Madhubani Painting from Bihar is one among those cherished crafts of India, practiced for ages, found mostly in the state's Mithila region. Madhubani is a unique style of painting characterized by geometrical patterns and natural dark hues. Though its name translates to ‘Forest of Honey’, the art holds religious importance due to its depiction of Hindu god Krishna and Ramayan episodes. Women from the area decorate their house walls and doors with Madhubani paintings on special occasions of birth, marriage, festivals like Holi, Surya Shasti, Upanayana, Durga puja, etc. The ritual is believed to please God, hence bring in peace and prosperity.

The characteristic that makes Madhubani painting stand out from others is its use of natural colours extracted from items like turmeric for yellow, indigo for blue, Kusum flower for crimson, rose for red, lime for green, etc. These colours are then mixed with a paste of cow dung and mud to have a better texture. Sita Devi, Jagdamba Devi, and Bharati Dayal are India’s most renowned Madhubani artists, all holding various India's prestigious awards. Bharati Devi’s works can be found on the Ministry of External Affairs interiors, Ministry of Commerce, US Embassy, Norway’s Museum of Eminence, to name a few. Being inspired by them many artists took this as a profession. Ms. Vidhushini Prasad, from Bengaluru, a well-known Madhubani painter is practicing this art for many years.

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