Madhubani art
Madhubani art, made by hand in Gurugram
Madhubani — also called Mithila painting — comes from the Mithila region of Bihar, where it was painted on the walls and floors of homes for weddings and festivals. I make Madhubani panels to order, working the motifs in raised relief with mirror detailing so they carry the same depth as my Lippan work.
Made to order in Sector 67, Gurugram · shipped across India & worldwide
The motifs mean something
Madhubani is a language of symbols more than a style. Fish stand for fertility and good fortune. The lotus is purity. Peacocks, elephants, the sun and moon, and the kohbar — the marriage chamber design — all carry meaning that predates anyone painting them for a wall in a city flat.
That matters when you are choosing a piece for a particular occasion. A fish-and-lotus panel for a wedding gift is not the same message as a peacock for a living room, and it is worth picking on purpose rather than by colour alone.
Traditional painting, worked in relief
Classical Mithila work is flat: natural pigments and a fine brush or twig on paper, cloth or a plastered wall, with the surface filled in completely because empty space is traditionally left unused.
What I make keeps the drawing and the symbolism but raises it. Outlines are built up in relief so the motif stands off the surface, and mirrors are set into the pattern. It gives the panel physical depth and makes it read from across a room rather than only up close.
Choosing a panel
Tell me the occasion, the wall and the colours in the room. Madhubani uses strong colour — the reds, greens, blues and yellows are part of the tradition, not a choice I would talk you out of — but which dominates is up to you.
Panels can be made as a single framed piece or as a pair. As with everything here, you approve the design before I start.