Madhubani Art is an ancient Indian folk art, which traces its origins to the times of Indian epic Ramayana. Traditionally practised by women artists of Mithila region (parts of Bihar, Nepal) on floors and walls, the bright paintings cover mythological tales, rituals and festivals, and local lives. There are five distinct styles - colourful Bharni, Godna, Tantrik and Gobar to minimalist Kachni. The lines between styles have now blurred and Madhubani designs appear on canvas, cloth, paper mache and a variety of mediums.

National award-winning artist Ms. Hema Devi from Madhubani brings to us a deep understanding of the context of art, what has inspired various styles of Madhubani paintings, and its relevance in the social context of Mithila region of Bihar. Catterfly is proud to have her as Madhubani Master Artist.


Hema Devi is a trailblazer among Madhubani women artists and has several awards to her name - national award, Sita Devi award, Bihar Kala award, Bihar state award for paper mache. She is breaking the mould by using digital channels to increase the reach and impact of Madhubani art. Catterfly helps her to reach out to audiences across the globe and she has successfully conducted 200+ workshops teaching adults, kids, beginners, experts and artists.

Kachni painting : Kachni Style of Madhubani painting which means line art.  In the Kachni style, elaborate line paintings are made. The images are filled with closely drawn parallel lines or small dots. The thickness of the lines depends on the design. This particular art form has a unique individual style, mainly made using a monochrome or only two colors. 

Bharni Painting : Bharni style painting is one of the five styles of Madhubani paintings, precisely known for its vibrant and bright colors. Bharni is a Hindi word, which means ‘ To fill’, which expresses the style of painting full of color and design. 

Godna Painting:  The Godna style of painting resembles the tattoo and it was first initiated by Chano Devi. The colors used were natural colors and most of the paintings were done on the Hindu God and the life of a tree. This style usually has concentric circles of flowers, fields, and animals.The poor women of lower castes who had to struggle even to survive could not afford to wear jewelry, so they liked Godna and loved to get different styles of Godna on their bodies 

Kohabar Painting: When language was not developed we, communicated in form of paintings. One such style of painting is Kohbar in Madhubani painting. Kohbar is an auspicious marriage art diagram traditionally painted on the wall during the marriage ceremony of the Mithila region. This painting is painted by women to get blessings from God and family members to a newly married couple.