Madhubani is characterized by some border areas of Bihar such as Darbhanga, Madhubani and Nepal. In the early days, this painting was made in the form of rangoli. Then gradually the art came down to clothes, paper and walls. The art, invented by the women of Mithila, has been adopted by men and has now become a source of employment for a large population. It is believed that Raja Janak made these paintings on the door and wall with the women of Mithila on the occasion of the marriage of Rama and Sita. Earlier, art was monopolized by upper caste women like Brahmin women. But over time, that mystery has faded, and today women in every community are familiar with the art. Especially the rural women of Mithila are more skilled in this art. In its original form, the painting was found on the walls of the village's mud-covered huts but is now beautifully painted on cloth and paper canvases.
With the passage of time, in addition to being an artist, this art was also adopted by the Paswan community. The people of this community worship Raja Salhesh in the form of their deity. This painting also shows the deity in particular. Images of Hindu gods and goddesses, landscapes like sun and moon, religious trees like basil, poplar and wedding are beautifully depicted. Animals and fish are also given a special place in Madhubani painting. Darker, and brighter colours are used to create this painting. Dark red, green, blue, black, some light colours are also brought into the picture, such as light pink, yellow, blue. It would be surprising to know that these colours were first made from household items. Such as turmeric, banana leaves for green, papaya bark for red, rice powder for white, etc. were used.
There are two types of painting called Bhati Chitrakala and Alpana Chitrakala. Apart from Bhati painting, Alpana painting is also popular in Bihar. It was made to sit or on the outer wall so that there would be a good crop in the fields. But nowadays it is made in homes as a fashion. A match bag and a bamboo pen are used to make the picture. The glue extracted from the acacia tree is mixed to retain and hold the colours.
The meaning of Madhu Bani painting has also changed over time. But this art encompasses such a vast world that it is still considered important by art lovers. Before painting on paper, acacia glue is mixed with cow dung solution on handmade paper and a layer is first laid with the help of cotton cloth and placed in the sun to dry. These days Madhu Bani painting were made by Handmade paper, canvas and wall paintings by the artist. In Madhubani "Bhati Painting", a mixture of clay and cow dung is mixed with acacia glue to cover the wall. Cow dung has its own characteristics that make the wall shine. It is customary to make this painting in three specific places in the house. Such as a place of worship, the wall of the Khobar (where newlyweds are kept), built on the outer walls of the house for festivals, weddings or special occasions.
Now Madhubani painting has come out of Bihar and made its mark on the world stage. It is exhibited in art galleries around the world. And now it has come down from the mud walls of the village to adorn the expensive, luxurious drawing-room.