During its brutal and unrelenting march of the last 12 months, leaving behind a long trail of death, destruction and failed businesses, Covid 19 caused havoc at both individual and national levels. One of its unsung victims in India has been the acclaimed Madhubani Art, or rather millions of practitioners of this art who derive their livelihood primarily from it. It’s as if coronavirus has taken a special pleasure in squeezing the last drop of joy from their lives.
Madhubani Painting: The Soul of Bihar
Ms. Sharma took charge as DM Sitamarhi in 2019
Madhubani art as reflected mainly in its paintings is often referred to as the soul of Bihar, particularly of its Mithila region from where it originated many centuries ago and is now appreciated all over the globe. However, in the recent times, it’s popularity, charm and relevance had been on a down-slide. And Covid19 gave it the knock-out push to the mat.
But as the District Magistrate of Sitamarhi in Bihar, Ms Abhilasha Sharma has shown, all is still not lost for the art and the artists. She decided it was time to put the shine back on the Madhubani paintings and pull out the artists from their misery.
As a first initiative launched by Ms Sharma, all the `Sita temples’ of the district are being decorated with Madhubani paintings. Doing this, she is not only keeping intact the rich heritage but also providing fresh means of livelihood to the artists.
In an interview with Indian Masterminds, the 2014-batch officer shared her future plan for reviving the Mithila Paintings.
The Ramayana Connection
The unique Madhubani Art or Mithila painting was traditionally created by the women and it originated in the Madhubani region. It depicts the legends from Ramayana and other folklore. As Ms. Sharma said “This art form is way to communicate our rich heritage & culture. The artists associated with it take immense pride in earning their livelihoods by practicing the Mithila paintings. They keep experimenting with modern themes, which has helped to keep it relevant. When Covid-19 hit the country, they were the one suffering the most. So, we had to generate opportunities for them where they could earn their livelihood.”
Sitamarhi, as the name suggests, is believed to be the birth place of Goddess Sita. People here treats her like daughter, while Ram is taken for the son-in-law. Under the initiative, all the major Goddess Sita temples of the district, including `Punuara Dham’, are being decorated. Along with this, many government buildings and places of public importance will also be decorated. Mostly the paintings are depicting the childhood of Goddess Sita along with different stories of Ramayana.
“The phase 1 of the project is completed. The artists have created around 6000 sq. ft of the paintings. The second phase of the project will be started very soon.,’’ said Ms Sharma
“Always felt connected with this art”
Ms. Sharma comes from Navada district of Bihar. Earlier, she was not much exposed with the Mithila art. In the beginning of her career she was posted as the Assistant Collector Darbhanga and SDM, Madhubani. She recalled, “During those years, I explore this enriched art. I always felt love and connection with these paintings. I consider myself fortunate to be able to work closely with the artists. After the migrant movement started due to covid-19, we were doing skill identification and development programs to help the workers earn their livelihood. It was then that we thought of experimenting with Mithila paintings in the temples for creating the job opportunities for the artists. We set up a team, supported by handicraft department, and started this initiative,”
These are the first few welcome steps being taken for the beleaguered artists of Mithila region. Ms. Sharma is now working on to provide an online platforms to that artists, where they will have better chances of growth.
