"He Govind, He Daomodar, He Madhava" (From The Mahabharata)

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In this narrative painting, the horizontal space arrangement has been so used to divide the work, indicating a keen awareness of the rural stage where incidents separated by time and space are portrayed at the same time. The painting pictorially narrates an incident from the Mahabharata. Draupadi was married to the five Pandava brothers. They were constantly harassed by their cousins, the Kauravas for the kingdom which rightfully belonged to the Pandavas. The Kaurava invited the latter for a game of dice and cheated them of their kingdom, their personal belongings and even their wife. To humiliate the Pandavas further, Duryodhana, one of the Kaurava brothers asked his younger brother Dushashana to disrobe her in the gathering.

The dominant part of the painting shows Dushashana pulling at Draupadi's sari. The bearded Bhishma Pitamah, their great grandfather, can bee seen trying to stop the proceedings. At the right corner is spread out the board of the game of dice and the players.

When Draupadi's pleas for help to all quarters failed she appealed to Lord Krishna to save her honor, by crying out in distress "He Govind, He Daomodar, He Madhava". Her beloved Krishna immediately came to her rescue and as much the Kauravas tried to pull at her sari, it kept increasing in length and prevented them from their heinous intention. At the upper right portion of the painting can be seen Krishna blessing Draupadi with yards and yards of cloth.

Colors of Tradition: Exploring the Artistry Behind Madhubani Paintings

Madhubani painting is also known as Mithila art as it is practiced in the Mithila region of India and Nepal. It has specifically originated from the Madhubani district of the state of Bihar. Traditionally, the women of this region created these paintings and in recent years, it has become a widely practiced art and has now become renowned throughout the world. This art expresses the creativity and culture of the people of Mithila and is passed from one generation to another. In this way, the heritage of Madhubani art has been preserved for many decades. The subjects of these paintings are usually religion, love, and fertility. Sometimes, social events like festivals, weddings, and royal court are also depicted in the paintings. The most commonly painted designs and themes are the forms of Hindu Gods and Goddesses such as Ganesha, Shiva, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Krishna, and Ram. The characteristic features of Madhubani paintings are their vibrant colors and eye-catching geometrical patterns. The empty spaces are filled with traditional motifs such as floral and foliate patterns, animals, birds, geometrical structures, and other designs. The local artists create these paintings using a variety of items such as matchsticks, twigs, brushes, pens, or even their own fingers. The paints are usually made with natural dyes and pigments.
As simple as it may seem, the making process of the world-famous Madhubani paintings is certainly not easy and requires lots of hard labor.

Traditional Madhubani paintings are done either on cloth, handmade paper, or canvas. Select the medium of painting as per your choice. If you have chosen cloth, attach it to cardboard to make a solid base. The making of the painting begins with making a double-lined border. This is a very important step because the border is filled with various geographical shapes and patterns or other motifs. The average width of the border is 1.5 - 2 cm. Now that the border is created, you will be left with a blank middle space. This is the main workspace. Start drawing your choice of figure, designs, and shapes. These must be relevant to the Madhubani painting themes.

When the key design has been made, the empty spaces in between are filled with some designs.
Now is the time to color the painting using vivid shades and hues. Colors in Madhubani are sourced from nature; Indigo is used to produce blue, flower juice produces red, turmeric gives yellow, leaves produce green, cow dung mixed soot gives black, and rice powder gives white.

To paint these colors, the artist uses a bamboo stick and wraps cotton around it. This acts as a traditional brush.
The entire painting is now painted using this special brush with natural vibrant colors. · However, in modern times, the common brush is used and instead of natural colors, artists prefer to use acrylic paints.

Since the entire painting is made with natural materials and colors, it appears simple yet enriching. Originally, this art was created on mud walls or soil grounds but when it evolved over many years, the people of Madhubani started to make it on fabric and paper. Today, this art has become globalized and is receiving worldwide attention and appreciation.