This kohbar painting includes different symbolic expression that conveys special meanings according to

the organic icons used there in Kohbar painting.

Beside, parrot, tortoises, and fish are drawn representing love, longevity, and fertility respectively.

In addition, Sun, Moon, Panchant Devta, and Nabgraha are drawn reflecting life given energy.

A woman at the four corners of kohbar ghar painted Naia-jogin signifies freedom from tantra-mantra
who frees the couple from evil magic.

Likewise, Lotus flower donates love and tender and leaf of Purain symbolizes female sex.

The tradition of the Kohbar harks back to a time when child marriages flourishes and was non-existent
which were consecrated to celebrate the spiritual and physical union between the newlyweds.

Every element in Mithila painting he's deeply rooted symbolism in it focusing around passion, sex,
fertility and tantric ritual. The deeper meaning links it with the transcendental quality the icons convey
while the surface meaning connects it with the changing context of the painting.

"branch of bamboo alluding to the male or phallic principle, is surrounded by lotus leaves, symbolizing
the Yoni the female element"

."Kalpvriksha-Latpatuaa suga (pair of parrot)." the issue of all symbolic meaning focus more in women
yoni because it is the beginning of lifecycle.

Kalpvriksha, the tree of life, also meaning "word tree" finds mention in the Vadic scripture.

In the earliest account of the Samudra Manthan. It is on account of this wish-granting tree.

The motif and organ of Kohber-Ghar contains Latpatua suga on the Kalpvrikcha is symbolic presentation
of wish-granting tree for safety, wisdom, health, happiness and Latpatua-suga for love and life. It also
explores the interrelationship between Sakela Silies and socio-cultural life and nature. It highlights the
important aspects of the performative culture in mathili women that preserve the cultural heritage on
the verge of extinct. The interpretation and analysis of the painting style would be the matter of great
importance for the academic field and future researchers interested cultural studies. In addition, the
study will be very useful and important source of academicians and researchers in the future. It also
disseminates awareness and knowledge among mithila community about the importance of cultural
assets. It would also open up a room for further research in sociocultural studies and adds new spheres
in the fields; it is one of the open door for women principle of empowerment. Fig 3: Rani Jha These
paintings are wonderfully depicted and express their artistic sentiments and skills on various occasions.
every painting in every occasion has vary meaning and such as the wedding ceremony is a special
occasion in Maithili society, which is also known as “Kohabar” within the community, a separate room is
set and decorated tastefully with several arts for its celebration. This painting is done in the inner as well
as outer walls of the Kohabar Ghar (honeymoon house). As a popular social practice, its main motto is to
increase the sexual potency and fertility of both the bride and bridegroom. This special painting is drawn
on the walls of the house in three places: the Gosaighar (special room for family god), the Kohabar Ghar
(honeymoon room) and Kohabar-GharakKoniya (corridor or outside of the Kohabar Ghar) but this is not
only the issue of sexuality and sexual potency but representing culture and life. The outer walls of the
Kohabar are decorated with the paintings of rural life such as a palanquin with its carriers, shady fruit
trees like those of mango, banana, Kadamba and Ashoka. They also paint lovescenes of Lord Krishna
with the gopinis and his constant companion, Rani depicts the issue of love and care. Education and
awareness in mithila culture.

Elements of Kohbar painting - The "Kohbar" painting is filled with rich detail, each
contributing significance to the meaning of the whole. The dominant theme is pond life, filled
with lifeforms and abundant in its productive powers. The painting seeks to insure fertility of
the bride and groom who, as when a seed is dropped into a pond, should produce offspring
abundantly.
The most prominent image looming largest on the canvas is the ring of lotus, called
‘purain’. The lotus leaves circle is a symbol of the female sex.
This painting of the kohbara ghar is in the interest of the bride and groom. The painting is
meant to assure a romantic bond between husband and wife, which will lead to his permanent
affection for her and to their productivity. The painting depicts Gauri Puja, where the bride
leads in worship of elephant who has brought her this husband.
Bamboo is an invariable part of kohbar, frequently as stylized as this one. Bamboo is a visual
play on a verbal pun; the words for "lineage" and for "bamboo" are almost identical (bans and
baans). The women artists iconize the husband's patrilineage as a stand of bamboo. The future
of the groom's patrilineage is assured with the arrival of a bride of good family.
Surya- the Sun, and Chandra- the moon, Shiva are among the gods who watch and witness the
marriage of bride and groom. The nine planets are also usually depicted. So through the
painting, blessings are for a successful marital life as that of the above deities.
Madhubani, which by one account means Forest of Honey, (‘Madhu’-honey, ‘Ban’-
forest or woods) is a region in Mithila region of Nepal and the northern part (Madhubani
district) of Bihar. The Madhubani paintings is an ancient style of painting that originates
2500 years ago. Legend has it that The King of Mithila ( a region now in modern Nepal and with
its capital Janakpur) had first commissioned rural artists to paint the palace walls. The
occasion was his daughter’s wedding. The name of his daughter was Sita and the bride
groom was Lord Rama.
Following the age old methods of painting, artist, till date, mixes cow-dung and rock-salt glue to
the paints. While cow dung is used for the shine it imparts to the colored patches, glue helps the
paint to bind well with the special handmade paper used for these paintings.

perhaps the best known genre of Indian folk paintings are the Mithila (also called Madhubani) paintings
from the Mithila region of Bihar state. For centuries the women of Mithila have decorated the walls of
their houses with intricate, linear designs on the occasion of marriages and other ceremonies.
Painting is a key part of the education of Mithila women, culminating in the painting of the walls of the
kohbar, or nuptial chamber on the occasion of a wedding. The kohbar ghar paintings are based on
mythological, folk themes and tantric symbolism, though the central theme is invariably love and fertility.

The major part of the painting has a circle of yantras representing different gods and goddesses. It is the
influence of Tantra on the religious scene. The Kali Yantra, Sri Yantra etc. form the conglomeration of
yantras, akin to mandalas, a symbol in Tantric art. Around the yantras are depictions of marriage rituals.

On either side of this central motif are the faces of the bride and the bridegroom. The auspicious kalas,
fish and turtle, symbolic of fertility are also painted around the outside of the mandala, as are symbols of
prosperity and longevity such as the elephant, tree of life, and bamboo.

The bamboo tree, fish and turtle portrayed in the paintings point to the earthly pleasures which find
culmination in marital relationship. The lion expresses male energy and the peacock, the female beauty;
the fish and the turtle are symbols of proliferation and fertility.

These kohbar paintings often have a lotus motif pierced by a bamboo shaft representing sexual union of
the bride and the bridegroom. Parrots, which represent the lovers, are often painted around the rim of the
central lotus mandala.

The lower half of the painting is usually narrative in nature, showing the couple performing various
religious ceremonies. Here, too, are painted images of the bridegroom in a palanquin followed by another
one carrying the bride to his home.

These kind of kohabar pictures abound on the walls of Madhubani villagers, which are later layered and
pictures of other auspicious objects appear once the marriage rituals are over.

The contemporary art of mithila painting was born in the early 1960’s, following the terrible Bihar famine.
The women of Mithila were encouraged to apply their painting skills to paper as a means of
supplementing their meager incomes. Once applied to a portable and thus more visible medium, the skills
of the Mithila women were quickly recognized. The work was enthusiastically bought by tourists and folk
art collectors alike. As with the wall paintings, these individual works are still painted with natural plant
and mineral-derived colors, using bamboo twigs in lieu of brush or pen.

Over the ensuing forty years a wide range of styles and qualities of Mithila art have evolved, with styles
differentiated by region and caste – particularly the Brahmin, Kayastha and Harijan castes. Many
individual artists have emerged with distinctive individual styles.