Mithila painting also known as Madhubani folk art is the traditional art of the Mithila region of Bihar.

They are made by village women who make images using vegetable colour with few earthen colours and finished in black lines on cow dung treated paper.

Madhubani painting has received GI status.

What are the subjects of Mithila painting?

These pictures tell tales especially about Sita’s exile, Ram-Laxman’s forest life, or depict the images of Lakshmi, Ganesha, Hanuman and others from Hindu mythology and architecture.

Apart from these women also paint celestial subjects like sun and moon. Tulsi, the holy plant also is to be found in these paintings. They also show court scenes, wedding and social happenings.

Intricate flora, animal and birds motifs can also be found along with geometrical designs to fill up the gap.

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Drawings in Madhubani pictures are very conceptual. First, the painter thinks and then she “draws her thought”.

No pretence is there to describe the figures accurately. Visually they are images that speak in lines and colours

On what occasions Mithila paintings are made?

Mithila paintings are drawn for some rituals or festivals on household and village walls to mark the seasonal festivals or special events of the life cycle.

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In some cases it is a special practice for mothers to make these art items in advance for their daughters as a marriage gift. These paintings also convey advice on ways to lead a good married life.

Is there any variation in subjects and use of colours in Mithila painting?

There is also a social variation in subjects and use of colours. One can identify the community to which the painting belongs from the colours that are used in them.

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Paintings made by the upper, more affluent classes are colourful while those made by the lower caste people use red and black line work.

But the technique of painting is safely and zealously guarded by the women of the village to be passed on by the mother to the daughter.

Must read: Kalamkari paintings – a continuous legacy https://fotisedu.com/kalamkari-paintings-a-continuous-legacy/

What is the present status of Madhubani folk art?

Nowadays Madhubani art is being used as decorative gift items, greeting cards and has become a source of income for local women folk.

The paintings were traditionally done on freshly plastered mud walls and floors of huts, but now they are also done on cloth, handmade paper and canvas.

External link: https://tourism.bihar.gov.in/en/experiences/art-and-craft/painting/madhubani-or-mithila-painting