The Santhal tribe is known to be the most populous tribes among the various indigenous communities in the country. The community is known neither for its vigorous cultural, folk forms, as well as forits painting traditions, such as scroll painting. This is the portion of the scroll painting that illustrates Krishna-Lila, or the divine play of Lord Krishna. It gives a closer insight into the complexities of details and storytelling, as well as reflects the culture of the community and spirituality within the being of Santhals.
Such scroll paintings are narrative and illustrative rather than pictorial. They speak volumes to the Indian forms of oral tradidition for passing on myths, folklore, and traditional cult stories of people's memories or that of their ancestors. The art of Krishna-Lila is meant for depicting the essence of devotion and storytelling, picturing in lively action all those stories that speak of In this unique art form, natural pigments and age-old techniques of production give it authenticity and keep alive the legacy of Santhal painting.
The Santhal tribe is mostly distributed in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. Their scroll paintings are not meant for mere adornment but are lively manifestations of their oral traditions and beliefs, hence aesthetics too. This Krishna-Lila imaged through the eyes of the Santhal art touches the devotion, creativity, and culture of this community. It holds an important part in their Indian heritage: their spiritual connection as well as their fantastic telling of stories are represented therein.