MADHUBANI PAINTINGS : The Best Art Work Part-1
The history of Madhubani paintings is said to date back to the time of Ramayana, when king Janaka asked an artist 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.
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.
Madhubani painting, also referred to as Mithila Art (as it flourishes in the Mithila region of Bihar), 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.
Madhubani painting which traditionally included images of deities from Hindu epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata are now also mixed with contemporary art forms. Artists are using their imagination to relate past with present and the innovations seem to have given fresh blood to this art which was getting limited geographical coverage till recently. Hindu mythology mapped with modernity using contemporary art tools has helped Mithila painting resurrect from its basic form to reach new geographical reaches and is on its way to achieve monumental heights.
