Vol. 9, Special Issue 12, Part Q (2025)

The traditional art of Madhubani from Bihar has been affected by social and economic changes, resulting in a decline in original compositions. Preserving this art form is important, and incorporating historic motifs into textiles, helps protect the designs. Contemporary designs draw inspiration from Indian folk arts, particularly painting. The present study focuses on adapting Madhubani motifs to create innovative designs inspired by the essence of Madhubani paintings. The study created forty designs using thirty-six motifs, selecting ten designs suitable for apparel and home décor products, utilizing CorelDraw software for intricate and appealing designs. Ten combinations of design, placements and colors were chosen for final development, and the study investigates on individuals' perspectives on Madhubani Painting adapted onto apparel and home décor items using block and screen printing techniques with cotton and silk fabrics and pigment dyes. Four products developed with screen-printing, and six with block printing techniques. The development of the apparel and home décor items involved the use of pigment dyes in colors such as red, green, sky blue, yellow, blue, magenta, brown and black, these pigment dyes evaluated according to colour- fastness tests carried out by several institutions, including assessments involving washing, light exposure, rubbing, and perspiration.

Based on expert preferences for the developed items, fabric-printing techniques deemed most favorable, particularly for their overall appearance. This approach opens new opportunities for women entrepreneurs to produce cost-effective items with high demand, while simultaneously enhancing the aesthetic beauty of traditional Madhubani painting.