Mithila Paintings

Mithila Paintings

Madhubani railway station got a complete makeover with Mithila paintings. The makeover project was unique initiative of Indian Railways to experiment voluntarily painting works in short span of 2 months..

Mithila Paintings

 Mithila painting:

• Mithila painting is folk painting practiced in Mithila region of India ( especially Bihar) and Nepal.
• It is also known as Madhubani paintings which mean ' forest of honey'.
• It has been mentioned in ancient Indian texts like Ramayana.
• It originate in small village known as Maithili in Bihar.
• Initially, women from village drew paintings on freshly plastered mud walls of their home is illustration of the thoughts, hopes and dreams using fingers and twigs forming two-dimensional imagery using paste of powder rice.
• With time, it became part of festivities and special events like marriage. it also used colors derived from vegetables and plants.
• Now they are also painted on cloth, handmade paper and Canvas.
• The central themes of Mithila paintings are based on Hindu Gods and Goddesses.
• Its main theme is supported by traditional geometric patterns.
• Some of main attributes of these paintings are double line border, abstract like figures of deities, Ornate floral pattern, bold use of colors and bulging Eyes and jolting nose of faces of figures.
• Various styles of Mithila painting include Bharni, Tantrik, Katchni, Gonda, and Kohbar, which were historically painted only by women from the upper Strata in caste system, which used to make them on mud walls on special occasions.
• Mithila painting has been accorded the coveted GI( geographical indications) status is it has remained confined to compact geographical area and skills have been passed on through centuries, but content and the style have largely remained same.