The certificate of Geographical Indication (GI) - recently issued by the Geographical Indication Registrar, Chennai, has been received by the Sohrai Kala Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti, Hazaribagh on November 3.

This the first GI certificate of the state of Jharkhand. It is related to tribal culture and heritage of the state of Jharkhand the Sohrai-Khovar Painting is a ritualistic tribal painting which is traditionally being practiced in the region of Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand was notified by Geographical Indication (GI) Tag by the Geographical Indication Registry Chennai on May last year.

Among 400 total GIs of the country, Sohrai-Khovar got the GI status in the least time period i.e. only nine months, after filling the application.

The GI tag for the ‘Sohrai- Khovar Painting’ is already boosting the economic prosperity of the tribal community involved in this. In this regard the application process to get Geographical Indication for Sohrai- Khovar painting was initiated and further led by Dr. Satyadeep Singh, an advocate and GI expert from National Law School of India University, Bangalore. He conducted research, several field surveys and furnished all other legal requirements in this regard and filed the application for GI on 23 August, 2019.

Singh who is also legal consultant of Department of Industries (Jharkhand Government) said, “This is a big achievement for Jharkhand as for the first time GI status has been granted to any tribal art form of State. The GI status will increase the brand value of Sohrai-Khovar painting thereby boosting the economic value of artisans involved in this art form.”

Singh further said, “The GI status of Sohrai-Khovar painting has been made in nine months which is the very least time to get the certification. Apart from GI status to Sohrai-Khovar there are several other art forms and musical instruments whose GI status certification is pending. Musical instruments Mandar which is played at Chotanagpur region, pyatkar painting of Singhbhum region are some musical instruments and art form, Deoghar’s peda whose GI status is pending.”

In neighbouring state Bihar, Madhubani painting, Muzaffarpur’s Litchi , Silao Khaja and other art forms and indigenous foods which have received GI status.

The whole process of obtaining the GI for Sohrai-Khovar was initiated by the then local Deputy Commissioner of Hazaribagh, Ravishnkar Shukla in 2018 and later got administrative support from the department of Industry, Government of Jharkhand.