Paddy-Pounding

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In the painting the device – paddy pounding mill, consists of a beautifully embellished long shaft attached to and upheld on two vertical columns of low height. Attached towards the fore-end of the shaft, a relatively smaller part, is a heavy pounding disc, obviously made of iron, which when fell on the pounding hole thrashed with its weight paddy, or other gain, which it contained, and separated rice or eatable substance from bran or chaff. The other portion of the shaft, a longer one, made this pounding disc rise and fall with shifting of weight, that is, when with weight this larger part of the shaft is pushed down, under the principle of lever its other part is automatically lifted, and with it is lifted the pounding disc, and when the weight from this larger part of the shaft is removed, the pounding disc with its heavier weight falls into the pounding hole and thrashes the grain contained in it.

The entire activity rotates around the theme of paddy pounding and visually around the paddy-pounding mill. The lady, seated on the extreme right close to the pounding hole is turning the grain that it contains so that it is properly pounded. Another one, bent over her, is pouring into the pounding hole the paddy from her pitcher. The lady on her left and the other one on her right, one with a basket on her head, and the other, with a pitcher, are waiting for their turns. Other ladies, carrying alike pitchers or baskets, with paddy contained in them, are in queue. One of them is carrying her girl child tied to her breast, almost as carry their children on their backs the tea-leaf gathers of hills. Two of the ladies, relieved of their paddy baskets, are engaged in operating the paddy pounding device by pressing its shaft. They are holding in their hands the rings used for supporting their head-load, the pitcher or the basket, now lying on the ground. On the extreme left there is a granary with a bottle-like neck, and close to it on its right is seated a partially visible lady with a sieve in her hand, perhaps engaged in straining the pounded grain.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.

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Colors of Tradition: Exploring the Artistry Behind Madhubani Paintings

Madhubani painting is also known as Mithila art as it is practiced in the Mithila region of India and Nepal. It has specifically originated from the Madhubani district of the state of Bihar. Traditionally, the women of this region created these paintings and in recent years, it has become a widely practiced art and has now become renowned throughout the world. This art expresses the creativity and culture of the people of Mithila and is passed from one generation to another. In this way, the heritage of Madhubani art has been preserved for many decades. The subjects of these paintings are usually religion, love, and fertility. Sometimes, social events like festivals, weddings, and royal court are also depicted in the paintings. The most commonly painted designs and themes are the forms of Hindu Gods and Goddesses such as Ganesha, Shiva, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Krishna, and Ram. The characteristic features of Madhubani paintings are their vibrant colors and eye-catching geometrical patterns. The empty spaces are filled with traditional motifs such as floral and foliate patterns, animals, birds, geometrical structures, and other designs. The local artists create these paintings using a variety of items such as matchsticks, twigs, brushes, pens, or even their own fingers. The paints are usually made with natural dyes and pigments.
As simple as it may seem, the making process of the world-famous Madhubani paintings is certainly not easy and requires lots of hard labor.

Traditional Madhubani paintings are done either on cloth, handmade paper, or canvas. Select the medium of painting as per your choice. If you have chosen cloth, attach it to cardboard to make a solid base. The making of the painting begins with making a double-lined border. This is a very important step because the border is filled with various geographical shapes and patterns or other motifs. The average width of the border is 1.5 - 2 cm. Now that the border is created, you will be left with a blank middle space. This is the main workspace. Start drawing your choice of figure, designs, and shapes. These must be relevant to the Madhubani painting themes.

When the key design has been made, the empty spaces in between are filled with some designs.
Now is the time to color the painting using vivid shades and hues. Colors in Madhubani are sourced from nature; Indigo is used to produce blue, flower juice produces red, turmeric gives yellow, leaves produce green, cow dung mixed soot gives black, and rice powder gives white.

To paint these colors, the artist uses a bamboo stick and wraps cotton around it. This acts as a traditional brush.
The entire painting is now painted using this special brush with natural vibrant colors. · However, in modern times, the common brush is used and instead of natural colors, artists prefer to use acrylic paints.

Since the entire painting is made with natural materials and colors, it appears simple yet enriching. Originally, this art was created on mud walls or soil grounds but when it evolved over many years, the people of Madhubani started to make it on fabric and paper. Today, this art has become globalized and is receiving worldwide attention and appreciation.