The soil of Sarguja is rich, loamy and varied. Deep black, ochre and white their colour and texture lends itself to possibilities of being moulded by hand. The Rajwars traditionally landowning farmer communities, have long held a special affinity with this clay, beyond the needs of occupation or even ritual. after their homes were built by men, Rajwar women plastered the walls of their homes with clay (lepai) embellishing them afresh every year after rains. After this form received recognition through the works of sona Bai Rajwar and others, it was seen to have a market potential, mostly as a craft form that could embellish wall surfaces. Large-scale commission for murals mostly in urban environment became its chief marketability. In this, its mode of production underwent several changes. Pandit Ram Rajwar, in many ways, been the face in recent times of this shift in production, introducing changes in material, process and content to adapt emerging markets.
This content has been created as part of a project commissioned by the Directorate of Culture and Archaeology, Government of Chhattisgarh, to document the cultural and natural heritage of the state of Chhattisgarh.
