Proceedings of The 6th Global Conference on Women’s Studies
Year: 2024
DOI:
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Madhubani Painting & Kohbar Ghar Of Mithila: Need For Preservation And The Women Question
Dr. Sudha Jha Pathak
ABSTRACT:
India’s vibrant history, tradition, and cultural ethos are revealed in the various manifestations and traditions of art and culture, especially the folk art forms of its villages. The beautiful Madhubani paintings from the Madhubani district of Bihar, have been appreciated for their aesthetic wonder, uniqueness, and beauty and have attained worldwide recognition. The women of Mithila are the primary custodians of the rich cultural tradition and heritage of Mithila. In this context, it is important to note that the Madhubani painting represents the women artists’ assertion of their self and identity in a patriarchal society. The research methodology of the paper would include field surveys and interviews of the women artists portraying their perspectives, purpose, and worldviews. The author would also include the case study of a few eminent women artists of Mithila. The objective of the paper is critically analyzing the status of women artists in the patriarchal set-up and the quest for their expression and identity through their paintings.As an ancillary to the theme of Madhubani painting, this paper also intends to delve into the unique features of the custom of kohbar ghar (wedding chamber) which epitomizes Mithila’s rich cultural heritage. There exists an existential threat to Madhubani painting from the process of commodification and commercialization of this beautiful art form, there is an urgent need for preserving this indigenous art and retaining its intrinsic purity and essence. As this is a working paper the final findings can be enumerated later on completion.
keywords: culture; tradition; commodification; preservation; women artists