The State of Bihar is considered to be an Eastern and Northern state. It is the 13th-largest state of India, with an area of 94,163 km2 (36,357 sq mi). The third-largest state of India by population. Patna is the capital of Bihar. From days of yore, Bihar is known for its education, learning and power. 

Madhubani Art -  The Madhubani painting originated from the Mithila region in the state of Bihar, India and is thus also known as Mithila painting. The term ÔÇÿmadhuÔÇÖ literally means honey and ÔÇÿbaniÔÇÖ refers to forest. So, those living in the hilly wooded terrains of Bihar gave birth to this wonderful art. The main features of these paintings are that these paintings were originally made by the women of the village, on the walls of their homes. Influenced by the traditions and culture of those times, they painted popular mythological figures and Indian deities such as Ram, Sita, Krishna, Radha, Durga, Shiva, Lakshmi and Saraswati; picture of nature such as the Sun, Moon, starry nights and religious plants such as the Tulsi (sage); seasonal festivals and so on.

The Techniques used in Madhubani painting were guarded by the women in the family and were passed on from generation to generation and from mothers to their daughters.

The artisans who created Madhubani paintings would invoke holy sprits, divine blessings and Mother Nature herself, before proceeding to create a work of art. This seems one of the plausible reasons why their paintings mostly revealed the blissful creative side of nature, including flora and fauna, animals, fishes, birds, the natural cycle of life and death and many other aspects of creation, even geometrical figures. Using bright, vibrant colours, Madhubani paintings verily pulsate with life and verve.

Originally depicted on freshly plastered must walls of huts and displayed during family functions, scared rituals, ceremonies and marriages, the same gradually began to be done on handmade paper, fabric and canvas.

Madhubani paintings use two dimensional imagery and uses natural colours derived from plants. Ochre and Lampblack are also used to get reddish-brown and black hues respectively. Because the art has been confined to a single geographical region and has been passed down through generations of families, the style and content of the painting has mostly remained the same. However, with changing times, acrylic colours have also been used in these paintings.

Painting is done with fingers, twigs, brushes, nib-pens, and matchsticks, using natural dyes and pigments, and is characterized by eye-catching geometrical patterns. There is ritual content for particular occasions, such as birth or marriage, and festivals, such as Holi (the indian festival of colours), Surya Shasti (a phase of the sun), Kali Puja (an avatar of the divine Goddess Lakshmi), Upanayanam(one of the traditional rites of passage that marked the acceptance of a student by a guru or teacher and an individual's entrance to a school in Hinduism) and Durga Puja(another avatar of the divine Goddess Lakshmi), 

Madhubani paintings mostly depict the men & its association with nature and the scenes & deity from the ancient epics. Natural objects like the sun, the moon, and religious plants like tulsi are also widely painted, along with scenes from the royal court and social events like weddings. Generally no space is left empty; the gaps are filled by paintings of flowers, animals, birds, and even geometric designs. The art shows only the side profiles of the subjects and that is the speciality of Madhubani paintings.

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