Ritual Art as a Medium of Social Cohesion: A Study of Saura Indigenous
Painting and Sculptural Traditions

Abstract:
The ritual art of the Saura tribe of Odisha constitutes a rich form of visual language that helps in
retaining social bonding, ecological awareness, and traditions handed down from generation to
generation. This paper explores how the Saura tribe uses its ritual arts in expressing their collective
identity and social solidarity in their ritual paintings called Idital (wall paintings) and ritual sculptures.
While decorative arts are meant to decorate walls and floors, Idital paintings are sacred visual stories
made during ritual events by a village priest referred to as Kudang (priest man) or Kudangboye (priest
woman). Each painting is different and represents the story of each family's history, daily activities,
farming, festivals, gods, and interaction with nature. The participation of members of the community in
painting, dancing, music, and ritual performances is a way of fostering social ties and affirming shared
beliefs. Examples of sculptural ritual include the Dasahpathar ritual, which involves creating stone
structures that remember the ancestors, in an indigenous installation of art that engages memory, ritual,
and public space. The Judising is another example of sculptural ritual where the installation of wooden
or stone carvings in the form of a pair of geometric shapes between two villages expresses inter-village
fraternity. The practice of Saura art forms provides useful insights for today's debates about community
solidarity, cultural sustainability, and participatory arts, showing how ritual art is still a living
embodiment of social solidarity.