Madhubani/Mithila Art- The Ancient Folk Art Of India

The folk art of Madhubani, is practiced in Northern Bihar, India. It is one of the distinctive and significant art forms of India and has Geographical Indication (GI), which means it is region specific- a tag of authenticity identifying the paintings of its geographic origin. 

The Mithila region is well known as the seat of South Asia’s ancient powerful kingdoms and is an epitome of learning, art and culture.Traditionally, ONLY WOMEN from the region have been painting their interior walls and floors sharing their stories and domestic rituals through this highly totemic art form which is at least over 3000-year old. These were mostly hidden from the outsiders.   

In 1934, Bihar was affected by a massive earthquake. While inspecting the damage caused by the natural calamity, these arts were accidentally discovered by the British colonial officer in Madhubani District, William G. Archer and after lying low for centuries, for the first time the art was brought to the notice of the outside world. He was "entranced" by the beauty of these paintings and described: "What they took for granted, I considered superb. They were unconscious, I was conscious. But whether deliberate or accidental, the art was there and it made us one. I had never felt myself so Maithil as on that day when faced with shattered walls, I saw the beauty on the mud".

While conducting a research on socio-economic impacts of Indian migration to Australia, an interesting fact came to the fore- that of use and prominence of ‘dots’ in paintings- both in Indian Madhubani Paintings as well as Australian Aboriginal Dot Paintings.  

As we know, Madhubani paintings have its origin in the ancient historical city of Mithila. Mithila is geographically located in North of India. It had political and cultural connections with its adjoining states in Central India from where it is believed the ancient migrations from India to Australia took place thousands of years ago.  

Following the trail, we unraveled many more interesting facts by digging a few thousand years of historical details and evidences. Were we able to connect the dots? Was there ever a confluence of these two ancient and totemic art forms?  As a noted Madhubani artist said to us about the significance of ‘dots’ in her art form, “The dots…they are everywhere; Connecting them gives the context- a philosophy, a perspective, which endures and renders the power of scattered unitary initiatives and their appearance-as a collective power…”

The report is also archived at the National Library of Australia [ISBN: 978-0-9945929-4-1].

Please visit us at Maya Emporium, our exclusive Darjeeling Tea and Indian Art Gallery located at 5/608 Pacific Highway, Killara (www.mayaemporium.com.au) for a glimpse into these wonderful creations.