HYDERABAD : Intricate lines filled with bold colours — Madhubani art, rooted in the lanes of the Mithila region, holds its own significance and narratives. While its exact origin is unknown, natives believe that King Janaka requested the depiction of his daughter Sita’s wedding through this art form. Over the years, this art form has been passed down by the women of the Madhubani district in Bihar, and it is named after this place. Vidhushini Prasad, founder of Madhubani Arts India, carries this legacy forward. As she exhibits her collection at Aakruthi Vastra 2024 at N Convention, Madhapur, she provides insights into this traditional art form.
Born and brought up in Kolkata, Vidhushini Prasad’s journey in Madhubani art began when she moved to Bihar for her studies, where she delved into this traditional art form. With over 20 years of experience, she is now a founder, TEDx speaker, and art educator. In the monsoon edition of Aakruthi Vastra, she exhibited Madhubani painted stoles, sarees, dupattas, handmade paper, bags, journals, and more. “I do two styles in Madhubani art. The first one is Bharni, where we first sketch with black and fill it up with colours. The other is Kachni, which involves very intricate lines done with the help of a traditional nib. The entire painting is created using lines and designs, and we sketch with colours rather than filling it with colour. These styles are practiced by the Brahmins and the Kaithwas.”
Vidhushini Prasad is known for her signature style, where she does the entire painting in Kachni with the background in one single colour. She is also recognised for her depictions of Ganesha and other gods and goddesses. Originally, the themes of Madhubani paintings were fixed, focusing on subjects like Krishna and Radha, Shiva and Parvathi, and Ram and Sita’s wedding. Now, the themes are more contemporary, including everyday scenes and current issues.
Asked about the scope of this art form, she said, “It’s not only people from Bihar who are learning this. I have been teaching people around the world — from New Zealand to Australia, the US, Europe, Africa — everywhere. People are learning and are very much interested in this art form. So, it’s not going to die at all.”