Kohvar Art: Celebrating Harvest, Heritage, and Womanhood

Kohvar is made out of two words: Kho, which means cave, and var which means bridegroom. A nuptial chamber called Kohvar or Kohvar is decorated with paintings. Multi-coloured and black-and-white paintings are both possible under this genre. Kohvar art forms are deeply associated with the Santhal people in Bengal and Jharkhand. Khovar Painting is a folk-tribal painting tradition that is mostly done in the villages of Jharkhand. Khovar art illustrates the socio-religious customs related to the wedding ceremonies. Traditionally, women of the home paint on the mud walls of houses during nuptials to greet and bless the newly married couple. The paintings are part of a matriarchal tradition in which mothers pass down the art form to their daughters as a legacy. The most common motifs and designs influenced by the environment are linked to fertility. Natural earth colours obtained from lime and coal (white and black) are used in these painting usually, which were obtained either by foraging in the wild or by purchasing from traders. Colors are applied with fabric rags on the walls and motifs are scratched by a combing process. Kohvar art, characterized by comb-cut and finger-painted designs, celebrates marriage. Traditional motifs, passed down through generations, echo the ancient cave art found in the region. The current practice features abundant animal and plant forms, elaborate design motifs, and fertility symbols. The preparation of dyes and colours is also a historic tradition. Natural colours are traditionally made, resulting in a variety of hues, including neutral earth shades, red oxide from stones, red ochre, kaolin white, and black earth. The colour palette is limited to primary colours, with blue and green not used in painting.