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and Godhana figure painting is a traditional
rural art form initiated by the
villagers from Madhubani, a village in
Bihar, primarily for decorating their
homes. Exclusively a feminine school
of folk painting, this style was passed
down from generation to generation
in the far reaches of the Mithila
Region, mainly by women. The
exhibits are innate to life – for the
spontaneous expression of joy, for
propitiating the gods and goddesses
and deal with various aspects of
nature as well.
Madhubani is one of the great art
works which boast of humble roots.
From the small homes of Madhuban,
a village in Bihar, in the Mithila
region is the place where these paintings
come from. ‘Madhu’ means
honey and ‘bans’ is forest.
Madhubani is hilly forest terrain in
Bihar state in eastern India. The history
of ethnic paintings in India can
be traced back to the Bhimbhetka
Caves, where some of the earliest
paintings of the neolithic period are
found. Traditionally artists from this
area are engaged in folk art.
Paintings are one of the traditional
skills passed from generation to generation
in the families of the women
of this village. They paint figures
from nature and myth on household
and village walls to mark the seasonal
festivals and other occasions.
Madhubani paintings are the exclusive
monopoly of women artists,
passing down for generations from
mother to daughter. For commercial
reasons, these paintings which were
done on freshly plastered walls are
now being done on paper and cloth.
Themes: Madhubani painting is
an emblematic expression of day to
day experiences and beliefs. As such
symbolism, simplicity and beauty
hold them together in a single school
of traditional art. The symbols that
these Maithili painters use have their
specific meanings as, for instance,
fish symbolise fertility, procreation
and good luck, peacocks are associated
with romantic love and religion
and serpents are the divine protectors.
Madhubani or Maithili paintings
The High Commission of India in Trinidad and Tobago, Port of Spain
are known for their vibrant lines and
striking colours. The main themes of
Madhubani paintings contain images
of Hindu Deities such as Krishna,
Ram a Shiva, Durga, Lakshmi and
Saraswati. Apart from deities, the
women also paint celestial subjects
like sun and moon. The holy tulsi
(basil) plant is also regularly featured
in these paintings. These paintings
also act as a visual record of court
scenes, wedding scenes and social
happenings. Intricate floral, animal
and bird motifs, and symmetrical
geometric designs fill up the gaps.
The main categories in Madhubani
paintings are traditional, monochrome,
tattoo, contemporary, animals
and birds.
Technique: The art of
Madhubani painting requires skill
and implies a certain technique. This
technique requires simple raw materials
that are easily located in villages
such as bamboo sticks and cotton.
Colours: The colours are usually
deep red, green, blue, black, light yellow,
pink and lemon. They create the
mood and hence play an important
role. For instant, energy and passion
find expression through the use of
red and yellow. Concentration of
energy and the binding force is best
reflected in red while green governs
the natural leaves and vegetation. For
the Maithilis, each painting is an act
of creation.
The fame: With years,
BILATERAL - CULTURE
Madhubani paintings have gained
tremendous popularity and have
become a primary source of income
for scores of families. The commercialisation
of Maithili art took place
in 1962 when an artist touring this
village was attracted by the murals.
He persuaded the women to paint in
their traditional way on paper. This
was a great success and a ticket to
trade. Since then the painting medium
has diversified. Wall paintings
were transferred to handmade paper
(which was of poster size) and gradually
it preyed for other medium and
motifs like greeting cards, dress
materials, sunmica etc.
Bharti Dayal, a child from the
heartland of Mithila, belongs to the
School of Madhubani. An artist with
a heart moulded in the original tradition
of Mithila Paintings, from a very
young age, Smt. Dayal has invested
her abundant energies to the cause of
bringing back the past glory of this
brilliant form of human expression.
It is her ardent desire to reach this
school of work across the frontiers of
India. Smt. Dayal’s quest is two fold:
• to assimilate the changing cultural,
needs and tastes into the
very essence of Madhubani
paintings and
• to popularize this folk form and
aid the economic development of
the folk artisans to keep alive the
rich cultural heritage of India.
Bharti Dayal’s works are essentially
an amalgamation of the
ancient Madhubani art form and
modern times, without deviating
from the core features of the Mithila
tradition. ❖
YATRA | JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2011 | 11