Madhubani Paintings

 Madhubani painting originated from Maithili village of the Bihar and Nepal region.Primarily, the womenfolk of the village drew the paintings on the walls of their home, as a demonstration of their feelings, hopes, and ideas.The painting was traditionally done on freshly plastered mud walls and floors of huts, but now they are also done on cloth, handmade paper and canvas. Madhubani paintings are made from the paste of powdered rice. Madhubani painting has remained confined to a compact geographical area and the skills have been passed on through centuries, the content and the style have largely remained the same

Color, Base and Style: 

The base of freshly plastered mud wall of huts has now been replaced by cloth, handmade paper, and canvas. Since the paintings have been restricted to a limited geographical range, the themes, as well as the style, are not diverse. These paintings make use of three-dimensional images. 

The colors that are used are derived largely from plants. Following are sources and colours:-

• Black color is made by mixing coal to cow dung
• Yellow color from combining turmeric with the milk of banyan leaves
• Blue color from indigo
• Red from the kusam flower juice or red sandalwood
• Green color from the leaves of the wood apple tree
• White from rice powder
• Orange color from palasha flowers

Style and Theme :

The natural themes that are used incorporate the Sun, the Moon, and the religious plants. There are some paintings with themes based on court scenes and social events.

The themes on which these paintings are based include nature and mythological events. It revolves around Hindu deities like Krishna, Lakshmi, Shiva, Durga, Rama, and Saraswati. 

Madhubani paintings mostly depict the men & its association with nature and the scenes & deity from the ancient epics. Natural objects like the sun, the moon, and religious plants like tulsi are also widely painted, along with scenes from the royal court and social events like weddings.

Traditionally, painting was one of the skills that was passed down from generation to generation in the families of the Mithila Region, mainly by women. It is still practiced and kept alive in the institutions spread across Mithila region. Kalakriti in Darbhanga,Vaidehi in Madhubani, Benipatti in Madhubani district and Gram Vikas Parishad in Ranti are some of the major centers of Madhubani painting which has kept this ancient art form alive.

Features:-

Madhubani paintings use the brush made of cotton, draped around a bamboo stick. There is no shading in the application of colors. A double line is drawn for outlines and the gap is filled with either cross or straight miniature lines.

By: Shashank Shekhar