By Sohail Khan Kabiri
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Dec 25: Entering the Toshali Crafts Mela, the first thing catching visitors’ attention would be the visual art stalls lined up along the left side.
Prominent among them would be the Madhubani painting stall.
An ancient art that is believed to have originated in present-day Nepal, Madhubani painting is done using twigs, fingers or brushes using natural dyes.
A defining characteristic is the use of striking geometrical patterns. Madhubani art is mainly used to signify events such as birth, marriage, and other festive occasions.
“This is a traditional art form that we have acquired from our ancestors. In ancient times, paintings used to be done on walls and with changing times, it is now being painted on handmade paper and cloth fabrics,” said a Madhubani stall owner Manorama Devi.
Now practised mainly in Bihar, Madhubani art is nationally and internationally recognised and is being accorded Geographical Indication (GI) status.
At the stall are several colourful paintings lined on the shelves. Speaking of a particular painting, Manorama says, “In this particular painting, two-dimensional imagery is used and the colours are naturally derived from plants.”
“To give the painting a reddish-brown and black appearance, ochre and lampblack are used respectively. No empty spaces are left and the gaps are filled by paintings of flowers, animals, birds, and even geometric designs.”
The painting process is laborious and takes several days.
“Normally, it takes 10-15 days to finish a standard size painting that involves three to four people working on a single painting,” she says.
Most paintings at the stall depict deities, celestial objects like the Sun and the Moon, and holy plants like basil.
Scenes from royal courts and social events like weddings are also depicted in the paintings.
A standard size painting is available for `2,500-5,000 depending on the art work.
