Mithila Art is characterized by line drawings filled in by bright colors and contrasts or patterns. This style of painting has been traditionally done by the Maithili women of the Terai region of Nepal. These paintings are popular because of their tribal use of bright earthy colors. The dazzling Mithila art produced can be traced back as far as 7th century and has been passed down from generation to generation. As the former capital of Kingdom of Mithila, Janakpur has emerged as the center for both preserving and promoting this ancient art. Initially, the women of the village drew the paintings on the walls of their home, with fingers and twigs as an illustration of their thoughts, hopes, and dreams. With the change in time and tradition, the paintings started becoming a part of festivities and special events.

Today, Mithila painting as an art form is creating livelihood opportunities for women and men. Mithila art grabs the attention of art lovers from different countries like USA, Australia, UK, Japan, China and Russia. Patterns from this art form have also found their way onto various items like bags, cushion covers, coasters, mugs, crockery, and mouse pads. More to this it remains ever-popular on the home decor front in the form of prints for table linens, wall hangings, etc. mostly because Mithila art was originally used for decorating walls and floors of homes. The further scope of its exploration is immense, as it is globally recognized.