Madhubani Paintings_ The Spectacular Art of Bihar

Madhubani Paintings: The Spectacular Art of Bihar The melting pot of ​cultures in India​ is nothing less of a congregation  of various artforms coming together. The rich Indian subcontinent is  full of surprises for art lovers, with each state and region having  something unique to offer. Amongst these are the very famous  Madhubani Paintings, which are practiced and carried on by the  traditional Mithila region inhabitants belonging to the present state  of Bihar. These paintings are also referred to as the “Mithila  Paintings”, as they are widely practiced in and around the Mithila  region.   The most unique feature of these paintings is that they are made by  using a wide variety of tools including smooth paintbrushes, wooden  twigs, feathers, matchsticks, nib pens and even fingers. This creates 

a diverse range of strokes on the canvas forming a very rich piece of  art that is loved and appreciated by art lovers across the lengths  and breadths of the country. The Madhubani Paintings narrate the  story of particular occasions like the harvest season, weddings, new  births and other local festivals celebrated by the people living  around the Mithila region including Holi, Durga Puja, Upanayana  and the Kali Puja.     The Origins of the Madhubani Paintings and how it came to be  known as the “Chic Wall Art of India”  The Madhubani Paintings were traditionally created by the women  of various communities in the Madhubani or the Mithila region as  part of their hobbies or a favourite pastime. Madhubani, at present is  the biggest export center for these paintings, having centers that  export these paintings to Western countries. The Madhubani  Paintings are called the Chic I​ ndian Wall Art​ Paintings as they were  originally painted on the freshly plastered mud walls of the huts of  Mithila people.   The paintings were generally made using powdered rice and other  naturally occurring colours extracted from leaves, seeds, roots, twigs,  flowers and creepers. These paintings mostly depict the association  of people with nature, where women are seen separating the husk  from crops and men are seen harvesting in the fields using cows.  They also cover other aspects like the capturing of special day  occasions and the scenes at the Royal Court of The King, illustrating  the vibrant courtrooms, showing the king and his ministers. Other  than these, the art subjects also included the painting of local deities  who were worshipped by the people living in the Mithila Region, like  Lord Krishna and his wives.  

Madhubani Paintings are known to be extremely vibrant with rich  colours with no blank space in the canvas. Any blank space will be  utilized and filled up with geometrical figures or flowers. The natural  elements of the universe like the sun, the moon and the planets are  also illustrated in these paintings.   The Mithila region inhabitants did not preserve their unique artform as  a secret but were very generous in passing it on to their newer  generations and to artists who had a hunger for learning. Thus, the  Madhubani Paintings are called as the Traditional Folk Art of Bihar  with global recognition, standing out as the “C​ hic Wall Art”​ of India!