100 Madhubani paintings by women-artists depict Ramayan on canvas

New Delhi: It is a belief among the people of Bihar's Mithila region that Raja Janak, the father of Sita, asked artists and citizens alike to paint the walls to celebrate his daughter's wedding to lord Ram.

"From the depiction of the wedding of the bride and the groom in bright, contrasting colours was born the art of Mithila paintings, or Madhubani paintings," said Manisha Jha, artist and founder of Madhubani Art Centre.

Hundred such colourful paintings, depicting stories and events from the Hindu epic of Ramayan, have been featured at an exhibition at Lalit Kala Akademi here.

Organised by Madhubani Art Centre and the Akademi, 'Mithila Ramayan' features works by veteran and young women artists from Bihar and has taken Jha 20 years in the making.

"In Bihar, every bride is Sita and every groom is Ram. In our wedding songs, we call our daughters Sita. The exhibition shows the whole concept of Sita and Ram being in the psyche of people. It is an in-depth documentation of a culture and how Ramayan is imbibed in that culture," Jha told PTI.

Apart from the common stories from Ramayan, including Ram-Sita wedding, Ram and Sita in exile, Sita’s abduction by Ravan, and Sita in captivity, the finely detailed and colourful paintings also depict wedding rituals and festivals of the Mithila region.

The 37 women artists include veterans like Jagdumba Devi, Sita Devi, Godavari Dutta, Dulari Devi, Baua Devi and Bimala Dutta, and younger artists such as Nutan Bala, Archana Kumari, Anju Devi, and Simmi Rishi.

"These paintings are journey of women, preserved by women and practised by women. It highlights the important role of women artists in preserving and promoting traditional art forms, while also pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation,” Jha said.

The exhibition will come to an end on April 12.