Walk the Maithil villages and painted walls

Rural Mithila is a landscape of ponds, mango and bamboo groves and rice fields, with villages of mud and brick houses built close together. A walk with a local guide around Dhanusha Dham shows how families live: courtyards where grain dries, buffalo tethered in the shade, women grinding spices. Many houses have a small shrine in the courtyard, often marked with vermilion.

Maithil women paint the walls of their houses for weddings, births and festivals. Kohbar paintings of lotus, bamboo, fish and parrots decorate the wedding chamber; aripan patterns in rice paste mark floors before rituals. Depending on the season, you may see fresh paintings or faded ones from the last wedding. Some paintings are bold and new, others faded by sun and rain.

Ask your guide to introduce you rather than walking into courtyards. Photographs of paintings are usually welcomed if you ask; photographs of women should only be taken with clear consent. A small purchase or tip to a painter is a good way to say thanks. Walks are flat and short, usually about two hours, and best in the morning or late afternoon.