Bold, line-filled folk painting from the Mithila region of Bihar, traditionally made by women directly on freshly plastered mud walls before moving onto paper and cloth.
मिथिला, बिहार · Mithila, Bihar
Madhubani painting fills every available space within a bold outlined figure with intricate pattern, traditionally using natural pigments and dyes, with recurring subjects drawn from mythology, nature, and wedding ceremony, and distinct sub-styles, Bharni, Kachni, Godna, and others, each with its own line and fill technique.
Originally painted directly onto the walls and floors of Mithila homes for festivals and weddings, the tradition moved onto paper commercially from the 1960s onward, and Madhubani now holds Geographical Indication recognition, with entire villages in the region organized substantially around the craft's practice and sale.