Eye-catching geometrical patterns and two-dimensional imagery made from powdered rice paste colored with natural dyes and pigments are the hallmarks of Mithila paintings. Also known as Madhubani art, it is a style practiced in the Mithila region of Nepal and India. A variety of mediums, including twigs, brushes, nib-pens, and matchsticks, as well as the artist’s own fingers, go into the creation of these paintings. The subjects are usually various rituals related to auspicious occasions, such as birth and marriage, besides Hindu festivals like Holi, Upanayana, Surya Shasti,Durga Puja, and so on.
The art, which was traditionally practiced as wall art on freshly plastered mud walls and floors of huts by women of the Mithila region, originated from Madhubani district in Bihar, India. Now, they are also done on cloth, handmade paper, and canvas, although the content and style have mostly remained the same. This unique art form has five distinctive styles, namely, Bharni, Katchni, Tantrik, Godna, and Kohbar. Earlier, in the 1960s, upper caste Brahmin women were mainly involved in paintings done in the Bharni and Tantrik styles, where the themes were religious in nature, depicting different gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon. Paintings by lower caste people consisted of various aspects of their daily life and symbols, as well as the story of Raja Shailesh (guard of the village). Of course, now all artists, irrespective of caste, paint in all five styles.
Mithila art usually depicts the association between humans and nature, with the sun, the moon, and religious plants like tulsi figuring widely in the paintings. Scenes from the royal court and events like weddings, as well as scenes portraying deities from ancient epics, are also popular subjects. The paintings are such that no space is lefty empty, with gaps filled by paintings of flowers and birds and animals, as well as bold geometric designs.
