History of Madhubani paintings

Madhubani paintings are a 2500-year-old folk art that is supposed to have originated during the Ramayana, when King Janaka commissioned an artist to paint his daughter Sita's wedding to Prince Rama. Women commonly painted these paintings on the walls and floors of their homes during festivals, celebrations, or special events. This kind of painting, also known as Mithila art, started in the Mithila region of Bihar and has since spread throughout Bihar and Nepal. Mithila artwork, also known as Bhitti Chitra again got its identity when a huge earthquake struck Bihar in 1934. While inspecting the damage caused by the earthquake, the British Colonial Commissioner for the Madhubani area, William G. Archer, came across these paintings on the interior walls of the homes.

Who was the first to paint Madhubani?

Women from diverse communities in the Mithila region of the Indian subcontinent traditionally made Madhubani art (Mithila painting). It comes from the Madhubani district of Bihar's Mithila region.

How are Madhubani paintings made?

After earthquake in Bihar, this lovely art form was mostly translated to Handmade Paper. This painting may now be done on fabrics, wood, paper, and a variety of other surfaces, and it can literally be done on anything. The unique feature is that the drawing covers every inch of the canvas. 

What makes Madhubani painting so unique?

In the contemporary day, Mithila or Madhubani paintings literally meaning 'a forest of honey', are created using fingers, twigs, matchsticks, and pen nibs. Bright colors are the main charm in these paintings, which have a rice paste outline as a framework. There are very few empty spots in these works. If a border is present, it is decorated with geometric and floral motifs. The paintings are made with natural dyes. For example, black can be made using charcoal and soot, yellow with turmeric extract, red with sandalwood, blue with indigo, and so on. Figures in Madhubani paintings are distinguished by vividly defined, bulging fish-like eyes and pointy noses. Natural elements like fish, parrots, elephants, turtles, the sun, moon, bamboo tree, and lotus are frequently featured in these paintings. These paintings contain geometric patterns that frequently represent love, heroism, dedication, fertility, and prosperity. Scenes from mythology such as the Ramayana have also been shown in this ancient art genre, including wedding rituals, religious rituals, and many cultural events such as festivals.

Did you know Madhubani paintings saved a forest?

Madhubani painting was used to ornament over 100 trees in 2012. The effort was created by Shashthi Nath Jha, who runs the Gram Vikas Parishad, an NGO, as a way to safeguard trees that were being cut down in the name of increasing roads and development. this has proved to be an excellent means of raising awareness among villagers about issues such as climate change and global warming. Despite the fact that the campaign was costly (the villagers employed synthetic paint to extend the life of the artwork), not a single tree was taken down. The main reason for this was that the trees were decked with gods and other religious and symbolic figures.

The All India Handicrafts Board encouraged upper-caste women in areas around Madhubani town to do ceremonial paintings on paper to create revenue during the draught in Bihar in the 1960s. Slowly, the painting technique made its way onto a variety of articles. Madhubani is still a popular choice for home décor. The reason behind this is that Mithila art was initially used to decorate the walls and floors of dwellings. Madhubani paintings are now recognized not only for their unique motifs and use of color but also for the dedication of prominent painters who worked on them. 

Where to buy Madhubani Painting?

You no longer need to leave your house to buy a Madhubani painting in this internet age. Madhubani paintings are easily available for purchase in a variety of venues. Where you may browse a variety of paintings with diverse themes and have your chosen painting delivered to your home. You can also check our latest madhubani collection we are Indian based online art gallery. Since the start of our Online Art Gallery, it has become much easier to contact us. With our extensive art experience, we have developed a wide variety of modern and traditional paintings to meet the needs of our customers.

What is the cost of madhubani painting?

Madhubani is a popular Mithila painting style that has been around since the beginning of time. When it comes to the price of these paintings, they come in a wide variety of prices. It can range from thousands of Indian rupees to millions of rupees, depending on the complexity of the art and the materials utilized to make it.

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