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{{Use Indian English|date=July 2017}}

'''Manjushas''' are an folk traditional [[India]]n art form originated from ancient city of [[Anga]] (modern day [[Bhagalpur]]).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=A Story Beyond Three Colours – N.A.P.S. {{!}} BIT Mesra|url=https://bitmesra.ac.in/naps/manjusha/|access-date=2021-05-07|language=en-US}}</ref> They are temple-shaped boxes comprising eight pillars. They are made of bamboo, jute, and paper. They also contain paintings of [[Hindu]] gods and goddesses and other characters. These boxes are used in Bishahari puja, a festival dedicated to the Snake God that is celebrated in [[Bhagalpur]] and nearby regions, India.<ref name=":0" /> Manjusha Art is an ancient and historically significant art form, considered on a par with Madhubani art. Manjusha Art or Manjusha Kala is often referred to as [[Snake Paintings]] by foreigners as swirling snakes in the artist depict the central character Bihula's tale of love and sacrifice.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Internationally recognized famous Indian Art related to Ang region|url=http://manjushaart.rediffblogs.com/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060305022925/http://manjushaart.rediffblogs.com/|archive-date=5 March 2006|access-date=25 June 2010}}</ref>

==Origin==
“Manjusha Art” is the heritage of [[Anga]]. According to Vedic historians, this art is has influence from [[Indus Valley Civilisation|Indus-Valley civilization]]. A recent study on Manjusha Art <ref>{{Cite book|last1=Sinha|first1=Rajiva Kumar|title=Manjusha Art: Reflections in Folk-Lore, Trade, and Regional History|last2=Pandey|first2=O.P.|publisher=Shivalik Prakashan|location=Delhi|oclc=811492081}}</ref> provides an excellent example of how this art reflects the history of ancient Anga Mahajanapada. Manjusha Painting depics story of ‘BihulaBishari’. This art originated in the state capital, Champa. Which is currently located in Bhagalpur Bihar. Based on folklore and folklore, Bihula traveled to heaven by water carrying the body of her famine, fictitious, serpent-bitten husband Bala-Lakhendra in a multi-story boat NumaManjusha built by DevShilpiVishwakarma, and returned her dead husband alive and called Sati.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Branding Bihar {{!}} Manjusha Art|url=http://brandingbihar.com/article6.html|access-date=2021-05-07|website=brandingbihar.com}}</ref> This incident is the story of Shiva’s human daughter Mansha, Chandra Saudagar and Bihula’s rituals, struggle in the Anga region.

== Manjushas Painting ==
In this painting, a thick line is used and the hair is shown not with lines but with colors. There is a tradition of showing the five sisters of the poisonous together in a snake-form. Where the character has to show domination, the hair is kept open.The pictures depict Bihula with her open hairstyle and a portrait of Manjusha or Nag in front of it, while the drawing of Mansa depicts the nectar Kalash in the right hand of the goddess and the picture of Nag in the left hand. Embellishments are predominant in women’s clothes. Pink, yellow and green colors are mainly used in painting. In some cases, the common auxiliary colors associated with these three colors, such as green and orange, are also used. Black color is used in the human shape to bring out the snake-venom. These colors have esoteric and symbolic meanings.The pink and yellow colors signify excitement and exuberance, while green is a symbol of gloom and growth. The traditional artist of Manjushapainting, Chakravarti Devi used natural colors. But now posters, water, oil and ‘acrylic color’ are being used.

== Manjushas Craft ==
[[File:Manjusha.jpg|thumb|329x329px|Manjusha Box used in Snake Festival]]

* Dolls
* Sculpture
* Accesseries

== Characteristic ==
* Three colors are used in Manjusha Art
* In Manjusha Art Borders are very Important.
* Manjusha Art is a Line drawing Art.
* Manjusha Art is a Folk Art.
* Manjusha Art is a Scroll Painting.
* Manjusha Art is completely based on the folklore of Bihula-Bishari.
* In Manjusha Art Characters are displayed as X letter of English Alphabets.
* Major Motifs of Manjusha Art – Snake, Champa Flower, Sun, Moon, Elephant, Turtle, Fish, Maina Bird, Kamal Flower, Kalash Pot, Arrow Bow, ShivLing, Tree etc.
* Major Characters of Manjusha Art – Lord Shiva, Mansa DeVi (Bishari), Bihula, Bala, Hanuman, Chandu Saudagar
* Borders in Manjusha Art – Belpatr, Lehariya, Triangle, Mokha and series of Snakes.

== Artists, awards, festival ==
# First time in 2012, Late Chakravarty Devi awarded with SITA DEVI AWARD in the field of Manjusha Art.
# In 2013, Shrimati Nirmala Devi awarded with Bihar Kala Award "SITA DEVI AWARD".
# In the field of Manjusha Art, First State Award given to Shri Manoj Pandit for his work towards revival of indigenous art form "Manjusha Art". This award is given by Upendra Maharathi Shilp Anusandhan Sansthan & Dept. of Industries, Bihar.
# On Recommendation of Art, culture and youth affairs department, Bihar; Ministry of Culture (Sanskriti Mantralaya) awarded ‘Manjusha Kala Guru Award’ to Shri Manoj Pandit in 2014.
# In 2016 - Ulupi Jha is one of the 100 successful women across the country selected by the Union ministry of women and child development on the basis of online voting for her Manjusha painting.

==See also==
*[[Angika]]
*[[Anga Lipi]]
*[[Anga Mahajanapada]]
*[[Anga]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |author=Kossak, Steven | title= ''Indian court painting, 16th-19th century.'' | location=New York | publisher=The Metropolitan Museum of Art | year=1997| isbn=0870997831 | url=http://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15324coll10/id/12335/rec/74}} (see index: p. 148-152)
*{{cite book |author=Rajiva Kumar Sinha, OP Pandey | title= ''Manjusha Art: Reflections in Folk Lore, Trade & Regional History'' | location=Delhi | publisher=Shivalik Prakashan | year=2012| isbn=8188808881 }}

==External links==
* [http://Manjushakala.in Manjushakala.in] - Initiative for promotion of Manjusha Art
* https://artsofindia.in/usa/indian-arts-paintings/manjusha-art.html<nowiki/>{{coord missing|Bihar}}

[[Category:Culture of Bihar]]
[[Category:Hindu art]]
[[Category:Bhagalpur]]
[[Category:Indian art]]

Manjusha Art - Revision history

CleanupBot at 06:58, 11 December 2022