Saura Tribal Art

Saura paintings were originally painted as 'wall murals' also called as ikons inspired by the deep-rooted religious beliefs of the Saura tribe, which is one of the ancient tribes of India. As the tribals considered every natural phenomenon as an act of some God, deity or ancestral spirit, these ikons were drawn to appease Saura ancestors and deities and they worshipped them on special religious and ceremonial occasions such as child-birth, marriage, harvest or the construction of a new house.


This art form is drawn from a rich set of motifs taken from their association with nature, society and everyday life that include the Sun (God), the Moon (God), the Wind (God), the village deity, people, horses, elephants, tree of life, etc. Unlike its twin art form Warli, the Saura paintings are drawn in rectangular frames from the border inwards, and use more fluid stick figures with little movement.

Interestingly, both Saura and Warli art forms draw absolutely no features on faces and tell stories only with their gestures.


In recent times, this unique and minimal art form with symbolic representation
of the tribal lifestyle is getting extensive popularity among both the domestic and international market. To keep up with the trend of the contemporary times, the paintings are now drawn on handmade paper or silk cloth and new motifs are also getting incorporated gradually.

Image Credits: Government of Odisha | CC BY 4.0, Hpsatapathy | CC BY-SA 3.0


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