Original Mithila Wall Painting

Hi Everyone!

I know I have mentioned that Mithila paintings are originally done on the mud built walls of houses in Mithila region and never really gotten to show what the original wall paintings look like.

The picture on the left is one of the original wall paintings done by a female Mithila student. As you can see, the brick red color is made from red soil, green color from plant leaves, blue color is from the blue ink used in pens, and finally the black color used for the hair is from coal.

The picture is that of Goddess Saraswati, which in Hindu religion is the goddess of Knowledge and Skills such as music and arts. Although she is worshiped by all, students especially worship her for good outcomes in their academics. She is also the wife of Brahma, the God of Creation.

The name Saraswati also has significance in Buddhism. She is known as the guardian deity who upholds the teachings of Gautama Buddha by offering protection and assistance to practitioners.

Artist Profile: Rukmini Devi

Her name is Rukmini Devi and she is a mother of five daughters. Her eldest daughter is seventeen and the youngest is ten. Her husband left her after the birth of her fifth daughter and there has been no news about him. Her eldest daughter got married two years ago after she passed her SLC, which is equivalent to tenth grade.

As for Rukmini, she relies on her brother in law for every need from food to clothing, no wonder healthcare is a luxury for her. She saved the extra money that she earned from the training process last summer of 2009 for updating her glasses, as she had not had her eye check up for five years.

With the hope that her husband will come back to her someday, she lives her life with optimism. She is one of the most regular attendees at the Jurshital Institute. She loves disappearing into her world of Mithila paintings except at times when she gets a headache due to her eye problems.