Madhubani (Mithila)
Ritual wall painting of Mithila — deities, fish, filled borders, no empty space.
Madhubani was painted by women on the walls of homes in Mithila, for weddings and festivals, long before it reached paper. A drought-relief programme in the 1960s encouraged artists to transfer it to paper, and it became one of India's most recognised traditions. The compositions are frontal and symbolic: deities, marriage scenes, fish and peacocks for fertility and prosperity, and borders so densely filled that no ground is left bare.
What to look for
- Double-outlined figures with large, elongated eyes
- Every background gap filled with pattern
- Fish, peacock, bamboo and lotus as recurring symbols
- Heavy decorative borders framing the scene
How it is made
Traditionally natural pigment on handmade paper — soot for black, turmeric for yellow, indigo, red from kusum flower — applied with a twig or a nib wrapped in cotton. Acrylic and fine brushes are common now.
Before you buy
There are distinct schools — Bharni (filled colour), Kachni (fine line hatching), Godna (tattoo-derived), Tantrik. Ask which one, and expect the artist to answer immediately.