Madhubani Art: Dissecting the Narrative Motifs

The art industry of Bihar features a vibrant heritage known as Madhubani painting, which reflects the socioeconomic structure and cultural uniqueness of the region. Madhubani style of painting originated in the Mithila region of Bihar and Terai region of Nepal. Beginning in the ancient period, the legacy of Madhubani painting has served as a medium of community storytelling and expression. Madhubani painting developed as a way for women to decorate the ceiling and walls of their homes with vivid colors. Over the years, the painting style has been successful in making a different identity in the whole world by adopting new ideas with time. Jitwarpur and Ranti are the two most important villages associated with the development of Madhubani art. These two settlements have achieved virtually iconic status, with some historians referring to Jitwarpur as an exhibition village.

Madhubani Painting on the Walls of Madhubani Railway Station (Image Courtesy – The Indian Express)

Historical Backdrop: Origin of the Madhubani Art   

Madhubani Painting depicting scenes from Ramayana (Image Courtesy- Medium)

The origins of Madhubani painting are uncertain. No one knows exactly when this wall painting began. It is claimed in the oral tradition that during the Ramayana time, King Janaka invited painters from Bihar to beautify his palace for his daughter’s wedding. When Lakshmana left for the wilderness with Rama and Sita, his wife Urmila painted his portrait on the wall and worshipped it every day. The authenticity of these traditions is unknown, but their inclusion in Mithila’s ancient literature suggests a long history of the art form.  

This art form’s originality stems from its selected artistic expression. Madhubani painting is a ceremonial and ornamental art form largely practiced by women in the Madhubani region to create transitory murals on mud walls. Floor and wall paintings, known locally as aipanas and bhitti chitras, were traditionally painted to commemorate births, marriages, and religious festivals, while more intricate paintings, called kohabars, were reserved for wedding festivities. The transitory nature explains why these works have not been preserved. In a way, the artworks were natural and fleeting. Nonetheless, this popular art used to transmit effortlessly from one generation to the next without the use of any technological means. The sheer nature of such information transition from one generation to the next led to its extension based on experimentation and creativity. 

The art form came into global limelight through an accident. On January 15, 1934, a devastating earthquake struck Madhubani sub-division, causing major devastation. While undertaking relief operations, British officer W.G. Archer discovered several spectacular wall paintings painted in the interior rooms of the wrecked houses. He began a rigorous study of Mithila paintings in 1937-38 while serving as Collector of the Purnea district. In 1940, as the Provincial Census Superintendent He returned to Darbhanga and Purnea District to conduct more surveys. In 1949, he wrote a thorough piece titled ‘Maithil Painting’ about the painting traditions of the Brahmana and Kayastha castes. 

Characteristics and Recurring Motifs

A painting of Goddess Durga by Ijnila Devi (Image Courtesy- Asia Pacific Museum, Warsaw)

Like any folk art, Madhubani paintings also show the psychology of the society to which it belongs; it reflects the morals, values and customs of the region in a very interesting way. The art depicts the country’s socioeconomic structure as well as its cultural legacy, with subjects such as religion, love, and fertility. 

Goddess Durga is the most popular deity among Brahmins and Kayasthas. Goddess Kali is an essential deity in Tantrik ceremonies, and tantra has had a significant impact on the creation of Aripanas and wall murals. The principal motifs employed show flora and animals, mostly natural life, as well as gods and goddesses, lions, fish, parrots, turtles, bamboo, lotus, creepers, and swastika among others. These forms are utilized interchangeably throughout the rite. 

The symbols employed in Madhubani painting each have their own importance. Elephant and palanquin represent royalty. The sun and moon indicate longevity. Goose and peacock are emblems of well-being and tranquility. The lotus represents good luck and femininity, while the bamboo represents future children and masculinity. The paintings do not follow any logical patterns. Animals and birds could be drawn to fill empty places. The Bhagavata Purana is a popular motif in Brahman paintings. Dalit paintings incorporate themes from their own heroes’ legends and have their own unique charm. These artworks can be interpreted as a type of self-expression.

Depiction of Humans in Madhubani Art (Image Courtesy- Allkarts)

Human forms are linear and abstract. Madhubani paintings are known for their distorted and bizarre human figures. Distortion lends the figures an incredible weirdness. Madhubani paintings contain some unusual features, such as a nose in the forehead, an eye in profile, receding brows, and staring eyes. A lot of paintings contain an element of weirdness. Figures drift aimlessly against the flat background, and the entire composition is warped and unnatural.

Exploring the Diverse Variations within Madhubani Art

Bharni style of Madhubani Painting (Image Courtesy- Catterfly)

Kachni style of Madhubani Painting Bharni style of Madhubani Painting (Image Courtesy- Catterfly)

Godna Style of Madhubani Panting Bharni style of Madhubani Painting (Image Courtesy- Catterfly)

Different styles of Madhubani painting emerged in different castes. The most popular kind, Bharni, is drawn by Mahapatra Brahmans and is distinguished by its brilliant and bright colors. Bharni is a Hindi word that means ‘to fill’ and describes a colorful and design-oriented painting technique. 

The Kachni style of Madhubani painting practiced by Karna Kayasthas refers to line art. In the Kachni style, intricate line paintings are created. The visuals are filled with closely spaced parallel lines or little dots. The design determines the thickness of the lines. This art form has a distinct individual style, with most pieces being monochrome or employing only two colors. 

Chano Devi pioneered the Godna technique of painting, which is similar to tattooing. The colors utilized were natural, and the majority of the paintings depicted Hindu Gods and the life of trees. This style typically features concentric rings of flowers, pastures, and animals. Poor women from lower castes who had to struggle just to survive couldn’t afford to wear jewelry, therefore they preferred Godna and enjoyed getting different styles of Godna on their bodies.

A Kohbar Painting depicting Matrimony Scenes (Image  Courtesy- Catterfly)

Gobar Style of Madhubani Painting (Image Courtesy- Catterfly)

Geru Style of Madhubani Painting (Image Courtesy- Catterfly)

When language was not developed, we communicated through painting. Kohbar is another  type of Madhubani painting which is an auspicious marital art diagram that has historically been painted on the wall during Mithila marriage ceremonies. This painting was created by ladies to bring blessings from God and family members to a newlywed couple. 

Jamuna Devi, of the Chamar community, became the first Dalit Mithila artist to earn the National Award. She created a pattern—two lines painted with excrement with black dots in between—which became a defining aspect of the Gobar style. She experimented further by washing canvases with cow dung to resemble a blank wall and highlight the vibrant colors that were applied to them. This was a custom that would ultimately spread to other cultures. 

The Geru style emphasized bold black lines over ornamentation. It exudes boldness and emotion, rather than the meticulous splendor of other designs. This simpler earthy style, attributed to Dusadh women, was used by a few artists in the 1970s and 1980s, including Bhagvati Devi. But it has subsequently gone out of style. 

Tools and Techniques Involved in Traditional Paintings 

A female painter in the process of painting (Image Courtesy- Itokri)

Madhubani art is distinguished by its straightforward and direct style, with colors applied in a flat, solid manner without gradations. The paintings contain densely patterned borders combined with lines and crosses, creating an intricately detailed background with no vacant spots or gaps. The imagery is colorful, depicting local flora and animals, geometrical patterns, and village life, as well as mythological and religious iconography. The paintings were initially created on mud walls washed with cow dung or cemented with lime, but are today displayed on a variety of media such as cement walls, paper, and cloth.

Before starting the painting, women usually do a prayer to the deities so that their favor accompanies them in their objectives or rituals. The colours that are applied are prepared manually by the artists. The black colour is prepared by mixing blight with cow dung; yellow is prepared based on turmeric and Banyan leaf milk; blue is extracted from indigo; the red of the Kusum flower; the green leaf of the applewood tree; the white of rice powder; and orange of the Palash flower. Many artworks include red as the dominating color. A bamboo twig is used to create outlines. Pihua, a little piece of cloth tied to a twig, is used to fill in colour.

Madhubani Art in Contemporary World

Saree and Bag with Madhubani Print (Image Courtesy- Linen World)

Madhubani painting is a traditional folk art form that continues to be done today. Madhubani painting is currently practiced by men and women from all walks of life, and while upper caste artists like Ganga Devi have acquired fame, Dalit artists have also received recognition. This includes Jamuna Devi, who got a National Award from the Government of India, as well as Seewan Paswan and Shanti Devi, who painted a series of stories about Raja Salhesa from 1978 to 1982.

Over the last few decades, the subject matter of Madhubani painting has grown significantly, with artists addressing issues such as gender justice, environmental conservation, and contemporary politics. The art form has also seen a growing commodification. Madhubani painting was originally used to decorate walls and floors; nonetheless, it is still popular in home décor today, with prints for table linens, napkin rings, lamps, and wall hangings, among other things. Madhubani painting is now widely recognized for its application in murals, canvas paintings, home decor, and textiles. Silk sari borders and other clothing items sometimes feature Madhubani art themes.