By Priyanka Tripathi
In the quiet village of Saurath in Bihar, where the Mithila Art Institute stands as a hub of learning and creativity, one woman embodies resilience, artistry, and the breaking of social boundaries. Padma Shri awardee Dulari Devi not only creates striking Madhubani paintings but also mentors young learners in this folk tradition of the Mithila region.
According to legend, the art form began when King Janaka of Mithila instructed his people to adorn the walls of their homes to commemorate the wedding of his daughter, Sita, to Lord Ram. Over centuries, what began as ritual decoration has grown into a global art form, today sustaining women artists through both creative expression and economic independence.
Recently, during the Union Budget session, the finance minister entered Parliament draped in a Bangalore silk saree patterned with fish-themed Madhubani motifs, a gift from Dulari Devi herself, carrying the cultural heritage of Bihar onto the national stage.
As part of the JPN Centre of Excellence, IIT Indore-funded project “Digitizing Madhubani: Archiving the Socio-cultural History of Bihar”, I travelled to Madhubani and sat with Dulari Devi, listening as her life unfolded through memory and art. From hardship emerged the artist now known as Padma Shri Dulari Devi, her every brushstroke carrying the quiet defiance of resilience against the layered hierarchies of caste, class, region, and education that still shape social life in Bihar.
Born in 1968 into the fishermen community, considered to be at one of the lowest rungs in the society of Bihar, her life was marked by deprivation and poverty. She stated, “I was born in Ranti village. I did not get any formal schooling. I would go to work with my parents from a very young age. Around the age of 12, I was married off. I lived with my in-laws for 8 to 9 years. But after the death of my daughter, I returned to my village with nothing in hand.”
At that time, she began working as a domestic help in the houses of families from socially advantaged backgrounds to sustain herself. When asked if she ever considered remarriage, she said, “I did not want to fall into the vicious trap where I could not be sure how my new in-laws or partner would be like. I wanted to remain independent, no matter how many struggles I may have to endure.”
In Mithila, Madhubani art was traditionally practised by women from Brahmin and Kayastha families, who created bhittichitra (murals on the inner walls of homes) and aripanas (ritual floor designs) during weddings and religious ceremonies. Women from other communities were excluded from this artistic practice, just as they were restricted from entering spaces such as the chinbaar—where food for upper-caste families was prepared—or from touching certain household utensils. Reflecting on her circumstances, Dulari Devi recalled, “My house was in a very bad condition, and even the roof wasn’t proper. I could not think of practising the art as I didn’t even have paper, pen, or any material required for it.”
This is when her fate took a turn. She started working as a domestic help in the house of the celebrated artist, late Padma Shri Mahasundari Devi, and her sister-in-law, late Smt. Karpoori Devi. She fondly remembers how they did not discriminate against her. She was provided with some household items and a space to live, but more importantly, she was given dignity and care. She reminisces about how, on a chilly winter night, she was feeling cold and late Smt. Karpoori Devi took care of her by covering her with a sujni (a quilt or a bedspread) that she had made. When she asked why they didn’t treat her as the others did, the reply left a lasting impression on her: “You are a child to us. How can we treat you as inferior to us!”
These women were not only acclaimed artists but also progressive thinkers, far ahead of their times. Smt. Mahasundari Devi’s mastery extended beyond Mithila painting to clay work, sujni embroidery, and sikki crafts. At a time when women in the region were still bound by purdah, she stepped into the public sphere in 1961 and carved out a name for herself in the world of traditional arts. She also founded the Mithila Hastashilp Kalakar Audyogki Sahyog Samiti, a cooperative that empowered local artisans and created sustainable livelihoods. Equally pioneering was Smt. Karpoori Devi, who dedicated her life to preserving folk traditions. Skilled in Madhubani painting, she also helped bring sujni textiles to national prominence.
Together, these women not only created art but also led a quiet revolution, challenging gendered boundaries and building institutions that supported women in the region. It was along the path opened by such trailblazers that Dulari Devi, despite belonging to a marginalised community and facing barriers of caste and poverty, eventually found the space to claim her own artistic identity.
Another pivotal incident that Dulari Devi mentions is the time when she was drawing patterns in the soil with a bamboo stick. Looking at her enthusiasm, they offered to teach her the folk art. She said, “They told me that if I wanted to learn Madhubani painting, then I should first learn how to write my name. So, I started practising to write my name first. They also told me how this folk art required hard work, and it was equivalent to tapasya (austerity and meditation).”
In a society where caste boundaries were fiercely guarded, Dulari Devi started developing her skill through training and hard work. She soon mastered the bharni (filling) and kachni (lining) styles, painting mythological themes like the Dashavatara (the ten incarnations of the Hindu god Vishnu) and numerous Hindu deities. For instance, here is her painting of Lord Ganesha from the collection of the Mithila Art Institute, symbolising new beginnings and wisdom.
One of the most striking aspects of Dulari Devi’s artistic journey is her commitment to bringing to canvas the traditions, myths, and everyday lives she grew up with. She remarks, “I wanted to paint the lives of my community. I wanted to depict our livelihoods and festivals. You will see in my paintings how I have drawn women performing household chores like washing utensils and clothes or working in a makhana (popped fox nuts, traditionally cultivated in the Mithila region) field. Since I come from the Machuarah (fishermen) community, I also depict fishermen with their fishing nets, women in rural landscapes, and motifs such as fish, boats, and water. Several times, I sing folksongs when I am painting, and they are related to myths which often inspire the themes depicted in the paintings.”
Her artwork also presents the deities worshipped in her community, along with festivals like Kamala Puja and Gamaia Puja.
By the late 1990s and early 2000s, Dulari Devi’s work had begun to attract recognition. Her confident use of colour and the distinctive stories embedded in her paintings set her apart, drawing attention first in local circles and then far beyond. Her art travelled to urban centres such as Delhi and Mumbai, and eventually crossed borders to be housed in international collections, including the Graphic Arts Collection at Princeton University and the William Benton Museum of Art in the United States.
In 2011, her illustrated autobiography Following My Paintbrush, created in collaboration with French writer Gita Wolf, was published by Tara Books, offering readers an intimate glimpse into her life and art. The following year, she was honoured with the State of Bihar Award for Excellence in Art, marking a milestone in her journey.
Recalling one of the most memorable moments of her life, Dulari Devi said it was the day she received a call from the Ministry about the Padma Shri. “I got a call from Delhi. The man said, ‘Are you Dulari Devi speaking?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ Then he told me that I was going to receive the Padma Shri. I could not believe it, and even my neighbours laughed with disbelief. It was only after talking to the officials that I finally believed what my ears had heard a few minutes before. It was a great moment of joy for me and my community. I wasn’t free for the next six months as so many people came to visit me.”
When she received the Padma Shri (the fourth-highest civilian award in India, given for “distinguished service” in any field) from the President of India, it marked more than the triumph of an individual. It was a win for an entire community’s suppressed creative potential and challenged the silent exclusion that had marked the Mithila art traditions for centuries.
Dulari Devi’s oeuvre continues to engage with contemporary concerns, including themes such as girl-child education and the COVID-19 pandemic. In doing so, she extends the representational boundaries of Madhubani painting, positioning it as a dynamic art form that both preserves tradition and responds to present realities. Her life and work underscore the fact that art is never autonomous; it is inextricably embedded within the struggles, aspirations, and imaginaries of the society from which it emerges.
Declaration: All views expressed in this article are personal and based on the interview held for the project.
Contributing Author: Priyanka Tripathi teaches English and Gender Studies at the Indian Institute of Technology Patna (India). This interview is a part of her JPN Centre of Excellence, IIT Indore-funded project on “Digitizing Madhubani: Archiving the Socio-Cultural History of Bihar.”
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