated to Jagannath, a form of Vishnu, built in 1691 CE by Thakur Ani Nath Shahdeo. Perched atop a hill, the shrine offers panoramic views of the city.
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After lunch, depart for Hazaribagh, the main destination of this trip. Arrival in the late afternoon.*
Located on one of the plateaus of Chhota Nagpur,At 600 meters above sea level, Hazaribagh is adorned with dense, still largely unexplored forests, rock formations, and lakes; The region is also home to many Adivasis (indigenous) communities.*
For the next 6 days, we will explore the Hazaribagh region with Justin Imam, the eldest son of Bulu Imam, as our guide, who, like his father, works to preserve Jharkhand's indigenous heritage. Overnight in HazaribaghDay 3
Dipugarha & Canary hill
Our friendly guide, Justin Imam, will join us and take us on a tour of the site where the British Raj established the Assam District Tea Labour Supply Association in April 1919, in Dipugarha, near Canary Hill.
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The former buildings where the Oraon tea workers worked now house the Sanskriti Museum & Art Gallery. The Sanskriti Museum & Art Gallery was founded by Bulu Imam in 1991, after the discovery of the first rock cave at Isco in Hazaribagh district.*
The museum displays a collection of stone tools from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic periods, including pottery and Buddhist antiquities from the Hazaribagh region. It also features an exhibition of local Aboriginal crafts and textiles, as well as an art gallery with approximately 200 Khovar (wedding murals) and Sohrai (harvest murals) paintings from Hazaribagh.*
Overnight in HazaribaghDay 4
Jorakath
In the morning, we will head into the hinterland, about thirty kilometers away, to visit the village of Jorakath, in the Sati Hills. There, several houses are located with "Sohrai" murals, which are associated with the autumn harvest.
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During the months of October and November, the women of the Kurmi community of this village repair the clay walls damaged by the monsoons by applying several coatings. Then, using comb tips, they engrave dark black patterns depicting forest animals, plants, fish, and various other symbols on the facades.*
On the way back, we will stop at a Santal Adivasi village to observe the traditional weaving of this community.*
Night in HazirabaghDay 5
Isco Rockart > Barso pani > Megaliths of Barwadhi Punkree (Hazaribagh region)
Today, we will continue our exploration of the Hazaribagh region through the Rift Valley, where Isko Cave, or "Marwateri" in the local language, is located; it is the largest rock art shelter in Eastern India, dating back to 10,000 BC.
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An easy hiking trail will take us to the village of Isco, a stronghold of the Munda Adivasis. The Paleolithic cave features animal and floral motifs that are also found on the walls of the local mud houses.*
We will continue our journey along the Maudhi Range and stop at Barso Pani, a sacred water source nestled in the heart of a lush forest of Saal trees.*
Continuing our journey, we will come across the Punkree Barwadhi megaliths, which researchers consider to be a kind of prehistoric observatory. Nearby, on the summit of a small hill, are Buddhist relics dating from the Mauryan period (9th-12th century CE).*
Return at the end of the day. Overnight in HazirabaghDay 6
Traditional Adivasis villages & murals Sohrai (Hazaribagh region)
Today we will head southwest of Hazaribagh to visit the villages of the Nano and Oriya peoples, which display beautiful Sohrai murals using white clay, iron ore, and manganese found locally.
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On the way back, we will cross the Konar River at Larha to discover the Buddhist ruins of Baranpur south of Sitagarha Hill.*
Return at the end of the day, overnight stay in HazaribaghDay 7
Santhal Villages & Sohrai Murals & Dhokra Art
In the morning, we will depart for the village of Bhelwara, known for its Sohrai linear murals using "datwan," chewed Saal branches. The patterns consist of white, red, and black lines symbolizing ancestors, life and death, as well as the lord of animals, "Pashupati."
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Not far from there, we will meet the Santhal people in several villages to admire the Sohrai paintings, this time composed of very graphic zigzag and triangular patterns.*
After a lunch break, we will visit other villages of the Malhar ethnic group to gain insight into the tradition of Dokhra, a process of casting copper and bronze using lost-wax casting.*
Return at the end of the day, overnight stay in HazaribaghDay 8
Agaria village, Sohrai paintings & Ichak temples
On our last day in Jharkhand, we will travel to Salparni National Park to visit an Agaria village where Sohrai wall paintings are created using rods coated with three different pigments: kaolin (creamy white), manganese (black), and hematite (red).
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After lunch, we will explore the ancient Zamindaris' palace of Ramgarh and the Ichak Temple complex.*
Return late in the day for an overnight stay in Hazaribagh.Day 9
Hazaribagh > Purulia
We leave Jharkhand and head for Purulia (West Bengal), a small town where the famous semi-classical Chhau dance was born. The word Chhau means “mask or shadow” according to ancient Sanskrit texts. The dance's choreography is drawn from ancient rituals associated with the worship of Lord Shiva. Mask-making itself has become an art form, a specialty of the region.
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We will stay at the Matha Forest resort located at the foot of Pakhi Pahar, a hill sculpted by the artist Chitta Dey several decades ago.*
After lunch, we will depart for Charida, a picturesque red-soiled village located in the foothills of the Ayodhya Hills (10 kilometers from the resort). More than 300 Chhau mask makers work there. Overnight stay in PuruliaDay 10
Matha > Purulia > Murguma > Matha
We continue our exploration of the "land of Chhau" via Murguma, which, in addition to its mask makers, offers a pleasant journey through lush and wild landscapes. We will continue to Purulia, another mask-making town, then return gently to Matha, still surrounded by enchanting natural scenery.
Overnight in Purulia
Day 11
Purulia > Bishnupur
Heading to Bishnupur, the iconic city of West Bengal known for its terracotta temples.
Check-in at the hotel.
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After lunch, we will begin visiting several temples, the most famous of which are the Ras Mancha with its pyramidal bell tower, the Shyam Rai, and the Madan Mohan.Day 12
Bishnupur > Panchmura > Bikna > Bishnupur
In the morning, we will continue our visit to the temples and then embark on a tour that includes two craft stops.
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First, Panchmura, a small hamlet 20 km from Bishnupur, a stronghold of terracotta artisans; 70 families make their living here from this folk art. The famous "Bankura" horse, known worldwide, is produced in Panchmura.*
We will continue to the village of Bikna, known for the art of Dokhra. We will stroll through the village's narrow streets while admiring its houses delicately decorated with ethnic motifs. Return to Bishnupur at the end of the day. Overnight in Bishnupur.Day 13
Bishnupur > Kolkata
After this enriching stay in the heart of the culture of Jharkhand and West Bengal, we return to Kolkata, the end of the trip. Looking forward to meeting you again. Namaskar.
