Mithila painting is best known Indian folk painting form Mithila region of Bihar state. It is also known as Madbhubani painting. Women from this region does painting on the wall, floor, cloths and canvas. They make images of gods, goddesses, animals, mythological characters, mythological events etc. on the occasion of marriages and other domestic rituals. Normally paintings are done on floor, wall and papers or canvas.
Printing on floor is known as Aripan which is done with the paste of curde rice (Pithar). Apart from floor it is also made on banana leaves or wooden seates (Pidhi). A woman or a girl does it using her right hand’s fingertips.
The tradition of wall paintings as well as surface paintings for beautification of dwellings and ritual purposes in Mithila is believed to have survived from the epic period. hese decorations are mythological murals, added with deities of Hindu pantheon, besides regional flora and fauna. The women artists, according to the old age tradition, are the sole custodians who practice this folk painting passing down for generations from mother to her daughter. They have been retaining this great art form in the region since time immemorial. The girl learns to play with the brush and colors at an early age that finally culminates in the kohabar, which acquires great sanctity in the social life. All religious ceremonies relating to the marriage are performed in the kohabar.
As time changes, society and environment also subjected to change. All these things impact the culture and the art around that area. The same thing happened to Mithila paintings also. Now a days Modern Mithila painting or Madhubani painting came into existance, depicting the modern changes to this art. Basically, these are the translation of the wall paintings, floor paintings and terracotta idols onto paper or canvas using special type of pen and colors.
Techniques
The paintings are done in three different techniques namely "Kachni" , "Bharni" , and "Godan" style and each technique gives a different but unique look to the painting. These three distinct styles of painting was developed by three different social groups who were primarily involved in creating and experimenting Mithila paintings.
Kachni style: Kachni literally means "Lines". In this style of
painting, only one or two color e.g. black and vermillion is used. The artist
draw fine pattern using hatching and stiplling to create paintings with the finest details.
Most of the Kayastha cast women do outline paintings.
Bharni style: Bharni literally means "filling". In this style of painting the subject is outlined with
black and the enclosed areas are filled with vibrant colors like Blue, yellow, pink, green, orange etc. The main attraction of
this style is that, every subject is represented in flat (two dimension) form and colors are so delicately filled that
it gives the true discription of folk art. This style of work is praticularly done by women from Brahmin caset.
Godan style:: Godan means "tattooing". This style of painting was started by women from "Harijan" cast. They create painting in tattooing style by using bright colors.
Mithila region
The Mithila region is situated in the northern plain of Ganges. Main places in this region are Darbhanga, Madhubani, Jhanjharpur, Ghoghardiha, Madhepur, Sudai, Naruar and Janakpur. Janakpur is now in Nepal's region.
It was one of the first kingdoms to be established in eastern India. This region is completely flat and free from rock or stone. Madhubani is the heartland where the paintings are more profuse than elsewhere. “The region’s rich vegetation so impressed ancient visitors that they called it Madhubani, ‘Forest of Honey’ (Vequaud, Yves 1977:9)”, the name of the most acknowledged district for this painting. In this mythical region, Rama, the handsome prince of Ayodhya and incarnation of the Vishnu, married princess Sita, born of a furrow her father King Janaka had tilled. Mithila is that sacred land where the founders of Buddhism and Jainism; the scholars of all six orthodox branches of Sanskrit learning such as Yajnavalkya, Bridha Vachaspati, Ayachi Mishra, Shankar Mishra, Gautam, Kapil, Sachal Mishra, Kumaril Bhatt and Mandan Mishra were born. Vidyapati, a Vaisnav poet of 14th century was born in Mithila who immortalized a new form of love songs explaining the relationship between Radha and Krishna in the region through his padavalis