Bankala – The Art of the Forest

In the heart of Jharkhand’s dense forests, where the rhythm of drums echoes at festivals and the earth is painted in ochre and red, lives an art as old as the soil itself. This is the world of the Adivasis — communities whose stories were never written in books, but on the walls of their homes, the folds of scrolls, and the curves of pottery.

For centuries, these art forms have been part of life, not separate from it. The Sohrai paintings, drawn on mud walls after harvest, are filled with motifs of animals, trees, and crops — a celebration of fertility and abundance. The Kohbar paintings, rich with symbols of union, are created in the sacred space of marriage chambers, offering blessings of love and prosperity. And the Paitkar scrolls, one of India’s oldest storytelling traditions, are rolled out like living epics, narrating tales of gods, myths, and human struggles.

This art was never made for galleries or exhibitions. It was heritage practiced daily — a way of recording memory, teaching wisdom, and invoking the sacred. The pigments came from the earth itself: red from ochre, white from rice paste, black from soot, yellow from turmeric. Each brushstroke was alive with the forest’s spirit.

But as the world modernized, these traditions began to fade. Walls of clay gave way to cement. Scrolls lost their audience. Younger generations, pushed by survival, moved to cities, leaving behind both their villages and their art. What was once the pride of a community risked becoming a forgotten echo.

Bankala was born to change that.

Today, Bankala stands as a bridge — connecting the ancient to the present, the villages of Jharkhand to the world. It is more than art; it is a movement to preserve memory, dignity, and identity. By working directly with Adivasi artists, Bankala ensures that their creativity is not only seen, but also valued. It helps artisans sustain their livelihoods without letting go of their traditions.

Bankala is where the brush of the past meets the canvas of today. It is where the forest speaks through color, where heritage finds a new audience, and where the world learns to see art not as decoration, but as a living story of people, nature, and resilience.