MadhubanipaintingorMithila paintingMadhubanipaintingorMithila paintingis a style ofIndian painting, practiced in theMithilaregion ofBiharstate,India, and the adjoining parts ofTeraiinNepal. Painting is done with fingers, twigs, brushes, nib-pens, and matchsticks, using natural dyes and pigments, and is characterized by eye-catching geometrical patterns.

There are paintings for each occasion and festival such as birth, marriage,Holi, Surya Shasti,kali puja,Upanayanam,Durga Pujaetc.

The Mithila region, from which the name Mithila art is derived, is believed to have been the kingdom of King Janak. The exact location of it lies in present day Janakpur of Nepal.

Madhubani, which by one account means Forest of Honey, (Madhu-honey, Ban-forest or woods) is a region inMithila region of Nepaland the northern part of Bihar. A region that has a distinct regional identity and language that reportedly spans 2500 years.

Madhubani painting/Mithila painting was traditionally created by the women of theBrahman,DusadhandKayasthacommunities inMithilaregion inNepalandIndia. It was originated inMadhubhanivillage of Capital city ofAncient Mithilaknown asJanakpur(presently inNepal).

It is a well-demarcated cultural region lying between the Ganges and theTerai of Nepal, and between theKoshiandNarayanitributaries. This painting as a form of wall art was practiced widely throughout the region; the more recent development of painting on paper and canvas originated among the villages around Madhubani, and it is these latter developments that may correctly be referred to asMadhubani art.

Dhrupad

Dhrupadis a vocal genre inHindustani classical music, said to be the oldest still in use in that musical tradition.Its name is derived from the wordsdhruvaandpada(verse), where a part of the poem (dhruva) is used as arefrain.The term may denote both the verse form of the poetry and the style in which it is sung.Abul Fazl,courtier and chronicler at the court of the EmperorAkbar, defines the dhrupad verse form in hisAin-e-Akbarias"four rhyming lines, each of indefiniteprosodic length."Thematic matter ranges from the religious and spiritual (mostly in praise ofHindu deities) to royalpanegyrics, musicology and romance.Though Dhrupad is basically a vocal tradition, its musical aesthetics have been adopted by many instrumentalists. Not only by various schools of Rudra Veena players (Beenkars)but also by other instrumentalists, who look to Dhrupad for examples for their instrumental developments of raga, and go as far as to adapt the format: a slow, unmeteredalaapa,Jhor,Jhala, to be concluded with one or more compositions in contrastingtalas.Ram NarayanandHariprasad Chaurasia, to name but two acclaimed instrumentalists, pay homage to Dhrupad in the way they present araga.

Dhrupad as we know it today is performed by a solo singer or a small number of singers in unison to the beat of thepakhavajormridangrather than thetabla. The vocalist is usually accompanied by twotanpuras, the players sitting close behind, with the percussionist at the right of the vocalist. Traditionally the primary instrument used for dhrupad has been theRudra Veena, but thesurbaharand thesursringarhave also long been used for this music. Preferably, any instrument used for dhrupad should have a deep bass register and long sustain.Like allIndian classical music, dhrupad ismodalandmonophonic, with a single melodic line and nochord progression. Eachragahas amodal frame- a wealth of micro-tonal ornamentations (gamaka) are typical.Phad paintingorPhadPhad paintingorPhadis a style religiousscroll paintingandfolk painting, practiced inRajasthanstate ofIndia. This style of painting is traditionally done on a long piece of cloth or canvas, known asphad. The narratives of the folk deities of Rajasthan, mostly ofPabujiandDevnarayanare depicted on thephads. TheBhopas, the priest-singers traditionally carry the paintedphads along with them and use these as the mobile temples of the folk deities. Thephads of Pabuji are normally about 15 feet in length, while thephads of Devnarayan are normally about 30 feet long. Traditionally thephads are painted with vegetable colors.The ancient tradition of scroll painting survives in Rajasthan as Phad. A Phad is a long rectangular cloth painting that tells of the adventures and travails of Pabuji, a local hero or other epic heroes. Usually about five meters by one and a half meters in size, 5feet x 20 feet and 5feet x 36feet long. The Phad is painted in bold colors and is rolled on two shafts of bamboo, thus making it easy to carry. Painted by the Joshis of SHAHPURA 311404, they have been used for centuries as a backdrop by Bhopas or the bards of Rajasthan who go from village to village singing about the exploits of legendary heroes. Scrolls of classical subjects like.However a single Phad painting is also prepared in different sizes.As per the practice stands the Bhopa sings devotional hymns of Devnarayan and Pabuji mainly to eulogise them. Besides this Sarswati and Ganesh are also eulilized respectively the supposed Goddess of learning and remover of obstacles. Morever both Sarswati and Ganesh are presented in Multifarious forms with their weapons, dresses and other symbolsBy far the most advantageous and beneficial scope for the researchers in Phad Painting residing overseas or in the country is that they may safely rely upon us for the guidance and help in the form of stories and ancient paintings which are availabel with us.ThullalA solo dance exposition, the Thullal is of three types. Its origin is attributed to Kunchan Nambiar, a veritable genius and one of the foremost poets of Kerala. Though based on classic principles of Natya Shastra the technique of this art is not rigid. The songs, written in simple Malayalam, frank to outspoken wit and humour, the simplicity of presentation and the direct appeal to every day life made Thullal very popular.

The instruments used in Thullal are the maddalam and the cymbals. The cymbal player who tunes the rhythm, also assists the actor dancer (Thullakaran) in singing.In actual performance the cymbal player first sings the invocation song when the dancer faces the orchestra and does obeisance. After that, with his back still to the audience the dancer does a slick flourish of step and body movements. Then he turns to the audience and the dance proper is begun. He first sings a verse and while the lines are being repeated by his musical assistance, he brings out the meaning through facial expressions, hand gestures and bodily postures. The roles of the raconteur and actor are perpetually interchanged with tremendous aesthetic efforts. In one moment he is the narrator but in the next he completely identifies himself with the narration. It is to the dance that prime importance is given in Thullal. From the beginning to the end there is dance even though it lacks much of variety. To compensate for the monotony, sometimes the dancer executes some vigorous footsteps and rhythmic movements of the body.

Thullal is classified as Ottan, Seethankan and Parayan based on the difference in costume, dance and also the metre and rhyme of the Thullal songs.CHHAU DANCE. The fame of Mayurbhanj Chhau has crossed geographical limitations and has claimed world wide fans for its beauty, vigour and marvel of the art. Though Chhau is famous not only in India but World over the origin of word Chhau is yet in mystery. Chhau is believed to have found its origin from "Chhaya" the shadow.But the Chhau performers of Purulia use Mask while dancing and that mask is told as "Chhau". Perhaps Chhau Dance might have derived its name from that mask,the Chhau. Some chhau punditsopine the Chhau has got its name from "Chhaushree". Inarguably, the word chhau has been derived from the word 'CHHAUNI' the camp camped at the time of military operation.The folks say that chhau was performed to entertain the Oriya warriors inside the camp and has spread now knowing no boundaries.

Chhau is glorious heritage of Mayurbhanj.

Chhau draws substantially from great epics like the Ramayan, the Mahabharat and also from folk and tribal elements. The music accompanying the dance has its own style which envigorates the soul.

The Orchestra is generally composed of "Mohuri", "Chad-Chadi", "Dhol", "Dhumsa" etc. and some times accompanied by lilting vocal music.

The grammar of Mayurbhanj Chhau comprises six Chalis orTopka (basic steps) and 36 uflis (Jumping locomotions). These Chalis & uflis are are called from rural house hold activities, behaviour of animals, and birds and waractions.

The Mayurbhanj repertoire treasures the highest number of dance itemsabout 200 in number which is rarely found in any other dance forms of the world.Some of them are lost in oblivion with the passage of time. The solo items are Dandi, Mahadev, Sabar Toka, Nataraj and Jambeb etc. The famous group items areKirat Arjun, Mayasabari, Tamudia Krishna, Matrupuja, Kelakeluni, Dhajatal, BainshiChori, Kailash Leela etc. The presiding deity of Mayurbhanj Chhau is Lord "Bhairab". Mayurbhanj chhau is world famous now.

Handicrafts of Mayurbhanj are available in several materials and forms namely stone carving, stone wares, Dhokra, Brass & Bell Metal wares, Artistic Mats, Wooden painted items, lacquered toys, Terracotta, Sabai-Grass product, Cane & Bamboo products, Musical Instruments, Costume Jewellery, Folk paintings, Tassar Textiles, Solapith work and Sea shell items.SABAI GRASS PRODUCT:Sabai grass is grown in a wide part of Mayurbhanj district which is mainly used for making Sabai Rope. Sabai Ropes are mostly sold out side the state for use in weaving Charpai (Cots) and in paper manufacturing concerns. Sabai rope is also used in making Sofa sets, Chairs, Tea Poy etc. The main body frames of the Chairs and sofas are made in Bamboo and wood and Sabai rope is woven and coiled over the frame to give a finishing shape, which attains exceptional excellence.Koodiyattam - UNESCO honoured Dance form of KeralaKoodiyattam is the earliest classical dramatic art form of Kerala. Evidence show that this dance form was in vogue in all major temples from ninth century, and it became a full-fledged dramatic presentation before the fifteenth century. Koodiyattam literally means "acting together". Koodiyattam used to be a combined dance drama conducted by theChakkiyars(a caste among Hindus), who provided the male cast and theNangiars(women of the Nambiyar caste), playing the female roles. Koodiyattam performance lasts for several days ranging from 6 to 20 days. Themes are based on Hindu mythology.Koodiyattam is enacted inside the temple theatre, known as theKoothambalam, with two or more characters onstage at the same time.Vidushaka, a figure parallel to the Fool in Shakespearean plays, sometimes explains in simple Malayalam the background of the story and gives a live image of characters in the minds of the spectators. Often humorous, he enacts his role with the liberty to criticize anyone without fear.Koodiyattam is a dramatic presentation in Sanskrit, with the exception of the vidushaka, who is the only character speaking in Malayalam. Roleplaying in Koodiyattam includes stylized form of vocal recitation coupled with a complete hand-gesture language and highly evocative facial expressions.Koodiyattam Make-up and CostumeThe make-up and costume of Koodiyattam are not so elaborate. Heroic characters are distinguished by the green colour and the small curved paper frame on their face. Costumes have a blend of brilliant colours, predominantly red, black and white. The costume of the vidushaka (jester) sets him apart from the rest. He has special make-up, small head-gears and costume that vividly display his clownish features.Music and Orchestration of Koodiyattam Dance FormMizhavuis the major musical instrument used in Koodiyattam. It is a big jar made of either clay or copper, with a narrow mouth covered by leather and is played by both hands. Mizhavu is played only by the nambiyars. The Nangiars beat the cymbals and recite verses in Sanskrit.Edakkalends bhava and laya for a vivid portrayal of the soft sentiments of both male and female characters in Koodiyattam.Koodiyattam is a temple art and probably the only surviving form of the traditional presentation of Sanskrit drama. The Koodal Manickyam temple at Irinjalakkuda and the Vadakkumnatha temple at Thrissur are the main centers where Koodiyattam is still performed annually.RecentlyUNESCO(United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) honoured Koodiyattam by declaring the art form as one among the "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity", which should be protected and preserved. This was the first time that the UN body had conferred the heritage status on an art form.