The artists’ endeavor was to introduce an urban (and sometimes disconnected)audience to the lifestyle and traditions of the people living in Domahani, and to promote respect for a traditional life that may be unfamiliar to city dwellers. Central to this project was the intent to initiate a two way dialogue with the community, one of which was to harness the creative instincts of some of the youngest minds of this society in a collaborative art workshop/project. Ray’s project attempted to delineate the relationship between the water, land and its people as well as to share the stories and her experiences through narrative, pictorial and video documentation.

This project was a site specific initiative conceived and developed on the social structure of the place with the aim of understanding the intricately woven interrelationship between the river and its people. Ray’s work took into consideration how the life of these people and its quality has been affected: from marriage to socia customs, as also means of economic development for many people and education for children. While bringing the benefits of civilization within their reach, the proximity to an urban milieu has also been responsible for the younger generation moving out in search of better prospects. The first part of the project was conceived as a process of documentation, both in written and video forms, to create a better understanding of the complex lifestyle patterns of the locals, and shifts between rural-urban environments. The project highlighted the experience of the Tusu festival, which was also the starting point of Ray’s project. The video also served as a tool to highlight the essential elements of the project: the river, the people and the journey across the river. Thoughts, interactions, observations and learning were also recorded in a blog that the artist regularly updated during her stay in Domahani. During the course of Ray’s interactions with the residents of Domahani, the artist developed a relationship with the students of a local school from Dobo village across the Subarnarekha River. Ray conducted a mask making workshop, which was deriving from the tradition of masks which exists in Jharkhand. The children would immediately be able to identify with the masks, through the Chou dance performances held in various villages from time to time. As such endeavors in village schools are rare; the artists received a tremendously enthusiastic team of students who enjoyed the process to its last detail.

From the moment of inception, Ray had been considering creating a site-specific installation at the river site as a culmination of her project. The intention was to create a work in collaboration with the residents of Domahani, and use the process as an opportunity to exchange and bring out traditional cultures and practices of the local community through the installation process. Ultimately, Ray created amorphous metallic structures which echoed the movement and vitality of this all important water body. The work, entitled ‘Monument to the River’, was a sentimental piece for the artist. The sculpture was initially planned to be installed on site during the dusk hours near the water tank on the Gamharia side across river Kharkai. The material which she chose for it was wire mesh that would blend in with the river – like water it would reflect the light from its surroundings. The idea was not to leave any trace of the artist’s intervention and to leave the site in its pristine form. The installation was dismantled within a few hours after being set up.