The folk art of Bihar, commonly known as Madhubani, refers to the market town of the same name. Madhubani painting is part of a tradition of folk paintings practiced since the Stone Age.
Madhubani paintings have been practiced by the women of the region through the centuries and today it is considered as a living tradition of Mithila. Madhubani painting is said to have developed in the 8th or 7th century BC in the ancient city of Mithila, the birth place of Sita, daughter of king Janak. It is said that the Mithila paintings were commissioned by the king to commemorate the marriage of his daughter to Lord Rama of Ayodhya.
It is made from rice paste and natural colors. The colors are derived from flowers like marigold, rose etc. The paintings show human beings, animals, trees, flowers, birds, etc.
Madhubani art — also known as Mithila art — is particularly special, with its unique use of local plants for colors, cow dung to treat the paper and bamboo sticks that serve as brushes, not to mention the beauty and simplicity of the paintings themselves.
This popular art of the Mithila region expresses the creativity and sensitivity of its people. Like any folk art, it also shows the psychology of the society to which it belongs; it reflects the morals, values and customs of the region in a very interesting way.
Madhubani painting
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