Madhubani paintings: The art of women painters

Madhubani painting is an ancient form of art that evolved in the State of Bihar in India. According to Indian mythology, Madhubani painting originated in Mithila, the birthplace of Sita, when King Janak, father of Lord Ram commissioned the artists of this region to paint pictures to celebrate the marriage of Lord Ram with Sita.

This painting is done by the women of the villages of Mithila and its neighborhood. Originally, the painting was done on plastered mud walls of huts to celebrate social events and religious festivals. Now the canvas has shifted to handmade paper and cloth. Madhubani paintings on handmade papers and cloths have become an excellent form of home décor. The Madhubani wall hanging gives an artistic dimension to your home. The subjects of the paintings revolve around Indian mythologies, scenes from the royal courts, social events and nature. Only natural colors are used in the paintings. The colors are derived from plants and the reddish brown and black colors are derived from ochre and lampblack respectively.

Bihar is a poverty-ridden state of India. The women of this state, in spite of their painting skills are forced to struggle with poverty and hunger every day. To keep alive the ethnic and aesthetic art of Madhubani alive and help the woman Madhubani painters we could easily buy these beautiful Madhubani wall hangings. Aimcraft has an excellent collection of Madhubani wall hangings, priced between $30 and $47.