Learn Madhubani painting

A wall painting done by women in Mithila for centuries, now a hundred-crore trade

What it is

Mithila painting was made on the mud walls of houses for weddings and festivals, by women, in natural colour, with a bamboo twig and a rag. It moved onto paper and cloth in the 1960s and became a livelihood. Villages around Madhubani and Darbhanga take visitors for a day or several, and artists teach in their own houses.

Why it matters

Two of the painters in these villages hold the Padma Shri. You can sit in a courtyard in Jitwarpur or Ranti and be taught the line by somebody whose mother taught it to her, which is not an experience money usually buys.

How it works

Base yourself at Madhubani or Darbhanga.
A day session is a demonstration and a piece you take home.
A longer stay means going back to the same teacher for several days.
Buy directly from the artist, in the house. That is the point.

Who it is for: Anybody. No drawing ability is assumed.
Best season: Oct - Mar
Difficulty: Easy
Cost: The artist's fee for the session, plus whatever you buy. Agreed beforehand.
When: Year round. Avoid the height of summer and the monsoon.
Booking: Tirtham arranges the household and the day.
Book ahead: A week
Languages: Maithili, Hindi, some English

Rules

Ask before photographing anybody's work in progress
Pay the artist directly and agree the price first

What to bring

Nothing. Materials are provided.

Where

Uchchaith Bhagwati Temple: This is the temple of the Kalidasa legend - the goddess is said to have appeared to the dull student...
Rajnagar Kali Mandir: It is the surviving living shrine of the ruined Rajnagar palace complex and the main Kali temple of the...
Shyama Mai Temple: It is the principal Shakta temple of Darbhanga city and a major site for mundan and other sanskars
Saurath Sabha Gachhi: Thousands of Maithil Brahmins gather for arranged-marriage matching, and pilgrims worship at the...

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