It would have been improper and unjustified that the most important address of a State dominated by enriching tribal art and culture carries no significant imprint of it. Acting on the principle of 'better late than never', the Government has stepped in to correct the lacuna that exists.
J’khand Mantralaya or Secretariat building that houses offices of none other than the Chief Minister, Ministers, all important Secretaries and a host of top officials is going to be fitted with Sohrai paintings carved out on fiber glass. A Mural Painting kind of structure is being created just over the main entrance of the building covering it from top to bottom. The structure would be 40 feet in height and 12 feet in width that would depict ancient tribal art and cultural forms of Jharkhand through different layers of tiles.
"The entire painting would showcase advisai-moolwasi culture of the State. Boarder of the huge painting is of Sohrai while the main figures would have two main levels. In the first level, we have carved out the hunting practice which symbolises power or strength of society as a whole. It also has been the prime act of tribal communities of Jharkhand. In the second level, there are human structures in the form of males and females dancing that again depict joy and happiness during festive seasons of the State amid natural beauty," said Shayam Vishwakarma, the main artist creating the structure.
All the pictures in the painting would follow geometrical cuts method like triangle, round or rectangle for defining organs on the faces or otherwise. "This is distinctly different from traditional form of Sohrai paintings where metaphors like peacocks' fin etc has been used to sysbolise eyes. The structure would be distinctly different and ahead of the times," adds Vishwakarma who is an aluminous of Patna Fine Arts College and has been awarded with Rajiv Gandhi Best Innovative Project besides several others.
The idea surfaced during the renovation exercise and interior decoration work going on at the Secretariat building. "While the interior works were continuing we asked Shayam Vishwakarma whether something can be made on the outer walls of the building which was otherwise empty. He then suggested three-four ideas and we selected this one," said Rajiv lochan, Executive Engineer with the Building Construction Department.
Entire painting and concept would firstly be made on clay and later transferred on 'plaster of paris'. Finally it would be descended on durable and tough fiber glass. Vishwakarma mentioned that the structure would last over 50 years but needed to be coated in 5-6 years duration.
"It is water and dust resistant and needs just to be saved from fire. Currently, we are fixing the tiles which would be polished and painted before being readied for inauguration. By the end of October, we are expecting that the entire work would complete," said Vishwakarma who has deployed experienced artists from West Bengal for the exercise. It is estimated that the entire structure of Sohrai painting would cost nearly Rs 10 lakh, including that coming on material and labour inputs.
Vishwakarma, before the project, has set up artifacts at official guest house at Netarhat and DC offices and Circuit Houses at Sahibganj and about 10 other districts.