Madhubani art

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Madhubani art (also known as Mithila art) is a style of painting practiced in the Mithila region of India and Nepal. It is named after the Madhubani district of Bihar, India, which is where it originated.^[1] Jitwarpur, Ranti and Rasidpur are the three most notable cities associated with the tradition and evolution of Madhubani art.^[1] The art was traditionally practiced by female members.^[2] Artists create these paintings using a variety of mediums, including their own fingers, or twigs, brushes, nib-pens, and matchsticks. The paint is created using natural dyes and pigments such as ochre and lampblack are used for reddish brown and black respectively.^[3] The paintings are characterized by their eye-catching geometrical patterns. There is ritual content for particular occasions, such as birth or marriage,^[2] and festivals, such as Holi, Surya Shasti, Kali Puja, Upanayana, and Durga Puja.

Traditionally, painting was one of the skills that was passed down from generation to generation in the families of the Mithila Region, mainly by women.^[4] It is still practiced and kept alive in institutions spread across the Mithila region. Kalakriti in Darbhanga,^[5] Vaidehi in Benipatti in Madhubani district and Gram Vikas Parishad in Ranti are some of the major centres of Madhubani painting which have kept this ancient art form alive.^[6]