Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Madhubani Paintings - An ode to Ethnicity!





We are in the era of twitter and facebook, with technology rapidly revolutionising the globe transforming geaks to "gizmo freaks". Though the western influence has restructured our lifestyle so vastly not sparing even our wardrobes and cuisine,it can never erode the blood dissolved culture and heritage descended from our ancestors. Be it the signature sculptures of architects or the resonating and reverberating contributions of poets and scholars or historically significant religious ceremonies and rituals, all speak volumes of our traditional past. Under this archive falls Madhubani or Mithila paintings shrouded in antiquity, with its origin deep rooted in ancient times of Ramayana. Though this art restricts its variety to a few religious Hindu deities, shapes of nature and social gatherings, one would be captivated by the bright colours spread evenly on cloth or canvas without much of shading. The infinite black lines, crosses and miniature designs over transparent, glazy Indian Ink colours drive authenticity to lime light. The uniqueness of this art is exemplified by the thick double lined border and the space in between the lines criss crossed with intricate patterns. Trust me, all your efforts and patience will be generously rewarded by the ethnic look it sports on completion. This is indeed an art which has stood the test of time thereby creating a niche for itself!

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