Madhubani is a famous genre of Indian painting. It takes its name after the tiny hamlet of Madhubani in the Indian state of Bihar, where this art form originated centuries ago. Madhubani painting was, infact, pursued by the women folk of not just Madhubani, but also those in the adjoining regions of Mithila. As such, Madhubani is often also referred to as Mithila painting.
The literal meaning of Madhubani is a forest full of honey. The exact reason or time of the origination of Madhubani or Mithila art is unknown. But legend has it that it came into vogue during the time of the Ramayana, when King Janak ordered the artists in his kingdom to make beautiful paintings at the time of the wedding of his daughter, Sita to Lord Rama.Women in Madhubani and Mithila, thus, started pursuing this art form on the walls of their huts. But, with the time the artists have begun making Madhubani art on paper, cloth and canvas also. Though the domain of Madhubani has remained more or less confined, the art has been passed down from one generation to another continuously. The content of the painting also remains the same.
Madhubani is a style of painting rather than a set of pictures. Though the paintings dissolve, the technique is passed on. Madhubani art employs natural colors and the most popular one include deep red derived from Kusuma flower, green from Bel trees, black from burnt jowar, light yellow from turmeric mixed with banyan leaf milk and orange from Palasa flower. The painters use a very unusual form of brush for Mithila or Madhubani art, which is handmade. It’s made of a bamboo stick, with its end being slightly frayed. The subject mostly religious and motifs of deities adorn most paintings. The most popular Indian gods are Shiva, Vishnu and Sakthi. Durga and Kali are also pre-dominant. Other images include flora, fauna and geometrical shapes.
