STYLE  :

            Hey readers, in my earlier two posts I had discussed about what exactly Madhubani Paintings is and its History. I hope you liked it. So, today’s post is about different variety or style of Madhubani Paintings.

            The style or variety of Madhubani Paintings is as vivid as the colourful Indian culture. However, it’s quite interesting to note that different styles of Madhubani paintings depend on different caste or community. Although it’s unclear regarding which class or community inspired which community of the society, however depending on this factor, the style of Madhubani paintings can be classified into three types-

·         Bharni Style- This style is mainly practiced by the Brahmins. Bharni style of painting employs bold black outlines to clearly define the subject. The enclosed areas are then filled with vibrant colours, just as the name ‘Bharni’ suggests, i.e., filling. This style is totally flat with no attempt of creating any depth or ‘shading’. This style mainly consists of religious motifs of various Gods. Since the Brahmins have easy access to sacred texts, it helped them to portray the mythological and religious motifs with ease.

Bharni style Madhubani painting 

·         Kachni Style- This style of painting is done by Kayasthas. Their style of painting symbolizes ‘fertility’. This style of painting employs only one or two colours, black and vermillion. ‘Kachni’ literally means ‘line’. The artists thus rely on delicate fine lines enlivened with a variety of patterns using hatching and stippling. Some common motifs used by them are lotus plant, sacred symbols, fish, tortoises, parrots and birds.

Kachni style Madhubani painting

·          Godhana Style- This style of painting also known as Tattoo painting is mainly practiced by the Dusadh community. Godhana style consists of small stick like figures geometrically organized in parallel lines, concentric circles or rectangles. Some of the paintings are then filled with colours, other are simply drawn in black common motifs of flora and fauna can be seen in their art. However with time as the social acceptance widened they have now started paintings motifs of Gods. Interestingly their use of vibrant colours is quite similar to that of the Brahmin style of painting.

Godhana style Madhubani painting

           Apart from these three main styles of paintings, there is one more style, i.e., Tantric Style of paintings. Tantric painting is distinguished from other style of Madhubani paintings because the subjects it depicts are based solely on religious texts and characters related to them. Tantric subjects include manifestations of Maha Kali, Maha Durga, Maha Saraswati, Maha Lakshmi, and Maha Ganaeh along with other Tantric symbols.

Tantric style Madhubani painting

           Hope you guys liked it. Stay tuned to know more about Madhubani paintings in my upcoming posts.