Wednesday 22 May 2013

India and Nepal carries rich pastel of culture

Madhubani, or Mithila, painting is a folk painting of northern
India. It is mostly practiced by women in the villages who
have passed this art to their daughters through multiple
generations. They paint pictures of nature and mythology to
depict different events like birth, marriage, and cycles of life.
Though this folk art has been practiced for centuries it
started to gain national recognition... only in the last few
decades. Now, art patrons can find Madhubani artists in
several cities of northern India, many of whom are
experimenting and adapting the traditional styles to modern
ethos and medium.
The area of Mithila lies near the border of India and Nepal and carries a rich pastel of cultural
legacy in art and literature. Its heritage goes back at least 2,500 years and its celebrated figures
include the Buddha and Mahavira. It is also the birthplace of Sita, the central character in
Ramayana. Hence, her life stories are frequently depicted in the local art.
The paintings are traditionally based on mythological, folk themes and pastoral symbols. The
central themes of most paintings are love, valor, devotion and fertility, though the approach may
vary. So it is common to find scenes of courtship and marriages and symbols of fertility and
prosperity like fish, parrot, elephant, turtle, sun, moon, bamboo tree, lotus, etc. in prominence.
The divine beings are positioned centrally in the frame while their consorts and floral motifs form
the background. The human figures are mostly abstract and linear in form.
Even though this art is centuries old, it has preserved its original style and content in its native land
of Mithila. Nowadays synthetic colors are used but traditional artists still make their own colors
by extracting them from plants. The coloring is of two styles – Kachni (hatching) and Bharni
(shading.) Kachni uses delicate fine lines to fill the painting and not much color is used. Bharni
(shading) uses solid colors to shade and fill the pictures. It uses black outlines filled with vibrant
colors. A variety of inventive patterns are made with hatching and stippling. Even now during
birth and marriage ceremonies paintings are made on walls with different symbols like bamboo
(lineage,) lotus, and fish. The designs announce the occasion of the celebration and solicit good
fortune and divine blessings.
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 Ramkumar Das.
 
 
 

Sunday 10 March 2013

MITHILA PAINTING

Madhubani paintings as the name says get its name from Mithila region of Bihar where it is widely practised particularly by women. The history of Madhubani paintings goes back to the time of Ramayana when King Janak commissioned artists to do paintings at the time of marriage of his daughter, Sita, to Lord Ram. Initially women of upper castes like Brahmans and Kayasthas were using such paintings but later on followed by other castes also. Originally the painting was done on freshly plastered mud wall of huts, but now it is also done on cloth, hand-made paper and canvas.

Madhubani painting mostly depict nature and Hindu religious figures and the themes generally associated with Hindu deities, Natural objects like sun, moon, and religious plants like tulsi. Besides this scenes from the royal court and social events like weddings are also widely drawn. Madhubani Paintings has two varieties: Bhittichitra and Aripana. Generally Bhittichitra is done on the mud-walls of houses particularly at three places: room of the family god/goddess, room of the newly wedded couple and the drawing room. Also Paintings are done on the outer and inner walls of these rooms on some auspicious occasions like marriage, upnayana and festivities like Dussehra and Deepawali.

Figures that are widely used are figures of various god and goddesses depicting Durga, Kali, Ram and Sita, Radha and Krishna, Shiva and Parvati, Gauri and Ganesha, the ten incarnations of Vishnu. Besides these pictures of Sun and Moon are also painted because it is believed that they bring prosperity and joy to the family. Other figures used are figures of various animals, birds, leaves, flowers, plants along with symbols of swastika, shankha. Mostly used colours in these paintings are deep colours like red, green, blue and black. Besides, deep colours other colours like yellow, pink, and lemon are also used. All these colours are prepared by indigenous methods form some household products like banana leaves, milk and vermilion.

Ram Kumar Das
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