Madhubani/Mithila Painting

Kohbar made by Legendary Artist Padma Shri Sita Devi

Madhubani art or Mithila art) is practiced in the Mithila region of India and Nepal. Painting is done
with fingers, twigs, brushes, nib-pens, and matchsticks, using natural dyes and pigments, and is
characterised by eye-catching geometrical patterns. There is ritual content for particular occasions,
such as birth or marriage, and festivals, such as Holi, Surya Shasti, Kali Puja, Upanayana, Durga
Puja.

Contents
[hide]

 1Origins
 2Styles
 3Artists and awards
 4Gallery
 5References
 6Further reading
 7External links

Origins[edit]
Madhubani painting/Mithila painting was traditionally created by the women of various communities
in Mithila region of India and Nepal. It originated from Madhubani district of Mithila region of Bihar,
and , it is popularly called Mithila painting or Madhubani painting. Madhubani is also a major export
centre of these paintings. [1] This painting as a form of wall art was practiced widely throughout the
region; the more recent development of painting on paper and canvas mainly originated among the
villages around Madhubani, and it is these latter developments led to the name Madhubani art being
used alongside the name "Mithila Painting."[2]
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.[3] Madhubani paintings are made from the
paste of powdered rice. Madhubani painting has remained confined to a compact geographical area
and the skills have been passed on through centuries, the content and the style have largely
remained the same. And that is the reason for Madhubani painting being accorded the coveted GI
(Geographical Indication) status. Madhubani paintings also use two dimensional imagery, and the
colors used are derived from plants. Ochre and lampblack are also used for reddish brown and black
respectively.[citation needed]
Madhubani paintings mostly depict the men & its association with nature and the scenes & deity
from the ancient epics. Natural objects like the sun, the moon, and religious plants like tulsi are also
widely painted, along with scenes from the royal court and social events like weddings. Generally no
space is left empty; the gaps are filled by paintings of flowers, animals, birds, and even geometric
designs.[citation needed] 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.[4] It is still practiced and kept
alive in the institutions spread across Mithila region. Kalakriti[5] in Darbhanga,[6] Vaidehi in
Madhubani, Benipatti in Madhubani district and Gram Vikas Parishad in Ranti are some of the major
centers of Madhubani painting which has kept this ancient art form alive.[citation needed]

Krishna & Radha made by Sita Devi

Styles[edit]
Madhubani art has five distinctive styles, namely, Bharni, Katchni, Tantrik, godna and kohbar. In the
1960s Bharni, Kachni and Tantrik style were mainly done by Brahman and Kayashth women, who
are 'upper caste' women in India and Nepal. Their themes were mainly religious and they depicted
Gods and Goddesses, flora and fauna in their paintings. People of lower castes includes aspects of
their daily life and symbols, story of Raja Shailesh [ guard of village] and much more, in their
paintings. But nowadays Madhubani art has become a globalised art form so there is no difference
in the work of artists of the region on the basis of caste system . They are working in all five styles.
Madhubani art received international and national attention.[citation needed]

Artists and awards[edit]

Madhubani painting received official recognition in 1969 when Sita Devi received State award by
Government of Bihar. In 1975, President of India gave Padma Shriaward to Jagdamba Devi, and
National Award to Sita Devi of Jitwarpur village near Madhubani.[7] Sita Devi received Padma Shri in
1981. Sita Devi was also awarded by Bihar Ratna in 1984 and Shilp Guru in 2006. In 1984 Ganga
Devi [8] was awarded by Padma Shri.[9] Mahasundari Devi received Padma Shri in 2011. Bauwa Devi,
Yamuna Devi, Shanti Devi, Chano Devi, Bindeshwari Devi, Chandrakala Devi, Shashi kala Devi,
Leela Devi, Godavari Dutta, and Bharti Dayal were also given National
award.[10][11][12] Chandrabhushan, Ambika Devi, Manisha jha were also given National award.[citation needed]

Gallery[edit]


First Night: Bride & Groom

 

God Vishnu in Fish Avtaar

Madhubani Painting Exhibition at CBD Belapur Navi Mumbai

A traditional Madhubani artist at work

A modern expression of Madhubani

Kalamkari

Kalamkari textile depicting scenes from Lord Krishna's life displayed at National Handicrafts and Handlooms
Museum, New Delhi
 Kalamkari or qalamkari is a type of hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile, produced
in Iran and India. Its name originates in the Persian,‫ ق لم کار‬which is derived from the
words qalam (pen) and kari (craftmanship), meaning drawing with a pen. Only natural dyes are used
in kalamkari and it involves seventeen steps.They are beautiful sarees.
Started originally in the Sasani era in Iran (almost 2500 years ago), there are two distinctive styles
of kalamkari art in India - the Srikalahasti style and the Machilipatnam style. The Srikalahasti style
of kalamkari(Kalankari), wherein the "kalam" or pen is used for freehand drawing of the subject and
filling in the colors, is entirely hand worked. This style flowered around temples and their patronage
and so had an almost religious identity - scrolls, temple hangings, chariot banners and the like,
depicted deities and scenes taken from the Hindu epics - Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas and
the mythological classics. This style owes its present status to Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay who
popularized the art as the first Chairperson of the All India Handicrafts Board.
The Pedana Kalamkari craft made at Pedana nearby Machilipatnam in Krishna district, Andhra
Pradesh, evolved with the patronage of the Mughals and the Golconda sultanate. Owing to the said
patronage, this school was influenced by Persian art.[1]

Kalamkari sari with Aari work from Andhra Pradesh.

Contents
[hide]

 1History
 2Middle forms
 3In this Century (Digital era)
 4Technique
 5Color fixing
 6Themes
 7References
 8Further reading
 9External links

History[edit]
Kalakari work in history

A kalamkari artist at work.

Kalamkari wall hanging, early 17th century. Brooklyn Museum

In ancient times, groups of singers, musicians and painters, called chitrakars, moved village to
village to tell the village dwellers, the great stories of Hindu mythology. They illustrated their
accounts using large bolts of canvas painted on the spot with simple means and dyes extracted from
plants. In the same way, one found in the Hindu temples large panels of kalamkari depicting the
episodes of Indian mythology, similar to the stained glasses of the Christian cathedrals.
As an art form it found its peak in the wealthy Golconda sultanate, Hyderabad, in the Middle Ages.
The Mughals who patronized this craft in the Coromandel and Golconda province called the
practitioners of this craft "qualamkars", from which the term "kalamkari" evolved.[2]
Kalamkari art has been practiced by many families in Andhra Pradesh, some villages in Tamilnadu
(SICKINAICKANPETTAI) by migrants from Telugu speaking families and over the generations has
constituted their livelihood. Kalamkari had a certain decline, then it was revived in India and abroad
for its craftsmanship. Since the 18th century the British liked the decorative element for clothing.
Middle forms[edit]
In middle ages the term is also used to refer, incorrectly, to the making of any cotton fabric patterned
through the medium of vegetable dyes by free-hand painting and block-printing, produced in many
different regions of India. In places where the fabric is block printed the kalam (pen) is used to draw
finer details and for application of some colours.

In this Century (Digital era)[edit]

In modern times it's replaced by digital. The art took a turn-over and updated digitally to fit in the
glove of time. In this era new types and new techniques are introduced and the digital files of
kalamkari (pen work) is totally introduced widely all over the regions of India and Iran (Persia).

Technique[edit]
Seeping it in astringents and buffalo milk and then drying it under the sun.[3] Afterwards, the red,
black, brown, and violet portions of the designs are outlined with a mordant and cloth is then placed
in a bath of alizarin.[4] The next step is to cover the cloth, except for the parts to be dyed blue, in wax,
and immerse the cloth in indigo dye. The wax is then scraped off and remaining areas are painted by
hand,[5] similar to Indonesian batik.
To create design contours, artists use a bamboo or date palm stick pointed at one end with a bundle
of fine hair attached to this pointed end to serve as the brush or pen.[6] This pen is soaked in a
mixture of fermented jaggery and water; one by one these are applied, then the vegetable dyes.
In Iran, the fabric is printed using patterned wooden stamps.[7]

Color fixing[edit]
Dyes for the cloth are obtained by extracting colors from various roots, leaves, and mineral salts of
iron, tin, copper, and alum.[8] Various effects are obtained by using cow dung, seeds, plants and
crushed flowers to obtain natural dye. Along with buffalo milk, myrobalan is used
in kalamkari. Myrobalan is also able to remove the odd smell of buffalo milk. The fixing agents
available in the myrobolan can easily fix the dye or color of the textile while treating the fabric. Alum
is used in making natural dyes and also while treating the fabric. Alum ensures the stability of the
color in kalamkari fabric.

Themes[edit]
Kalamkari specifically depicts epics such as the Ramayana or Mahabharata. However, there are
recent applications of the kalamkari technique to depict Buddha and Buddhist art forms.[9]

Kalamkari
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kalamkari textile depicting scenes from Lord Krishna's life displayed at National Handicrafts and Handlooms
Museum, New Delhi

Kalamkari or qalamkari is a type of hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile, produced

in Iran and India. Its name originates in the Persian,‫ ق لم کار‬which is derived from the
words qalam (pen) and kari (craftmanship), meaning drawing with a pen. Only natural dyes are used
in kalamkari and it involves seventeen steps.They are beautiful sarees.
Started originally in the Sasani era in Iran (almost 2500 years ago), there are two distinctive styles
of kalamkari art in India - the Srikalahasti style and the Machilipatnam style. The Srikalahasti style
of kalamkari(Kalankari), wherein the "kalam" or pen is used for freehand drawing of the subject and
filling in the colors, is entirely hand worked. This style flowered around temples and their patronage
and so had an almost religious identity - scrolls, temple hangings, chariot banners and the like,
depicted deities and scenes taken from the Hindu epics - Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas and
the mythological classics. This style owes its present status to Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay who
popularized the art as the first Chairperson of the All India Handicrafts Board.
The Pedana Kalamkari craft made at Pedana nearby Machilipatnam in Krishna district, Andhra
Pradesh, evolved with the patronage of the Mughals and the Golconda sultanate. Owing to the said
patronage, this school was influenced by Persian art.[1]

Kalamkari sari with Aari work from Andhra Pradesh.

Contents
 [hide]

 1History
 2Middle forms
 3In this Century (Digital era)
 4Technique
 5Color fixing
 6Themes
 7References
 8Further reading
 9External links

History[edit]
Kalakari work in history

A kalamkari artist at work.

Kalamkari wall hanging, early 17th century. Brooklyn Museum

In ancient times, groups of singers, musicians and painters, called chitrakars, moved village to
village to tell the village dwellers, the great stories of Hindu mythology. They illustrated their
accounts using large bolts of canvas painted on the spot with simple means and dyes extracted from
plants. In the same way, one found in the Hindu temples large panels of kalamkari depicting the
episodes of Indian mythology, similar to the stained glasses of the Christian cathedrals.
As an art form it found its peak in the wealthy Golconda sultanate, Hyderabad, in the Middle Ages.
The Mughals who patronized this craft in the Coromandel and Golconda province called the
practitioners of this craft "qualamkars", from which the term "kalamkari" evolved.[2]
Kalamkari art has been practiced by many families in Andhra Pradesh, some villages in Tamilnadu
(SICKINAICKANPETTAI) by migrants from Telugu speaking families and over the generations has
constituted their livelihood. Kalamkari had a certain decline, then it was revived in India and abroad
for its craftsmanship. Since the 18th century the British liked the decorative element for clothing.
Middle forms[edit]
In middle ages the term is also used to refer, incorrectly, to the making of any cotton fabric patterned
through the medium of vegetable dyes by free-hand painting and block-printing, produced in many
different regions of India. In places where the fabric is block printed the kalam (pen) is used to draw
finer details and for application of some colours.

In this Century (Digital era)[edit]

In modern times it's replaced by digital. The art took a turn-over and updated digitally to fit in the
glove of time. In this era new types and new techniques are introduced and the digital files of
kalamkari (pen work) is totally introduced widely all over the regions of India and Iran (Persia).

Technique[edit]
Seeping it in astringents and buffalo milk and then drying it under the sun.[3] Afterwards, the red,
black, brown, and violet portions of the designs are outlined with a mordant and cloth is then placed
in a bath of alizarin.[4] The next step is to cover the cloth, except for the parts to be dyed blue, in wax,
and immerse the cloth in indigo dye. The wax is then scraped off and remaining areas are painted by
hand,[5] similar to Indonesian batik.
To create design contours, artists use a bamboo or date palm stick pointed at one end with a bundle
of fine hair attached to this pointed end to serve as the brush or pen.[6] This pen is soaked in a
mixture of fermented jaggery and water; one by one these are applied, then the vegetable dyes.
In Iran, the fabric is printed using patterned wooden stamps.[7]

Color fixing[edit]
Dyes for the cloth are obtained by extracting colors from various roots, leaves, and mineral salts of
iron, tin, copper, and alum.[8] Various effects are obtained by using cow dung, seeds, plants and
crushed flowers to obtain natural dye. Along with buffalo milk, myrobalan is used
in kalamkari. Myrobalan is also able to remove the odd smell of buffalo milk. The fixing agents
available in the myrobolan can easily fix the dye or color of the textile while treating the fabric. Alum
is used in making natural dyes and also while treating the fabric. Alum ensures the stability of the
color in kalamkari fabric.

Themes[edit]
Kalamkari specifically depicts epics such as the Ramayana or Mahabharata. However, there are
recent applications of the kalamkari technique to depict Buddha and Buddhist art forms.[9]

Block Printing
Bl oc k Printing is an anc ient c raft form of R ajas than tha t is being
prac tic ed s inc e tim e imm em orial . Natu ral c ol ors are u sed in Bl oc k
Printing. R ajas than is well know n for the art of bl ock printing tha t is
hu gel y prac tic ed there even til l date. The process of d oing bl oc k
printing fl ou ris hed sinc e the 12th c entu ry w hen the art rec eived a
royal patronage from the kings of the era. Bl oc k Printing is d one on
c otton fabric s . Rajas than is an im portant c enter in I ndia w here
bl oc k printing has gained a good prom inen ce and the d esigns of
the bl oc k printing tha t originated in R ajas than are c onsid ered the
m os t popul ar and bes t of all other d es igns .

History:

Du ring the 12th c entu ry, the parts of R ajas than and Gu jarat
bec am e fam ous for the art of Bl ock Printing that w as h u gel y
prac tic ed . The bloc k printing of Rajas than in I ndia w as exported in
a l arge num ber from I ndia.

Description:

Bl oc k Printing can be dis tinguished into tw o c ategories , The

S anganeri and Bagru prints . Al thou gh m uch difference is not
noted , bu t the bac kgr ou nd col or of the Fabric m arks the
d ifferenc e betw een the tw o. The S anganeri prints are d one on a
white bac kgrou nd and the Bagru prints are es sential l y d one on
bac kground of red and bl ac k. Bl ock Printing of R ajas than in I nd ia is
know n for the intricate d es igns and the d etail s that are m ad e on
the bl ock prints . Bl oc k printing is d one on rich and vibrant c ol ors
and this aspec t has given prom inenc e to Bl oc k Printing as a c raft
of R ajas than.

The w ood en bl oc ks of d ifferent s hapes and s izes u s ed for bl ock

printin g are c alled bunta. The bas e of the bl oc k has the design
c arved on it. The fabric is washed free of s tarc h before printing is
d one on it. Printi ng is d one from left to right. S tan d ard c ol ors used
for bl oc k printing are bl ack, brown, orange, red , and m us tar d . The
fabric is d ried ou t in the su n after the bl oc k printing is d one.
Motifs found in block printing draw from the 17th century reign of the Mughal Empire. These motifs,
which can still be seen today, are mostly floral, vegetal and animal figures such as elephants and
peacocks. When the art of block printing migrated from Gujarat to Rajasthan and eventually to West
Bengal, a wider variety of traditional intricate motifs and colours were introduced.
 L: Pre-Mughal block printed ceremonial banner from Gujarat, 1340
R: Mughal block printed and resist dyed interior tent panel from India, late 17th century or early 18th century
The Indian textile art of block printing had a tremendous impact on 19th century patterns and prints
in Britain. British designers of the 1800s found inspiration in Indian floral motifs, of which the Paisley
pattern remains commonly loved.
 Paisley printed dress produced in Britain c.1845-50, donated to the Victoria and Albert Museum by Mrs G. Myers
Block printing of Gujarat and Rajasthan can sometimes be differentiated by the colours that they
use. Gujarati block prints are captivating with their bright colours sometimes printed on a light
background, whilst Rajasthani block prints, particularly from Bagru, are often printed on red and
black backgrounds. Each hand printed garment created is unique.

The Paithapur families of Gujarat passed the art of block printing from generation to generation,
forming the trader or sodagiriprint, where ‘soda’ is derived from the Persian word for ‘trade.’ The
Kutch district in Gujarat was, and still is, a place where block printing thrives. The Ajrak print is said
to have originated from this region and is widely used in male garments to this day. Ajrak
incorporates, but is not limited to, bright colours such as red or yellow printed on dark blue-dyed or
black-dyed fabric. Ajrak prints can be identified by their elaborate geometrical patterns.
 L: The trader, or sodagiri, print gained recognition as a popular textile pattern in early trade
R: Ajrak prints are prominent in Ajrakhpur in Kutch district, Gujarat and Barmer, Rajasthan
In Rajasthan, popular motifs and colours incorporate figurative designs of animals, birds, dancing
women and Gods in a variation of striking colours. Printers of Persian origin in the city of Bagru and
the village of Sanganer are credited for popularising sophisticated floral motifs.
 Stylised Sanganeri block print motifs of a narcissus and sunflower
The print of flower-laden trees surrounding red chillies against a blue-black outline is synonymous
with the Barmer district of Rajasthan.

The print of flower-laden trees surrounding red chillies against a blue-black outline is synonymous with the Barmer district of
Rajasthan
Another Mughal-inspired print that originates from Rajasthan is the Sikar or Shekahawat print of
animal motifs, usually camels, horses, lions or peacocks.
 Carved wooden blocks with a peacock motif form the base of the Sikar or Shekahawat print
Motifs in West Bengal block printing is quite market driven, given that the art was only established in
eastern India in the mid 20th century. As Gujarat and Rajasthan perpetuate the traditional motifs and
colours of block printing, West Bengal excels at creating more contemporary motifs.

Block printed bedding from West Bengal featuring contemporary motifs and vibrant colours
The motifs and colours of traditional block printing continue to appear in contemporary fashion
culture, both in and out of India. For instance, the Paisley pattern continues to inspire modern-day
British designers like Stella McCartney and German designer Jil Sander, as seen on the catwalk in
the images below. Contemporary Mughal-inspired motifs have taken on an aesthetic simplicity whilst
retaining the essence of floral-shaped prints.
Blocks and printing styles of Bagru and
Saanganer
Block making in Saanganer

According to the 2008 census, 152 block carving units exist in Saanganer. Very special and
interesting terminology is used in these units, words that one does not find in everyday language. It
seems that the printers have developed their own language, which is important to understand, to be
able to work with them. Let us look at some of these words.

A block maker or a carpenter who specializes in block making is called “Bhatt-ghar“- in Rajasthan.
Here Bhatt implies block and the ghar implies the carver. The block printers of Saanganer get most
of their blocks made in Purani Basti in Jaipur. Those blocks that need some special technical input
are usually sent to Farukhabaad, Sitapur, Meerut or Pilakuan in UP or Pethapur in Gujarat.

Motifs of Saanganer

Finesse in flowers-petal designs, curves and delicacy are the prime specialties of Saanganer prints.
The curvature of flowers in the ’bootas’ is generally shown on the right side. Different types of floral
patterns are displayed in the form of a ‘bel’ (a border), in a stylized manner.

Some of the flowers used in the prints are roses, rosettes, lotuses, lotus bud, sunflower, lily,
‘champa’ ‘canna’ ‘nergis’, marigold etc. Various other flower creations are also found in old
Saanganeri prints. Other flowers used are locally known as ‘sosan’, ‘gainda’, ‘gulmehendi’,
‘javakusum’, ‘guldaudi’, ‘kachnar’, ‘jatadari lily’, ‘kaner’, ‘kanna’, ‘gullalla’, ‘Sosan’ and ‘gullala’ prints
are probably very suitable to Saanganeri style of printing, therefore they are used in various forms.

In ‘booties’, generally, only one type of flower-petal and bud creations is found; for example:
‘Badaam, (almond)’, ‘Paan’ (beetle leaf), ‘mukut of ‘kalanga’. While printing a sari, if the ‘booti’ is of
‘sosan’ flower then the ‘bel’ will also be of ‘sosan’ flower and a big ’boota’ of the same flower is
usually done on the ‘Pallav’ (the decorative edge of the sari, which is displayed by the women, and
left hanging from the shoulders ). Hence, for printing one sari, a large number of blocks need to be
made. By printing different booties together, the Saanganeri ‘Cheepas’ have portrayed excellent
know how. Sometimes more than three flowers are fitted beautifully in a single ‘booti’ e.g. in ‘Latkan
booti’ banana tree, sosan tree and saro tree collection in assembled beautifully in one pattern. The
designs are named accordingto the flowers or plant pattern, from which the designs were originally
inspired.

Many flowers used in Saanganeri prints don’t originate from Rajasthan. On this basis, Historian
James watt has said, “Obviously many of the Saanganeri designs portray flowers that in not likely to
have been seen by the calico printers nor by the block engravers of Rajputana. In spite of these
circumstances, however, there seems every reason to believe that the craft has been handed down
for centuries and has come to be used in all the purity of original inspiration. The nature, feeling and
colour reciprocity, as also the technique in printing are all perfect while the absence of machine
regularity gives a charm that place these goods above and beyond anything as yet accomplished in
Europe.” Apart from flowers, fruit trees of banana, dates, grapes pomegranate etc. have also been
recreated in a very attractive manner. In some old prints figures of parrots and fish are also seen.
Since about fifty years, elephant. Horse, camel, peacock and human figures are also used. These
are mostly seen on curtains, bedcovers, table clothes etc.