GOMANTAK TIMES, WEEKENDER MAGAZINE
Saturday, 12th December, 1999.

Sister's Act
 

Three artists, sisters MANISHA, PUJA and BANDANA JHA, do their bit to bring awareness of the centuries old Madhubani art in order to help the rural women of Mithila in Bihar.

Madhubani Painting is an art form that belongs exclusively to women. Three exponents of this style of painting are currently holding their exhibition at the Art Gallery of Kala Academy up till Friday 17 December, The Jha sisters. Manisha, Bandana and Puja are self trained artists. Manisha and Bandana are qualified architects while Puja is into interior designing, book illustration and is doing her final year in architecture. All three sisters were trained in Madhubani painting by their grandmother Phool Maya Devi who is an award- winning Madhubani painter.

Madhubani painting dates back to the ancient times of the kingdom of Mithila in North Bihar, the birthplace of Lord Ram’s wife Sita. The paintings were painstakingly etched on the walls of households especially during marriages and other festive occasions. These murals usually revolved around mythological scenes from the great Indian epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

Like all art forms that travel from their place of birth, the Jha form of Madhubani has moved away from the traditional medium. While remaining within the boundaries of the original art form with its rich line work, the Jha sisters have used new mediums like acrylic on glass, silk, wood and even glass paint on seashells. Some, though, have been created in the old style using traditional natural colours. And since Goa has this habit of influencing all who come here, a few of the paintings depart from the mythological base to portray scenes of Goan houses, beaches, landscapes and fisherfolk.

Manisha Jha remembers painting only mythological themes as a child. She credits her knowledge of architecture with giving new dimension to her awareness helping her to explore other subject elements using the subtleties an rich traditional knowledge of this spiritual art from.

She describes her approach as being very simple and playful with a special love for bright, vibrant colours and rich line work. Her desire is to take this rich art from to different parts of the world and save Madhubani art from extinction.

The objective of this exhibition is to make this art form popular across the world. A major fallout will be the creation of self employment opportunities for poor women of Bihar.