Cool Bihari

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Bihari Art & Culture - Mithila Painting & Patna Kalam

Bihar is globally renowned for few unique offerings which is a reflection of its splendid culture and heritage. Some of these products and offerings are global names due to the intricacies of the craft and uniqueness.

Mithila Painting is has a large worldwide market today and is a name to reckon with the cognoscente. Mithila style of paintings is believed to originate at the time of the Ramayana, when King Janak commissioned artists to do paintings at the time of marriage of his daughter, Sita, to Lord Ram. Madhubani painting has been done traditionally by the women of villages around the present town of Madhubani (the literal meaning of which is forests of honey) and other areas of Mithila. The painting was traditionally done on freshly plastered mud wall of huts, but now it is also done on cloth, hand-made paper and canvas.

In Mithila, painting is normally done by women folk in three forms: painting on floor, painting on wall and painting on movable objects. Aripan, under the first category, is made on the floor with the paste of arva (crude) rice. This rice paste is called pithar in the local language. Apart from the floor it is also made on banana and maina leaves and pidhi (wooden seats).

The tradition of wall paintings as well as surface paintings for beautification of dwellings and ritual purposes in Mithila is believed to have survived from the epic period. Tulsidasa in his magnum opus the Ramcharitamanasa gives a vivid account of Mithila painting decorated for the marriage of Sita and Rama. The present form of Mithila paintings, also called Madhubani paintings, are the translation of the wall paintings, floor paintings and terracotta idols onto paper or canvas.

Not many know but Patna also has a unique form of art tradition known as “Patna Kalam”. Britishers to Patna during the early 19th century apart from trade and commerce were drawn by Patna Kalam art. Patna was a thriving centre of art during this period, with art-loving colonisers regularly thronging the dark and dingy lanes and bylanes of the city for a glimpse of "Patna Kalam" artists working in their mussavir khanas (art-studios).

And these paintings had a seminal influence on their connoisseurs—artists like Richard Cosway and John Smart came to Patna all the way from London to learn the techniques and Sir Charles Doly even tried to commercialise and hardsell the art internationally. Assimilated into phirangi art or "company painting", Patna Kalam reigned supreme in the realm of Indian art for well over 187 years, beginning 1760.

More about Patna Kalam art history & legacy of Mithila painting.

Labels: Art, Bihar Culture, Madhubani, Madhubani Painting, Mithila, Mithila Painting, Patna Kalam, Ramayana

Posted by Ajit Chouhan at 11:08 PM | Permalink | Comments

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Marriage Fair in Bihar

Bihar’s rich tradition and culture have unique legacy. Some of the customs and social practices are age old and have been practiced with great pride even today.One such unique practice is seen in Saurath village in Madhubani District in Bihar which holds a unique fair every year when marriages are arranged after holding negotiations in the midst of mango groves.

The marriage fair is called the "Saurath Sabha" and the patrons are mainly Maithili Brahmins. Hundreds of parents gather at the fair to find a suitable match for their wards. After fixing the matrimonial alliance marriages are solemnised. The practice of conducting such a fair had almost ended, as the parents of the boys started demanding dowry. The demand for dowry started picking up in the seventies.

Members of the Saurath Sabha, however, revived the old custom of conducting matrimonial fair. Youngsters have been prodding their parents that they are more interested in finding a match than getting dowry.

The social pressure has helped in the revival of the fair. The organisers of the Saurath Sabha have also been making arrangement for priests who help in matching horoscopes.

Dr. Shekhar Chandra Mishra, the secretary of Saurath Sabha, says: "After 1976, the practise of holding a marriage fair was on the verge of extinction. To bring it back to life, we have been calling upon the youth to come forward and take part in this fair. We have appealed to government many a times but in vain."

This matrimonial fair is usually organised during Jyestha - Aasadh (June to July) as per Hindu almanac. The popular venue of the fair is generally mango groves.The boys are keen to have an accomplished bride, and do not demand dowry and accept whatever 'gifs' are offered voluntarily.