Mithila culture or Maithil culture refers to the culture which originated in the Mithila region of the Indian subcontinent. Mithila comprises Tirhut, Darbhanga, Kosi, Purnia, Munger, Bhagalpur and Santhal Pargana divisions [lower-alpha 1] of India [1] and adjoining provinces of Province No. 1, Bagmati Pradesh, and Madhesh Province of Nepal.
Men and women in Mithila are very religious and dress for the festivals as well. The costumes of Mithila stem from the rich traditional culture of Mithila. Panjabi Kurta and Dhoti with a Mithila Painting bordered Maroon coloured Gamchha which is the Symbol of Passion, Love, Bravery and Courage are common clothing items for men. Men wear Gold Baali in their nose which symbolizes prosperity, happiness and wealth inspired by Lord Vishnu. Also wear Balla on their wrist and Mithila Paag on their Head. In ancient times there was no colour option in Mithila, so the Maithil women wore white or yellow Saree with red Border but now they have a lot of variety and colour options and wear Laal-Paara (the traditional red-boarded white or yellow Saree) [2] on some special occasions, and also wear Shakha-Pola [3] with lahthi in their hand which is Mandatory to wear after marriage in Mithila. In Mithila culture, this represents new beginnings, passion and prosperity. Red also represents the Hindu goddess Durga, a symbol of new beginnings and feminine power. In Mithila's all Districts, Maithil women follow Maithil Saree Style. In this Saree Style, Saree covers upper body of women where they do not wear Blouse and the pallu of the saree is rotated around the neck and brought forward. In Maithil Drape of Mithila they used to take it like Odhni so that entire body gets covered since Maithil women didn't wear blouse and still In Mithila during Chhaith, the women of Mithila wear pure cotton Dhoti without stitching where women don't wear blouse which reflects the pure, Traditional Culture of Mithila. Usually crafted from pure cotton for daily use and from pure silk for more glamorous occasions, traditional attire for the women of Mithila includes Jamdani, Banarisi and Bhagalpuri and many more. Many festivals are celebrated throughout the year in Mithila. Chhaith, Durga Puja and Kali puja is celebrated as perhaps the most important of all the celebrations of Mithila.
The Paag is a headdress native to the Mithila region worn by Maithil people. It is a symbol of honour and respect and a significant part of the Maithil culture. [4]
Darbhanga MP Gopal Jee Thakur popularised the culture of honouring people with Mithila’s Paag on their head. [5]
Jhijhiya, Dhuno-Naach and Domkach are the Cultural Dance of Mithila region of India and Nepal. [6] Jhijhiya is mostly performed at time of Dusshera, in dedication to Durga Bhairavi, the goddess of victory. [7] While performing jhijhiya, women put lanterns made of clay on their head and they balance it while they dance. [8] Jhijhiya is performed in Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Madhubani and their Neighbour Districts on the other hand Dhuno-Naach is performed in Begusarai, Khagaria, Katihar, Naugachia during Durga Puja and Kalipuja with Shankha-Dhaak Sound. Domkach is also a folk dance of the Mithila region. [9]
Mithila painting is practiced in the Mithila region of India and Nepal. It was traditionally created by the women of different communities of the Mithila region. It is named after Mithila in India which is where it originated. [10] 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, Begusarai, Darbhanga, Naugachia and it is these latter developments that may correctly be referred to as Madhubani art, Begusarai Art, Darbhanga Art, Naugachia Art. [11]
Notes
Mithila is a proposed state in India, comprising the Maithili speaking region of Bihar and Jharkhand. The Maithili language has own traditional script, known as Mithilakshar. It is part of the historical Mithila region. The proposed state will also include Whole Angika and Bajjika speaking districts which are considered to be dialects of Maithili.
Goramansingh also known as Gauramansingh is a small village in the Darbhanga district of Bihar, India. It is located approximately 62 kilometers east of Darbhanga and 12 kilometers east from its subdivisional headquarters of Biraul on the bank of the Kamala River in Bihar.
Begusarai is the industrial and financial capital of Bihar and the administrative headquarters of the Begusarai district, which is one of the 38 districts of the Indian state of Bihar. The district lies on the northern bank of the river Ganges in the Mithila region of India.
Madhubani art is a style of painting practiced in the Mithila region of India and Nepal. It is named after the Madhubani district of Bihar, India, which is where it originated. Jitwarpur and Ranti are the two most notable cities associated with the tradition and evolution of Madhubani art. The art was traditionally practiced by female members of Brahman and Kayastha castes. Artists create these paintings using a variety of mediums, including their own fingers, or twigs, brushes, nib-pens, and matchsticks. The paint is created using natural dyes and pigments. The paintings are characterized by their eye-catching geometrical patterns. There is ritual content for particular occasions, such as birth or marriage, and festivals, such as Holi, Surya Shasti, Kali Puja, Upanayana, and Durga Puja.
Maithils, also known as Maithili people, are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group from the Indian subcontinent, who speak the Maithili language as their native language. They inhabit the Mithila region, which comprises Northern and Eastern Bihar and Northeastern Jharkhand in India and some adjoining districts of Nepal constituting Madhesh Province in addition to some terai districts of Bagmati and Koshi Provinces. The Maithil region forms an important part of Hinduism as it is said to be the birthplace of Sita, the wife of Ram and incarnation of Lakshmi.
The Paag is a headdress in the Mithila region of India and Nepal worn by Maithil people. It is a symbol of honour and respect and a significant part of Maithil culture.
Benipatti is a town and headquarter of sub-division Benipatti (अनुमंडल), in Madhubani district, in the Mithila region of Bihar, India. The native language of Benipatti is Maithili, while the official languages are Hindi and Urdu.
The Darbhanga Raj, also known as Raj Darbhanga and the Khandwala dynasty, was a Maithil Brahmin dynasty and the rulers of territories, not all contiguous, that were part of the Mithila region, now divided between India and Nepal.
Saurath Sabha is a historical village situated approximately 6 km northeast of Madhubani in the Madhubani District of Bihar, India. It is famous for its annual gathering of thousands of Maithil Brahman to match couples during the Hindu months of Jyestha-Aasadh. The gathering is organised in an orchard covering 22 acres (bighas) of land, which are said to have been donated by the Maharaja of Darbhanga. It is an important social event in India that is focused on arranged marriages between Maithil men and women according to a reading of their lineage history by the registrars (Panjikars).
Mithila, also known as Tirhut, Tirabhukti and Mithilanchal is a geographical and cultural region of the Indian subcontinent bounded by the Mahananda River in the east, the Ganges in the south, the Gandaki River in the west and by the foothills of the Himalayas in the north. It comprises certain parts of Bihar and Jharkhand of India and adjoining districts of the Koshi Province, Bagmati Pradesh and Madhesh Province of Nepal. The native language in Mithila is Maithili, and its speakers are referred to as Maithils.
Duhabi is a Village Development Committee in Dhanusa District in the Janakpur Zone of south-eastern Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 5,762 persons residing in 990 individual households.
Bihari culture refers to the culture of the Indian state of Bihar. Bihari culture includes Angika culture, Mithila culture, Bhojpuri Culture and the culture of Magadha.
Navaratri is an annual Hindu festival observed in honor of the goddess Durga, an aspect of Adi Parashakti, the supreme goddess. It spans over nine nights, first in the month of Chaitra, and again in the month of Ashvin (September–October). It is observed for different reasons and celebrated differently in various parts of the Hindu Indian cultural sphere. Theoretically, there are four seasonal Navaratri. However, in practice, it is the post-monsoon autumn festival called Sharada Navaratri. There are 2 Gupta Navaratris or "Secret Navaratris" as well, one starting on the Shukla Paksha Pratipada of the Magha Month and another starting in the Shukla Paksha Pratipada of Jyestha Month.
Malmal Village is a village in India, situated about 560 mi east of New Delhi, the country's capital. It is situated 3 km from Kaluahi and approximately 17 km from Madhubani in the Indian state of Bihar.
Jur Sital or Maithil New Year is the celebration of the first day of the Maithil new year also called Aakhar Bochhor. Maithils eat Bori with Bhaat and Sondesh on the day. This day which usually falls on 14th or 15th April on Gregorian calendar is celebrated by the Maithils and Tharu people of India and Nepal. This is also called Nirayana Mesh Sankranti and Tirhuta new year. The festive occasion is in keeping with the Tirhuta Panchang calendar used in the Mithila region.
Tirhuta Panchang is a calendar followed by the Maithili community of India and Nepal. This calendar is one of the many Hindu calendars. It is a tropical solar Hindu calendar in which the year begins on the first day of Baishakh month i.e. Mesh Sankranti. Every year, this day falls on 13/14 April of the Gregorian Calendar
Angika is an Eastern Indo-Aryan language spoken in some parts of the Indian states of Bihar and Jharkhand, as well as in parts of Nepal.
Manik Chowk is a village in the Indian state of Bihar.
Madhesh Province is a province of Nepal in the Terai region with an area of 9,661 km2 (3,730 sq mi) covering about 6.5% of the country's total area. It has a population of 6,126,288 as per the 2021 Nepal census, making it Nepal's most densely populated province and the smallest province by area. It borders Koshi Pradesh to the east and the north, Bagmati Province to the north, and India’s Bihar state to the south and the west. The border between Chitwan National Park and Parsa National Park acts as the provincial boundary in the west, and the Kosi River forms the provincial border in the east. The province includes eight districts, from Parsa in the west to Saptari in the east.
Basuki Bihari is a big village in the Madhubani district in State of Bihar, India. According to India Population Census 2011 the population of the village is 14385. The majority of people of this village speak in Maithili language. The total area of the village is 13.62 km2. The village is divided into two Gram Panchayat Basuki Bihari North and Basuki Bihari South. The head of the Gram Panchayat is called as Mukhiya. Mukhiya is elected by adult people of the village. The election of Mukhiya is held by the Election Commission of Bihar state. This village is known for social cultural activities like Durga Puja, Chhath, Kali Puja and Sarswati Puja. The village is connected by State Highway No 75 from Darbhanga to Madhwapur. This village is only two kilometres far from the Indo-Nepal Border at Madhwapur in Madhubani district.