The Treasure of India Art Residency gives master artisans what they need to create: time, space and peace of mind. It opened with our gallery in Palam Vihar, Gurugram, in October 2026, and its first resident is Putli Ganju, one of India's most respected Sohrai painters.
What the Art Residency Offers Artisans
The residency takes care of what usually pulls an artist away from the work. It arranges travel, a comfortable stay, art materials and financial support, so the artist can give painting their full attention. Beyond the studio, we want the people who buy and love this art to know the names behind it and the journeys that shaped each piece.
Meet Putli Ganju, Sohrai Master from Jharkhand
Putli Ganju is an internationally acclaimed Sohrai artist from Jharkhand and a Lifetime Achievement Awardee. For decades she has painted the animals, birds and forest life at the heart of Sohrai, carrying her community's stories into every work. She and the Sohrai team travelled to Gurugram for the gallery's opening exhibition and stayed on for the residency.
What Is Sohrai Painting?
Sohrai is a harvest and festival wall-painting tradition from the Hazaribagh region of Jharkhand. Women traditionally paint mud walls with natural earth colours before the Sohrai harvest festival, filling them with peacocks, elephants, cattle, deer and plants. Sohrai-Khovar painting received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2020. Today artists such as Putli Ganju also paint Sohrai on canvas and handmade paper, so the tradition can live in homes far from Jharkhand. Read our full guide to Sohrai painting.
Day One: Starting With Each Other
We did not start the residency with work. On day one we sat together, talked about where we come from and listened to the artists describe their lives. Polite introductions soon turned into laughter. Art isn't created in solitude; it grows from friendship and trust, and that first afternoon set the tone for the days that followed. See photos from the first days on our Instagram.
Navratna: Indigenous Masters
Putli Ganju is one of the nine artists showcased in Navratna: Indigenous Masters, the exhibition that opened the gallery. Watching her find her name on the gallery wall made the beginning of this space deeply personal for all of us. Meet the other makers on our artisans page.
Shop Original Sohrai Paintings by Putli Ganju
Her original works are available online, each with a signed certificate of authenticity, and ship across India and worldwide.
Browse the Putli Ganju collection or all Sohrai art, and explore more art from Jharkhand.
Visit the Gallery
The gallery is at Palam Vihar, Gurugram. Book a visit to see Sohrai and the other Navratna works in person.
FAQs
What is the Treasure of India Art Residency?
A residency at our Gurugram gallery that gives master artisans travel, a stay, materials and financial support so they can focus on creating new work.
Who is Putli Ganju?
A Sohrai master artist from Jharkhand and Lifetime Achievement Awardee, and one of nine artists in Navratna: Indigenous Masters.
Can I buy Putli Ganju's paintings online?
Yes. Her original Sohrai paintings are in the Putli Ganju collection, each with a signed certificate of authenticity, and we ship across India and worldwide.
