Madhubani Art
Dense, symbol-filled compositions drawn with bamboo-twig brushes using natural pigments on mud walls or handmade paper.
Madhubani art, also known as Mithila painting, originates from Bihar's Mithila region and traces its roots to ancient narratives linking it to the Ramayana, where King Janak is believed to have commissioned paintings to celebrate Sita's marriage to Lord Rama. Practised for centuries primarily by women on plastered mud walls using natural pigments from flowers, minerals, and plant extracts, it evolved as a deeply ritual, domestic art form.
Its dense, symbol-rich compositions, featuring fish, lotus, peacocks, and mythological scenes, carry layered meanings around fertility, spirituality, and cosmic harmony. A pivotal shift came during the 1960s Bihar drought, when artists transferred the tradition onto paper, earning global recognition and elevating figures such as Jagdamba Devi, Baua Devi, and Ganga Devi.
Today, Madhubani painting engages contemporary themes, environment, migration, and social change while remaining rooted in memory, community, and intergenerational storytelling.