Are Madhubani and Mithila painting the same?

Yes. Mithila is the cultural region of north Bihar and the Nepal Terai; Madhubani is a district within it. Both names describe the same tradition.

What is the difference between Bharni and Kachni?

Bharni paintings are filled with flat, bright colour. Kachni paintings are built from fine lines and hatching, usually in black and red.

What is a Kohbar painting?

A Kohbar is the wedding painting of Mithila, traditionally painted on the wall of the bridal chamber. It is full of symbols of fertility and a long marriage, such as fish, lotus and bamboo.

What does the fish mean in Madhubani art?

The fish stands for fertility, prosperity and good luck. A pair of fish is a symbol of love and a happy marriage, which is why it appears so often in wedding art.

How should I look after a painting on paper?

Frame it behind glass, hang it away from direct sunlight and damp walls, and handle it by the edges until it is framed.

Can I commission a painting?

Yes. Varsha paints commissions in sizes from A4 to A2, including Kohbar and fish paintings for weddings. See the Commissions page for how it works.

What is Madhubani Painting? Styles, History and Symbols

One art, two names

Madhubani painting and Mithila painting are the same tradition. Mithila is the old cultural region of north Bihar and the neighbouring Terai of Nepal, where Maithili is spoken. Madhubani is one district within it, and the place where the art first became widely known, so its name became the common name for the whole style.

Painted by women, for the home

For centuries the women of Mithila painted on the freshly plastered mud walls and floors of their homes. The paintings marked festivals, births and above all weddings. Floor designs painted in rice paste are called aripan, and the wall painting made for a bride and groom is the Kohbar. Local legend says King Janak had his city painted for the wedding of his daughter Sita to Ram.

The wider world first saw these paintings after the 1934 Bihar earthquake, when a British officer, W. G. Archer, found them on the broken walls of village houses and photographed them. In the late 1960s, during a severe drought, women began painting on paper with government support so their work could be sold. That move from wall to paper is why Madhubani paintings can hang in homes today.

The styles

Painters in Mithila usually describe five styles. Varsha works mainly in the first two.

Bharni: Filled style. Figures are outlined and then filled with flat, bright colour. Gods, goddesses and festive scenes are often painted this way. See Krishna Leela.
Kachni: Line style. The image is built from fine lines, hatching and dots, usually in one or two colours such as black and red. See Sacred Fish.
Kohbar: The wedding painting, full of symbols of fertility and a long marriage. See Kohbar.
Godna: Based on traditional tattoo patterns, with repeated small motifs in rows.
Tantrik: Images of deities and yantras drawn from Tantric worship, such as Kali and Durga.

How to read a Madhubani painting

A few rules hold across most Madhubani work. Every figure has a double outline. Borders are painted as bands of double lines with patterns inside. Faces are usually in profile with large eyes. And no part of the surface is left empty: gaps are filled with flowers, leaves, birds or fish.

Each motif carries a meaning:

Fish: Fertility, prosperity and good luck. A pair of fish stands for a happy marriage.
Lotus: Purity and beauty, often linked with the bride.
Bamboo: The continuation of the family line; it appears in Kohbar paintings.
Parrot and peacock: Love and courtship.
Sun and moon: Long life and blessings that last.

Colours and materials

Traditional painters made their colours from what was at hand: turmeric for yellow, soot for black, rice paste for white, and flowers and leaves for reds and greens, applied with twigs, bamboo nibs or cotton on a stick. Varsha paints with acrylic colour and archival ink on cotton paper, chosen so that the colours stay bright for years.