Madhubani paintings adorn railway station walls

The beautiful Madhubani painting, the most globally renowned traditional art form of Bihar, now adorns the walls of Madhubani railway station, around 175 km northeast of the state capital Patna. This is a first of its kind initiative in Bihar.

The world-famous painting tastefully covers over 7,500 square feet of the station, placing it in a class of its own. Officials of the East Central Railway (ECR) division claim that this is the largest depiction of Mithila artwork in the world.

"The aim was not just to beautify the walls, but also to display the skill and talent our artists have and spread awareness about it, especially among the younger generation," said an ECR official.

The task was undertaken as a part of Swachhta mission to keep the station campus clean and kicked off on October 2 this year. The handiwork turned into a reality almost two week later, due the efforts of around 200 Mithila painting artists, mostly young students, who worked tirelessly to achieve the feat. They have not charged any fee for their services either.

The railways provided them with colours, painting brushes and refreshments and felicitated them after completion of the work.

What makes Madhubani painting different from others is its eye-catching geometrical patterns, use of natural and vibrant colours and filling up empty spaces using motifs.

"A number of people are visiting the railway station just to see the paintings," the official said. Every team has a different theme of their painting, which ranges from traditional folklore, scriptures such as Ramayana and Mahabharata and nature to rural and social life, festivities and fold dances. Headings and sub-heads have been used to describe the paintings and people visiting Madhubani will get a taste of the popular Mithila painting as soon as they deboard at the station.