Crafts of Bihar- An overview by Indian Artisans Online

Every year our research team travels extensively across India to meet and profile artisans. In December 2013, our team visited Bihar (northern India) to profile artisans practicing Madhubani, Sikki and Sujani crafts. We give you an overview of the different crafts of Bihar- its origin, significance, and the present state of the craft sector.

1. Crafts of Bihar Overview by Indian Artisans Online

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3. Distinct forms of Madhubani Painting The most popular craft form from Bihar, these paintings originated from traditional practices at the time of marriage, child birth, death and other festivals. Mithila Painting Line Painting Godna /Tattoo Painting Tantrik Painting Sikki Craft Sujani Craft Papier Mache Major Crafts

4. Different forms of Madhubani Painting

5. Mithila Painting Practiced mostly in Ranti , Jitwarpur , Rajnagar , Bijay Salempur , Lohfa (villages in Mahubani district), and also in Darbhanga district by Kayastha and Brahmins. Inspired by the stories from Ramayana & Mahabharata. D ifferent ‘ Aripans ’ (auspicious floor drawings) and ‘ Kohbar ’ (painting made at the time of marriage to bless the new couple) are also made. Earlier ‘soot’ (end of a jute rope) and bamboo brush was used to make the painting. Now different types of brushes are easily available in the market and both natural and fabric colors are used. Pioneers: Mahasundari Devi, Sita Devi, Jagdamba Devi, Godawari Dutta , Jamuna Devi Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online Kohbar room at Mahasundari Devi’s home

6. Line Painting This type of madhubani art is practiced in Rashidpur village by the Kayastha caste. But now other communities have adopted the style as well. Stories from Ramayana , Mahabharata, different ‘ Aripans ’, ‘ Kohbar ’, flora & fauna are usually the subject for these paintings. T heme based paintings are also created especially for the market. Nib holder and color is used to make fine lines and the filling is done with a brush. Time consuming and highly skilled painting. Up to 3 art panels (22”*30”) can be made in one month. Pioneers: Gangadevi (Padma Shree awardee) Amresh Kumar Lal Das Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online

7. Practiced mostly in Jitwarpur village by the lower castes ( Paswan Tola ) Prominent motifs include concentric circles of flowers, fields, animals, figures, and spirits. A pointed bamboo pen and lampblack ink is used to make the paintings. Time consuming because wide range of small motifs are used. Pioneers : Chano Devi (National Awardee) Godna /Tattoo Painting Godna painting by Manju Devi Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online

8. Tantrik Painting A relatively new form of M adhubani art which originated from Harinagar ( Madhubani district). Tantrik painting was started by Brahmins and is practiced by very few people . Most of the paintings depict different forms and stories of Devi Shakti based on Sanskrit shlokas . I n-depth knowledge of Tantra , Mantra and Yantra (basic spiritual paths of Hinduism) and Sanskrit is required for making these paintings. Pioneers: Krishan Kant Jha Sidh Kali by Krishan Kant Jha Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online

9. Sikki Craft Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online

10. Sikki Craft Traditionally used to make household utility products like baskets and roti box. Major clusters are found in the villages of Raiyam and Umari The raw material ( sikki grass) is not available throughout the year. It is only harvested after monsoon. Individual capacity is not equal to the market demand. The craft is generally practiced in small groups. Major products are: platters, roti pots, utility items, and home décor items. Pioneers: Kameshwar Thakur and Munni Devi from Raiyam and Bucchi Devi from Umari . Flower pot by Munni Devi Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online

11. Raiyam Umari Sikki Jeevika Gram Sangathan Hastkala Vikas Kendra Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online

12. Sujani Craft Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online

13. Sujani Craft Sujani - word derived from ‘Su’ which means ‘easy’ and ‘ jani ’ meaning ‘birth’ Craft evolved from the tradition of making quilts for infants. For this patches of old clothes were sewn together using simple chain stitch. Traditional motifs are flowers, animal figures and Gods. Multiple layers of thread were used to embroider earlier making the stiches look thick. B ut now a Kantha ( West Bengal ) style of embroidery is being used more. Major clusters are Bhusra village ( Muzaffarpur ) and Gangapur ( Madhubani ). Pioneers: Nirmala Devi, Subhadara Devi Products by Bhusra Mahila Vikas Samiti Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online

14. Bhusra ( Muzaffarpur ) Gangapur ( Madhubani ) Bhusra Mahila Vikas Samiti Subhadra Devi Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online

15. Papier Mache Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online

16. Papier Mache Traditionally, women used papier m ache to make household utility items like vessels, and storage containers. Masks were also made for home décor. The motifs used for decorating the items are inspired from Madhubani painting. This craft is usually practiced in pockets of Madhubani clusters. Unlike Kashmiri papier mache , the market for this craft is dwindling. Most artisans find it unprofitable. Major products include dolls, small decorative items, and platters. Pioneers: Karpoori Devi, Subhadra Devi, Lalita Devi. Papier mache ‘ doli ’ by Lalita Devi Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online

17. Manjusha Kala and Tikuli Art Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online

18. Also known as snake paintings, this art is based on the story of Bishahari (daughter of the Hindu deity Shiva). According to folklore, Shiva granted permission to his daughter Bishahari (snake goddess) to worship earth. To mark this day the Bishahari festival is celebrated in Bhagalpur and parts of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Assam and Bangladesh. Another tale talks about B ihula who saved her husband from dying of a snake bite by appeasing the snake gods. Traditionally, manjusha were boxes shaped like temples in which devotees kept their prayer materials. These boxes are used during the festival . The dominant motif in this art is snake. Mostly pink, yellow and green colors are used to make the paintings. Pink signifies offering, yellow is for prosperity, and green for happiness. Apart from paintings on paper, artisans are also experimenting on stationary items, and bags. Manjusha K ala Manjusha art by Manoj Kumar Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online

19. Tikuli which means ‘ bindi ’ has existed since the Mughal era. At that time gold and silver foil were used on glass base to make bindis , which women used as adornment. Now artisans make dots instead of using bindis . The present form of the craft was brought by Upendra Maharathi . He had seen paintings being done on hardboard in Japan and adopted the method to help revive tikuli . Mythological stories, Krishna Raas Leela are depicted in Tikuli art. Major products include decorative wall panels Pioneers: Upendra Maharathi , Ashok Kumar Biswas Tikuli Art Raas Leela by Sohan Kumar Chaudhary Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online Indian Artisans Online

20. Jute Craft - Patna & Munger Main Products- Bags, stationery & jewelry Applique - Patna Main Products- Bed sheets & table covers Pattharkatti (Stone Carving ) - Gaya Main Products- Religious idols and decorative items Rahika ( Wood Carving) - Madhubani Main Products- D ecorative items & Madhubani inspired wall panels Aari Work (embroidery) - Aara Main Products- Dress material & sarees Bamboo Craft - Vaishali Main Products- Decorative items Weaving - Nalanda Main Products- Sarees & bed sheets Other craft Forms

21. Commercialization of Madhubani craft started in 1960 and it was spearheaded by the likes of Kamla Chattopadhaya , Bhaskar Kulkarni , Puppul Jaykar , Upendra Maharathi . They were all associated with different g overnment handicraft departments. Award winning artists like Mahasundari Devi, Ganga Devi, Jagdamba Devi, and Sita Devi have also contributed in popularizing Madhubani painting. Their legacy still lives on and many visitors come to the villages especially looking for their art. Their family continue to use their style of art. One of the biggest challenge is the erosion of traditional knowledge due to commercialization. Young artisans are not aware of the meaning or significance of many of the motifs. Many artisans fear that the history of the crafts may soon be forgotten. Artisans feel that the history of the craft can be conserved by setting up museums in villages. Since many of the villages are known for a particular style of art artisans also feel that this can be used for rural tourism. There is very little documentation of some of the art forms like Tikuli , Nalanda weaves and Manjusha due to which they are still relatively unknown. Observations

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