The beginning of a thirteen-day ritual festival (Madhushravani Puja) observed by newly married brides

Madhushravani Puja is a thirteen-day ritual festival observed by new brides at the beginning of the rainy season. Two scenes of worship are depicted in the right half of this painting, while the left is filled with imagery relating to marriage, fertility, and prosperity. The two parrots with overlapping heads in the central upper portion of the painting represent the union of the bride and groom. The snakes and the elephant are associated with rain and life-giving waters, while aquatic creatures such as the fish and the tortoise reinforce the fertility theme. The sprouting stems at the upper left indicate a bamboo grove (bans) and the floral pattern to its right a lotus plant (kohbar). These two motifs, frequently encountered in paintings from Mithila, represent the bridegroom and bride in terms of the fertile natural world. Wedding ceremonies in Mithila involve the painting of an elaborate lotus plant motif on the walls of the nuptial chamber.