Mahasundari Devi

Mahasundari Devi
Mahasundari Devi working
Born(1922-04-06)6 April 1922
Benipatti, Madhubani, Bihar[1]
Died4 July 2013(2013-07-04) (aged 91)[2]
Ranti, Madhubani, Bihar[3]
Known forMithila Painting
SpouseKrishna Kumar Das
AwardsPadma Shri (2011)

Mahasundari Devi (6 April 1922[4] – 4 July 2013) was an Indian artist and Madhubani painter.[5] She was awarded the Tulsi Samman by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in 1995, and in 2011 she received the Padma Shri award from the Government of India.[6]

Early and personal life

Mahasundari Devi was born on 6 April 1922 in Benipatti, Madhubani, Bihar, India into a Maithil Karna Kayastha family.[7][1] She was barely literate but began painting and learning the Madhubani art from her aunt.[8][3]She married a school teacher, Krishna Kumar Das, when she was 18.[1]Devi was a resident of Ranti village located in Madhubani, Bihar and had two daughters and three sons.[9][10]

Career

In 1961, Devi left the purdah (veil) system, which was prevalent at the time and created her own niche as an artist.[11][10] She founded a cooperative society called Mithila Hastashilp Kalakar Audyogki Sahyog Samiti, which supported the growth and development of handicrafts and artists.[10] In addition to Mithila painting, Devi was known for her expertise in clay, papier-mache, sujani, and Sikki.[3] According to her family, Devi created her last painting in 2011.[3]

Recognition

She received her first felicitation in 1976 from the Bhartiya Nritya Kala for an illustration of the struggles of a Maithil girl.[12] She received the National Award from the president of India, Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, in 1982.[10] Devi was considered a “living legend” of the art of painting.[10] She was awarded the Tulsi Samman by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in 1995, and the Shilp Guru award in 2007.[1] She received the Padma Shri award from the government of India, in 2011, for her contributions to the field of art.[10][13]

Death

Devi died on 4 July 2013 in a private hospital, with sources citing her age at 92.[3] She was cremated with full state honours the next day.[14]

Legacy

Mahasundari Devi daughter-in-law, Bibha Das, is also a Madhubani painter, as is her sister-in-law, Karpoori Devi.[9][15]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Straight from the art". Deccan Herald. 4 August 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  2. ↑ "Padma Shree Awardee Madhubani Painting artist Mahasundari Dev died at the age of 92". Jagran Josh. Archived from the original on 24 April 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Doyenne of Mithila painting Mahasundari Devi dies". The Times of India. 5 July 2013. Archived from the original on 24 March 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
  4. ↑ Rannjan, Dr Manish (10 February 2022). Bihar General Knowledge 2022 For Bpsc & Other Competitive Exams: Bestseller Book by Dr. Manish Rannjan: Bihar General Knowledge 2022 for BPSC & Other Competitive Exams. Prabhat Prakashan. p. 135. ISBN 978-93-5488-165-7.
  5. ↑ "Bihar's Madhubani artists get poor returns". Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times (New Delhi). 11 October 2007.
  6. ↑ "Padma Awards Announced" (Press release). Ministry of Home Affairs. 25 January 2011. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014.
  7. ↑ Jain, Devaki; Singh, Nalini; Chand, Malini (1980). Women's Quest for Power: Five Indian Case Studies. Vikas. p. 189. ISBN 978-0-7069-1021-6.
  8. ↑ Pragati, Dr. Towards Equality: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Womens Empowerment. Krishna Publication House. p. 118. ISBN 978-93-90627-19-6.
  9. 1 2 "Madhubani painting artist Mahasundari Devi dead". Business Standard. 4 July 2013. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Prakash, Manisha (29 May 2007). "India: Ladies' Fingers and a Flavour of Art". Hindustan Times. Women's Feature Service.
  11. ↑ Heinz, Carolyn Brown (2023). Bihar Days. Austin Macauley Publishers. ISBN 979-8-88693-815-9.
  12. ↑ "IN PHOTOS: How Madhubani Art Is Undergoing A Transformation - By Women Artists in Bihar!". The Better India. 1 December 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  13. ↑ "List of Padma Awardees for 2011". Mint. New Delhi. 26 January 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  14. ↑ "Madhubani painting guru cremated with state honours". Hindustan Times. 5 July 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  15. ↑ Jain, Somya (18 March 2018). "6 Madhubani Women Artists Who Pushed Out Dominant Narratives". Feminism In India. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
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