An old ritual practice; on paper and canvas since the 1960s · Mithila: Madhubani district, Bihar, and neighbouring Nepal
Madhubani painting
Wall and floor painting from Mithila, made by women for weddings, births and festivals, and moved onto paper in the 1960s. No space is left empty.
How to recognise it
- Every gap filled with flowers, birds, animals or geometric pattern
- Gods, epics, weddings, the sun, the moon and the tulsi plant
- Natural colours: lampblack, turmeric, indigo, vermilion, rice paste
- Drawn with fingers, twigs, brushes, nib-pens or matchsticks
- Five named styles: Bharni, Kachni, Tantrik, Godna and Kohbar
Madhubani, or Mithila painting, belongs to the Mithila region of Bihar and Nepal and takes its name from Madhubani district, still its busiest centre. It was painted by women on freshly plastered mud walls and floors, and the skill was passed down among women. Its occasions were domestic and ritual: births, weddings and festivals such as Durga Puja, Kali Puja and Holi. Local tradition traces it to the wedding of Sita, born in Mithila, when her father King Janak is said to have asked for paintings of the ceremony.
The Kohbar style was painted on the walls of the wedding chamber, where bride and groom spent their first night. In the 1960s, Bharni and Tantrik work was largely made by Brahmin women and kept to gods and goddesses. Women from other castes painted daily life and local legends. In the same decade painters began working on paper and canvas to earn an income in a poor region, and the form reached a far wider audience. Today artists work across all five styles regardless of caste.
Recognition followed. Sita Devi received a Bihar state award in 1969 and the Padma Shri in 1981; Jagdamba Devi received the Padma Shri in 1975, Ganga Devi in 1984, Mahasundari Devi in 2011 and Dulari Devi in 2020. Madhubani painting holds a Geographical Indication.
What to look for
Line and fullness. A good Madhubani painting has no idle space and no weak line. Know the painter’s name and village where you can; Jitwarpur, Ranti and Rasidpur are the best-known centres. Traditional colours came from plants, soot and earth: turmeric, indigo, lampblack, rice paste.