Madhubani paintings are one of the oldest and unique traditional art form of India. A 2500-year-old folk art, the history of Madhubani paintings is said to date back to the time of Ramayana, when king Janaka asked the villagers to capture his daughter Sita’s wedding to prince Rama. These paintings were usually created by women on walls and floors of homes during festivals, ceremonies or special occasions. Having originated in the Mithila region in Bihar, this form of painting, also known as Mithila art, has been in practice in areas around Bihar and Nepal.
After widespread destruction due to the earthquake in the Mithila region in 1934, a British officer, William G. Archer visited Madhubani district and inspected the damage caused by it. While inspecting, he discovered paintings on the interior walls of the houses similar to the work of Western artists such as Miro and Picasso. He took some pictures of these paintings and wrote about the paintings in an art magazine, thus Madhubani painting also became known in the outside world.
Its main feature is the line drawings filled in by bright colours which have high contrasts and very intricate details and patterns. Figures from nature & mythology are adapted to suit their style. The themes & designs widely painted are of Hindu deities such as Krishna, Rama, Siva, Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Sun and Moon, Tulasi plant, court scenes, wedding scenes, social happenings, etc. There are rarely any blank spaces in these paintings. If there was any gap left, artists used to fill the void by depicting dazzling flowers, birds, geometric patterns, and animals. The skill is handed down the generations, and hence the traditional designs and patterns are widely maintained. Nib Pens and brushes of various sizes are used to draw the outlines of the images. Drawings are filled with natural colors or fabric colors using brushes, twigs, matchsticks, and fingers.
The contemporary art of Mithila painting was born in the early 1960s, following the terrible Bihar famine. The women of Mithila were encouraged to apply their painting skills to paper to supplement their meager incomes. Once applied to a portable and thus more visible medium, the skills of the Mithila women were quickly recognized.
Madhubani art has five distinctive styles: Bharni, Kachni, Tantrik, Godna and Kohbar.
BHARNI : This is one of the most famous styles of Madhubani painting. Bharni is a Hindi word, which means ‘filling’. The name of the art form expresses the style of painting full of color and design. The Bharni style of painting lavishly deals with a rich variety of colours. Mostly the enclosed areas are filled with vibrant colors like blue, yellow, pink, green, orange colors, etc. and the subject is outlined in black.
KACHNI : This particular art form has a unique individual style, mainly made using a monochrome or only two colors. The finest details are created and the fine pattern is made with hatching and stippling. In Katchni paintings all the forms which were drawn were filled with different types of rendering instead of filling colours.
KOHBAR : These were originally painted in the ‘kohbar ghar’ or the nuptial chamber where the bride and groom consummate their marriage. The Kohbar painting is filled with rich details, each contributing significance to the meaning of the whole. This painting is painted by women to get blessings from God and family members to newly married couple. This art has unique style of painting with fine lines and patterns. Each and every element of Madhubani kohbar painting has its own importance and ritual purpose.
GODNA : Godna is commonly known as tattoo in today’s life and it was first done by Chano Devi. This art precisely signifies natural creatures such as animals, birds, plants, tree of life, and flowers. The themes of the paintings also expanded and they came to include complex scenes from their daily village life and ritual practices.
Tantrik: This painting is distinguished from other styles of Madhubani painting. It solely depicts religious texts and characters related to them. The Tantrik style of painting of Mithila or Madhubani art is a very distinct style of painting. This style represents the traditional and religious texts in a very precise manner. Tantra is an original text describing the Hindu religion and its aspects. Therefore, most of the paintings of the Tantrik style have the influence of Tantra in their painting patterns.
