VISIT TO DILLI HAAT

SALONIE AGRAWAL Institute of Apparel Management

Apparel Design and Merchandising

(14-17)

Table of Contents

1. The Craft .................................................................................................................................. 1

2. Its Origin ................................................................................................................................... 1

3. Materials, Colors and Motifs .................................................................................................. 1

4. Use ............................................................................................................................................. 2

5. Costing ...................................................................................................................................... 2

6. Use as a Designer ...................................................................................................................... 2

7. Picture Gallery ......................................................................................................................... 3

The Craft

Madhubani painting or Mithila painting is a style of Indian painting, practiced in the Mithila

region of Bihar state, India, and the adjoining parts of Terai in Nepal

The Mithila region, from which the name Mithila art is derived, is believed to have been the

kingdom of King Janak. The exact location of it lies in present day Janakpur of Nepal.

Its Origin

The exact time when Mithila art originated is not known. According to local mythology, the

origin can be traced to the time of the Ramayana, when King Janak of Nepal ordered his

kingdom to decorate the town for the wedding of his daughter, Sita, to Lord Rama. The ancient

tradition of elaborate wall paintings in Nepal and Bihar played a major role in the emergence

of this new art form. The original inspiration for Madhubani art emerged from women’s craving

for religiousness and an intense desire to be one with God. With the belief that painting

something divine would achieve that desire, women began to paint pictures of gods and

goddesses with an interpretation so divine that captured the hearts of many. The paintings were

originally done on walls coated with mud and cow dung.

Materials, Colors and Motifs

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 with fingers, twigs, brushes, nib-pens,

and matchsticks, using natural dyes, pigments and rice ground paste. Charcoal and soot is used

for black, rice powder for white, turmeric for yellow, sandalwood for red, indigo for blue, and

so on.

Generally Madhubani painting are identified by the fact that there is no space in the

painting/canvas left uncovered. Typically the paintings will also have a margin or a border, but

this too will be embellished with geometrical patterns, or flowers, or other motifs. The colors

are bright, vibrant and eye catching. There is very little shading in the paintings, though not

entirely absent.

Madhubani paintings mostly depict the men & its association with nature and the scenes &

deity from the ancient epics. Popular motifs were - the sun, the moon, flowers, fish, trees,

animals, birds, geometric patterns and religious plants like basil along with scenes from the

royal court and social events like weddings. 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.

Use

Traditionally the paintings were done on walls coated with mud and cow dung in the kohbar

ghar or the nuptial chamber. Originally the paintings depicted an assembly of symbolic images

of the lotus plant, the bamboo grove, fishes, birds and snakes in union. 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 colorful painting. The Mithila

paintings were done only by women of the house, the village and the caste and only on occasion

of marriages for decoration.

Today, Mithila painting is done on walls, floors, canvas, cloth/fabric, wooden or pottery toys,

paper Mache products, handmade paper, greeting cards, dress material, home décor,

bookmarks, etc..

Costing

In today’s time the starting price of a small bookmark with original Madhubani painting on it

is Rs.50. The price of Mithila art varies with size bigger the size more is the price. Price also

increases with the intricacy in doing it. Price is more for natural dyes as compared to synthetic

one. So, it can go from Rs.50 to a million or a billion and so on.

Use as a Designer

Being a designing student I am really impressed by this folk art form. This is Beautiful and eye

catching. I would love to use it in garments like Kurtis and Sarees. It can also be used on bed

sheets, pillow/cushion covers, etc. I can also change it a bit for a better or a newer look like I

would like to fuse two or more art forms together or bringing some small changes for example

using fluorescent or neon colors at some places to make it look more vibrant. But no matter

what change I make I will keep on praising the traditional Madhubani paintings and the women

who did them.

Picture Gallery

Figure 1: ram- sita swayamwar Figure 2: Fortune Fish

Figure 3: Ardhnareshwar Figure 4: Nataraj

Figure 5: A scene of Local Festival

Figure 6: Bookmarks and posters at dilli haat

Figure 7: A vendor at a stall in dilli haat

Figure 8: A big cloth painting at dilli haat