Janakpur Handicraft Center (
JHC) is one of the leading centers for Mithila
arts and
crafts established 14 years back in 1994, in Janakpur with aim to contribute in the development of the region
by empowering the underprivileged women of Mithila in Nepal.
Maithili society is a male dominated society, where women are not allowed to work outside. In Maithili culture a woman has to do all types of household works and has to help her spouse in field but working outside family is prohibited for her. So JHC working for the awareness of Maithili women is empowering women by making them self-independent.
Maithili women have great talents of Art and Crafts. And JHC has helped women to earn through their own talents.
From 1994 to 2004 JHC had good market and was supporting about 50 women workers at center but due to Maoist Insurgency and Nepal’s disfigured situation JHC’s business got low in Nepal as well as abroad.
Since then JHC got weak due to the bad situation of country and this continued for three years. The number of workers decreased from 50 to 20. But still JHC was working for betterment of Maithili women. After 2007 JHC has again been trying to introduce itself back to market so that it can be able to give job opportunities to maximum women of Mithila region. JHC targets to empower at least 50 women by the end of year 2010.
JHC has built its foundation upon the rich artistic heritage of Maithili women. These women have had to endure severe rest due to practices of their culture. The center provided them their first opportunity to earn as income and to develop artistic creations.
JHC has been participated in many joint exhibitions and also organized numbers of solo exhibitions at different places and galleries in Kathmandu since last ten years to expose artistic talent of Maithili women. Its creation of new crafts and various designed arts have always attracted the eyes of art lovers.
Mainly JHC produces Mithila art on handmade Lokta paper and handmade cotton clothes as well as on notebooks, photo frames, writing sets, recycled cards, mirrors, ceramics, bags, cushion covers, table clothes, ash- trays, T- shirts, Tapestry and many other crafts.
The Mithila Art produced by the Artists in JHC has it's own speciality and simplicity.
Now- a days a good number of women are involved in this artwork who were far from education, economic independent and making self-decision in the past. JHC gives the women artists’ confidence, initiative and incentive to show their artistic value. They also get encouragement to sense the validity of their dwindling traditions and more to revive them.
