Madhubani Cards

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Madhubani Painting

Categories of Madhubani Paintings:

Though there were no class artists and most of the subjects were common, still based on the preference of people from a particular caste, the different schools of Madhubani paintings have been classified into three types:
Kayastha Tradition:-
The unique feature of the Kayastha tradition is the use of monochrome color, combination, like black, red, green, maroon etc. It was basically a practice of elaborate wall paintings of the nuptial chamber, Kohbar Ghar with representations of the lotus, bamboo grove, fish, birds and snakes in union, which largely symbolizes fertility and life. Even when this style is conceived in paper, single color line work defines the Kayastha style of painting even today.

The Brahmin Tradition:-
Unlike the Kayastha, the Brahmin style of painting lavishly deals with rich variety of colors.
Their easy access to Hindu sacred literature has helped them immensely in portraying the rich Hindu iconography and mythology.

The Tattoo Tradition/ Goidana (locally called)
The Tattoo – based paintings reflect the primitive art and creates its impact by a serial replication of the same image.
The lower section of the society, existing in maithil society at that particular time, practiced this style of madhubani paintings. The painting is originally in the form of a line – drawings and is divided into several horizontal margins. Considering its rich use of color it is closer to the Brahmin school of painting.

All these styles were traditionally done on the mud walls of Kohbar Ghar, Gosain Ghar and the mud floors (Aripan). It used to be drawn on walls washed with clay or often coated with a layer of cow-dung. Vegetable dyes, black soots, carnation pollen, red clay were used as colors using homemade brush of twigs wrapped with some strips of cloth.

Madhubani Paintings – A Tradition of Folk Painting

Mithila was a large and powerful kingdom in what are now northeastern India and southern Nepal. Today, Mithila refers to the area and the people who live there. Madhubani, which in literal translation means Forest of Honey, has been the cultural center of Mithila region and today is an important district in the northern part of Bihar, India.
The women folk of this region have been practicing their folk art for centuries
primarily to consecrate space around theirhabitation, during rituals (of family life, of the goddesses). They used to compose elaborate wall paintings or Bhitti-Chitra, and floor paintings or Aripan on their mud homes. Mothers in this region have been teaching their daughters patterns and dyes sometimes unknown to the men, for a long time little known to the outside world.

In the mid-sixties, this region underwent a blistering drought and its inhabitants faced widespread starvation. In 1965, an aid worker for the Indian government, Bhaskar Kulkarni, arrived from Delhi and encouraged the idea of translating these traditional wall paintings onto paper. Materials like Paper and colours were supplied to these artists free and the resulting work was sold through government handicraft shops all over the country. As a result these works became famous as “Madhubani Paintings”. Women of the region still paint on the walls and floors of their houses, but many of them (and now a days, sometimes men too!) paint on paper, enabling their art to be sold around the world.
It is because of their desire to please their gods and to develop their spirituality that brought in Madhubani Painting. Like almost all other folklore around the world, these paintings too have elements of myth and have tales revolving around the origin of the earth, life, existence of gods and supernatural beings like gandharvas, apsaras, and stories based morals. Additionally they have assimilated the themes from Hinduism, Buddhism on a common tantrik foundation.

Madhubani Cards

Mithila painting : Painting of Bihar

Just for begginers ..that what actually are Madhubani paintings ?

Madhubani paintings or Mithila Paintings is a style of Indian painting, practiced in the Mithila region of Bihar state, India.The name is itself named on the village Madhubani

The Madhubani painting or Mithila Painting are originated at the time of the Ramayana, when King Janak commissioned artists to do paintings at the time of marriage of his daughter, Sita, to Hindu god Lord Ram.

Madhubani paintings has been done traditionally by the women of villages around the present town of Madhubani (the literal meaning of which is forests of honey) and other areas of Mithila. The painting was traditionally done on freshly plastered mud wall of huts, but now it is also done on cloth, hand-made paper and canvas.Madhubani art is a form of traditional Indian art form.


Themes of Madhubani Paintings

Madhubani paintings mostly depict nature and Hindu devotional events, and the themes generally revolve around Hindu deities like Krishna, Ram, Shiva, Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. Natural objects like the sun, the moon, and the religious plants like tulsi are also widely painted, along side scenes from the royal courts and social events like weddings. Generally no empty space is left; the gaps are filled by paintings of flowers, animals, birds, and even geometric designs


Styles of Madhubani Art



There are 3 styles of Madhubani painting

1.Brahmin Style

2. Tatoo Style

3.Kshatriya Style

Madhubani Painting

Madhubani painting, also referred to as Mithila Art , is characterized by line drawings filled in by bright colours and contrasts or patterns. This style of painting has been traditionally done by the women of the region, though today men are also involved to meet the demand. These paintings are popular because of their tribal motifs and use of bright earthy colours. These paintings are done with mineral pigments prepared by the artists. The work is done on freshly plastered or a mud wall.

For commercial purposes, the work is now being done on paper, cloth, canvas etc. Cotton wrapped around a bamboo stick forms the brush.

Black colour is obtained by mixing soot with cow dung; yellow from turmeric or pollen or lime and the milk of banyan leaves; blue from indigo; red from the kusam flower juice or red sandalwood; green from the leaves of the wood apple tree; white from rice powder; orange from palasha flowers. The colours are applied flat with no shading and no empty space is left.

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. Floral, animal and bird motifs, geometrical designs are used to fill up all the gaps. The skill is handed down the generations, and hence the traditional designs and patterns are widely maintained.

In order to create a source of non-agricultural income, the All India Handicrafts Board and the Government of India have been encouraging the women artists to produce their traditional paintings on handmade paper for commercial sale. Madhubani painting has become a primary source of income for scores of families. The continuing market in this art throughout the world is a tribute to the resourcefulness of the women of Mithila who have successfully transferred their techniques of bhitti chitra or wall painting to the medium of paper.

Madhubani's Patterns