Vibrant colors, deception of animals, plants, and everyday life of people to the mythological narratives are the features of Mithila art. But the most important aspect of about this art is that women strictly have a monopoly over it. So this is the reason, we can see many everyday activities—washing, cooking, fetching water, combing hair, singing in choirs in groups—featured in this art. Mithila art also features Hindu gods and goddess; mythological events along with the animals, birds and plants.\n\nThe Mithila art got its name form namesake Kingdom Mithila also known as Videha Kingdom. The ancient kingdom of Videha extended form the region, which is now in North Bihar in India and eastern Terai of Nepal. In Nepal present day Janakpur city in is considered to be the seat of ancient Kingdom. The most famous king of this kingdom was Janak. He had daughter named Sita, who then got married to prince Ram of Ayodhaya, India. Ram and Sita are the pivotal character of Hindu mythology Ramayan. The marriage of Ram and Sita are also explicitly featured in Mithila art too. The people living in Mithila region are known as Mithil.\n\nMithila art had the humble origin. Mithili women used to decorate the walls of their mud houses with everyday characters and vibrant colors, mostly red, yellow, orange, blue, and black. The colors are made from the local clay, plants root, flowers, berries, etc. Due to its natural elements these paintings were temporary, stayed on walls for few months. Traditionally the paintings were done with raw cotton or lint wrapped in bamboo splint. Also women painted the walls regularly according to the seasonal festivals. According to the festivals the picture depicted also changes. Also due to the natural erosion, the decorations on walls need to be done regularly. So the young girls also get an opportunity to learn from their mothers, neighbors, and the elderly through decorating their houses, watching them and painting with them.\n\nMithila art also plays a pivotal role in weddings. Walls of brides’ homes are painted with various motifs, with each subject have special meaning, such as fish for fertility and good luck, parrot for love and many other with specific meanings. The rituals and festivals, which are being performed, the walls are painted accordingly which symbolizes the functions. Now Mithila art has exceeded walls of houses and courtyards boundaries of Mithila region. The art, which was a medium for the expression of women creativity, feelings and everyday life, is now an identity of Janakpur and whole Mithila region.\n\nThe introduction of Nepali handmade lokhta paper (made from the fibrous inner bark of the Daphne bholua shrub) in 1970s to Mithila art helped to transcend from walls to papers then to cups, mugs, t-shirts and now everywhere. Now it’s not just ordinary art but also has become livelihood of many women. Cups, mugs, plate, boxes, bags and many more; brightly painted in Mithila art could be bought for daily use.\n\nMithila art not only jumped the walls of the courtyards to everyday usable objects but had also brought changes in the objects that are drawn. In addition to the plants, animals and humans, the inclusion of the modern objects could also be seen in Mithila art as in the picture which depicts latest pandemic and deforestation. Although Mithila art is now known outside the Mithila region and even abroad, the traditional art in walls are decreasing. People’s choice of building cemented houses are losing its traditional wall paintings. Though for the tourism promotion purpose even the cemented walls in that region started see Mithila arts over the cemented walls.\n\nNOTE: The author thanks Ajit Shrivastay for the valuable information provided.\n\nPhoto 1 : Mithila Art 1 by Ganesh Shah (Deforestation and Covid19 depicted in Mithila art ) © Monalisa Maharjan\nPhoto 2 : Mithila Art 2 by Rita Kumari Naya

If anyone had an opportunity to go through legal documents in Nepal like legal paper of property rights, they must have noticed the thin, fibrous, off-white paper, which are known as Nepali kagaj or Nepali paper. Not only legal documents but also ancient religious texts were written on that paper.\n\nThe name “Nepali paper” might give the impression that the name comes from being made in Nepal; however, the paper’s actual name is lokta. These papers are handmade from the fibrous inner bark of shrubs named Daphne—Daphne bholua and Daphne papyracea—grown in elevations between 2,500 meters to 4,000 meters.\n\nThe inner fibrous bark is extracted from the plant without harming the root so that the plant can regrow. Thin layers of the bark are stripped out. These thin strips are washed and dried and then boiled for five to eight hours to soften them. After boiling, the strips are transferred to a machine that turns the strips into a puree. (This step used to be done by hand by rubbing seashells on the strips.) Then soft pasty puree is poured evenly into a wooden frame with net. These frames, when dried, produce lokta paper.\n\nThe thickness of paper is controlled with the amount of pulp being poured and spread evenly. Lokta can be made very thick and transparent, which are special characteristics of this paper. These papers strong—not easily torn and resistant to termites and decay. The plants used to make lokta regrows in few years, making it sustainable. Even though machines were introduced for some work, most of the work still done manually.\n\nBecause of its limited use—legal documents and religious manuscripts and to make incense sticks by binding incense powder to the paper and ayurvedic medicinal purpose—these industries were dying out. But the tourism industry gave the rebirth to Nepali paper. Targeting tourists, the producers started to make the various products other than writing paper.\n\nAnother specialty of these papers is that they can be dyed to produce wonderful patterns and even natural elements like leaves and petals can be added to create beautiful designs. Taking advantage of the flexibility, producers started to make various products out of lokta. Nowadays, products such as lampshades, notebooks, paper bags, greeting cards, wrapping paper, photo frames, and calendars are made from the paper. Tourists are the main consumers these products.\n\nAccording to Mr. Raja Ram Tandukar who owns a Nepali paper shop in Kathmandu explains, “lokta products gained popularity with tourist thirty to thirty-five years back. Tourists know this paper as rice paper.” The new life of the Nepali paper industry has created many job opportunities for the people, contributing in the economy.\n\nNow, not only tourists but also the Nepali people started to use this paper in various new forms like for making visiting cards, restaurant menu, paper bags, and photo albums. This paper is environmentally sustainable as it comes from bushes that regenerate every four to five years.\n\nPhoto : Wrapping paper with prints of mane (Buddhist religious object) made of Nepali paper (Lokhta). © Monalisa Maharjan