Madhubani painting

According to legend, this bright folk art was first created when King Janaka hired local artists to depict the union of his daughter Princess Sita and Prince Rama

Madhubani art, one of the most prominent folk art forms in India, is practised in the ancient cultural region of Mithila in Bihar and Nepal. Painting is identified to be the most celebrated art form here, especially amongst women, who adorn their walls with detailed patterns on account of marriages and several other festivities. The paintings of the kohbar, the room of the newlywed couples, represents love and fertility, which are usually the primary themes alongside the mythical, folk, and tantric illustrations.

Japan has its own Mithila Museum in Tokamachi, Niigata Prefecture, with almost 850 paintings on display circling different themes and styles. US public art exhibition Global Positioning featured India’s painting in the top 20 works by artists all across the globe. Even PM Narendra Modi gifted the mayor of Hannover a Madhubani painting as a souvenir from India.