Hazaribagh in Jharkhand is the home ground for two mural painting traditions. These are Khovar (marriage art) and Sohrai (harvest art) mural painting traditions. These are mainly practiced by female tribal artists. These traditions can be traced back to the prehistoric rock art of the region. The depictions in hill areas often showcase animals and birds. The plants, aquatic, and avian life in the valley also serve as artistic inspiration for these murals.

The name, "Hazaribagh" can be interpreted in two ways: either as "land of a thousand gardens" or "land of a thousand tigers".

The indigenous Khovar art involves a two-step process. Initially, the walls of mud houses are painted with a layer of kali maati (black earth/clay). Over this, another coat of dudhi maati (white earth/clay) is applied using swabs of cloth soaked in the paint. Before the second layer dries, it is gently scratched off using a broken comb or fingers. This reveals the underlying black paint, resulting in intricate artwork.

Sohrai art, on the other hand, features vibrant paintings created using natural twigs, known as datwan. The artists use coloured earth such as lal maati (red earth/clay), peeli maati (yellow earth/clay), and charak (white earth/clay) for line drawings or filled forms.

The Hazaribagh painting tradition was certified with the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2020. It became the first GI-certified craft in Jharkhand.

Around 20 years ago, environmental activist Bulu Imam brought attention to the rock art of Jharkhand. Imam’s family introduced Jharkhand’s first Rural Tourist Village, in Bhelwara in Eastern Hazaribagh. This area is renowned for its numerous village homes adorned with Sohrai murals.

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