Madhubani Art

CONSUMER PREFERENCE FOR MADHUBANI ART

FOUNDATION BUSINESS

PEARL ACADEMY

SUBMITTED TO MRS. VASUNDHRA H. GUPTA

SUBMITTED BY -

GROUP MEMBERS: NISHA DIWAKER

SAUMAKSHI MAHANA

VAIDEHI SUPAKAR

(SECTION C)

Acknowledgement

We would like to take this opportunity to express our profound gratitude and deep regard to our

teachers Mrs. Vasundhra Harsh Gupta and Mrs. Usha Gupta, for their exemplary guidance, valuable

feedback and constant encouragement throughout the duration of the project. Their valuable

suggestions were of immense help throughout our project work. Their perceptive criticism kept us

working to make this project in a much better way. Working under them was an extremely

knowledgeable experience for my group.

We would also like to give our sincere gratitude to all the friends and colleagues who filled in the

survey, without which this research would be incomplete.

Executive Summary

Madhubani is an folk artform which originates from Bihar and also known as Mithila and basically

made for each occasion and festival such as birth, marriage, holi, Durga puja,etc. But according to

local mythology, the time of its origin is traced back to the time of the Ramayana, when, for the

wedding of his daughter, Sita, to Lord Ram, King Janaka ordered his kingdom to decorate the town.

The ancient tradition of elaborate wall paintings known as Bhitti-Chitra in Bihar played a major role

in the emergence of this art form. Madhubani painting received official recognition in 1970, when

the President of India gave an award to Jagdamba Devi, of Jitbarpur village near Madhubani. The

painting was traditionally done on freshly plastered mud walls and floors of huts, but now

they are also done on cloth, handmade paper and canvas. Madhubani paintings are made

from the paste of powdered rice. After the paintings were made with natural colours on paper

previously treated with cow dung. The painting techniques are simple and the raw materials are

taken directly from nature. Outlines were done with kalams and cotton wrapped on bamboo sticks.

Today these paintings are done on canvas, cloth and hand-made paper with readymade bottled

fabric colours with nib and fine brushes. Some of the styles of madhubani art are Bharni, Katchni,

Geru, Godna,etc. Traditionally, natural colours were used that were obtained from plant

extracts like henna leaves, flower, bougainvillea, neem, etc. There are some places where

these paintings are preserved in their original form. Theyve created a unique Folk Art

Gallery in Bangalore (INDIA) to showcase the original artwork of traditional rural Indian

artists, mostly women. As India becomes economically more powerful, the approximately

500 million Indian youth, with their increased purchasing power, are being greatly

influenced by the global fashion trends. People not only need to know about these but also

need to have the knowledge and a proper understanding of the richness and its value as

only the youth of this generation will be able to leave a deep impression upon every person

of the society and also on the coming generations.

1. Literature Review

India features an extremely rich tradition of artistry and innovation and thus has a very rich

tradition of folk art and craft, as expected of any ancient civilization. The handicrafts of India

have a great aesthetic value and adherence to their tradition and are hence very well

appreciated all over the world. To name a few are,

Rajput painting (Rajputana): Rajput painting is a style of Indian

painting evolved and developed during the 18th century, in the

royal courts of Rajputana, India. Each Rajput kingdom evolved a

different style, but with certain common features. Rajput

paintings represent a number of themes, events of epics like the

Ramayana and the Mahabharata, Krishna's life, beautiful landscapes, and humans.

Mysore painting (Karnataka): Mysore painting is an important form of

classical South Indian painting that comes from the town of Mysore in

Karnataka. These paintings are known for their elegance, soft colours, and

detailed work. The themes for most of these paintings are Hindu Gods and

Goddesses and scenes from Hindu mythology.

Tanjore painting (Tamil Nadu): Tanjore painting is a

traditional form of classical South Indian painting

originated in the town of Tanjore in Tamil Nadu. The art

form dates back to the early 9th century, a period ruled

by the Chola rulers, who encouraged art and literature.

These paintings are known for their elegance, rich

colours, and attention to detail. The themes for most of these paintings are Hindu Gods and

Goddesses and scenes from Hindu mythology.

Pattachitra (Odisha): Pattachitra refers to the Classical

painting of Odisha, in the eastern region of India. 'Patta' in

Sanskrit means 'Vastra' or 'clothing' and 'chitra' means

paintings. The concept of Pattachitra is closely linked with the

worship of Lord Jagannath. The main content of Patta Chitra

is mostly mythological, religious stories and folk lore.

Madhubani painting (Bihar): Madhubani painting is a style of

painting, practised in the Mithila region of Bihar state. Themes

revolve around Hindu Gods and mythology, along with scenes

from the royal court and social events from a life of a common

man. Generally, no space is left empty; the gaps are filled by paintings of flowers, animals,

birds, and even geometric designs. In these paintings artists uses leaf, Herbs, Flowers to

make the colour which is used to draw paintings.

Madhubani painting is a type of an Indian painting which is practiced in the

Mithila region of the state of Bihar, India, and also in the adjoining parts of Terai in Nepal. It

is also known as Mithila painting. These paintings are mostly characterized by eye-catching

geometrical patterns and shapes and are done with the help of fingers, twigs, brushes, nib-

pens, and matchsticks, using natural dyes and pigments. These paintings are made for each

occasion and festival such as birth, marriage, Holi, Surya Shasti, kali puja, Upanayanam,

Durga Puja etc.

1.1 History & Origin

Madhubani is a region in the northern part of Bihar, that has a distinct regional identity and

a language that reportedly spans 2500 years. The term Madhubani by one account also

means Forest of Honey (Madhu-honey, Ban-forest or woods).

The exact time of when Madhubani art originated is still not known. But according to local

mythology, the time of its origin is traced back to the time of the Ramayana, when, for the

wedding of his daughter, Sita, to Lord Ram, King Janaka ordered his kingdom to decorate the

town. This great cultural region lies between the Koshi and Narayani tributaries and

between the Ganges and the Terai of Nepal. The ancient tradition of elaborate wall

paintings known as Bhitti-Chitra in Bihar played a major role in the emergence of this art

form. Womens craving for religiousness and an intense desire to be one with God was the

original inspiration for Madhubani art and from where it emerged out. People then used to

believe that by painting something divine they will be able to fulfil their desire. And so

women began to paint pictures of Gods and Goddesses which had such deep and divine

interpretations that it captured many hearts.

The paintings were originally done on walls coated with mud and cow dung. The kohbar

ghar or the nuptial chamber was the room in which the paintings were traditionally done.

Originally the paintings depicted an assembly of symbolic images of the lotus plant, the

bamboo grove, fishes, birds and snakes in union. Madhubani paintings mostly depict men

and its association with nature and deities from the ancient epics. Natural objects like the

sun, the moon, religious plants like tulsi, scenes from the royal court, and social events like

weddings are widely painted. In these paintings, generally there is no empty space left. The

spaces are filled in by drawing animals, birds, flowers, and even geometric designs.

These images represented fertility and proliferation of life. There used to be a tradition that

the newly married bride and groom would spend three nights in the kohbar ghar without

cohabiting. On the fourth night they would consummate the marriage surrounded with the

colourful painting. The Mithila paintings were done only by women of the house, the village

and the caste and only on occasion of marriages.

Mithila painting, as a domestic ritual activity, was unknown to the outside world until the

massive Bihar earthquake of 1934 when the houses and walls tumbled down. Then British

colonial officer in Madhubani District, William G. Archer, while inspecting the damage

discovered the paintings on the newly exposed interior walls of Mithila homes. He was

struck by reported similarities to the work of modern Western artists like Miro and Picasso.

During the 1930s he took black and white photos of some of these paintings, which today

are the earliest images of the art. He also wrote about the painting in a 1949 article in

Marg an Indian Art Journal