Mithila Art

These days, Maithila art or painting is also gaining popularity among the tourists. Basically, Mast hiti art is a folk painting dominated by religious themes. Janakpur in central-south Nepal is the center of this school of art. The people of Mithila, generally womenfolk, paint the walls of their houses with pictures of different flowers and objects of socio-religious themes in bright colors. The women of Mithila have cultivated this ceremonial art of drawing and painting on the mud walls of their houses, the floors of their thresholds and courtyards. Sita, the princess of Mithila and consort of Rama of the epic Ramayana, has been the perennial source of inspiration to the women of Mithila in this ancient craft of painting. Today, they are experimenting with their ancient art on paper as a form of prayer. The art of Mithila is heavily influenced by Tantric cults as in the Pauvas and, therefore, their paintings are full of Tantric symbols Like the Mandala in Tibetan art.