Woman of Mithila

Madan Kala Karn was the first lady among the women of seven villages, who decided to work outside after her marriage, she didn’t put attention to the comment of villagers, she made a path herself by working for small programmes of UNICEF, JICA, REDBARNA and SAVE THE CHILDREN and later on she formed JHC in 1994. Since then, she is the chief executive and designer of Janakpur Handicraft Center. She has been engaged in making different kinds of crafts and arts. She has not taken any formal training. She had an artistic talent since her childhood and self inspired to create new types of crafts and arts. Her long effort and devotion in this field combined with her creative approach have brought the center in this stage. She has been providing the training of this art and crafts and creating job opportunity only to economically backward women whose income have supported them and their family.

When Madan Kala was asked about the reason of motivation toward Mithila region, She simply replied,“When I was in school I had a special interest in Mithila art. But I wanted to make a different art so whenever I used to see my mother I used to sit and get ideas of it. I had seen my aunts and other women living in neighbors making this art on walls and floors but most of them were having economic problems however they had a good skill. Since then I decided that I have to do something for our Maithili society. And after struggle of many years today I’m contributing a support to Mithila by training and empowering Maithili women in Janakpur and other regions of Mithila.”

Maithili Society is male dominated society where still women are not allowed to work outside the house. In 1990 probably it was the first time that the Maithili women started working outside the house as artist in Janakpur Women Development Center, Janakpur. And today by the encouragements and support of Madan Kala, Maithili women have started earning upright income from this art for their livelihood, which has influenced the other women of the region. Now- a days a good number of women are involved in this artwork who were far from education, economic independent and making self-decision in the past. Today, these Maithili women do not have to depend on their spouse for their household needs.

One of the creations by "Master Artist Madan Kala Karn"