Challenges in Preserving and Promoting Mithila Art: An Empirical Study of Madhubani Painting Artisans in Darbhanga District, Bihar, India

Madhubani painting, one of India's most distinguished folk-art traditions, faces mounting pressure from commercialization even after receiving Geographical Indication (GI) protection in 2007. This paper empirically examines the major challenges confronting the preservation and promotion of Mithila art among artisans in Darbhanga district, Bihar. Primary data were collected from 60 respondents across three artisan clusters — Jitwarpur, Rahika, and Bahadurpur — using a pre-tested structured schedule and focus group discussions. Garrett Ranking Technique was applied to prioritize the challenges perceived by artisans. Results show that market preference for simplified commercial designs is the most critical challenge (Garrett Score: 68.4), followed by the rising cost of natural colour materials (63.7) and difficulty in transmitting traditional motifs to younger generations (58.2). Style-wise analysis reveals that Contemporary designs are now practiced by 75% of artisans, while the technically demanding Tantrik style survives among only 13.3%, indicating systematic displacement of skill-intensive traditional forms by commercially viable alternatives. The paper concludes that GI tagging alone is insufficient to preserve traditional artistic diversity and recommends targeted interventions including premium pricing for authenticated traditional work, master-apprentice training programmes, and natural pigment subsidies.

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