Originally reported and written in April 2023, this story has been republished as part of our archival content.

When Sumati Jalan left Bihar to pursue education in another state, she found herself facing the stereotypes that people from the state are often subject to.

“When people would meet me, they would say that I did not ‘look’ Bihari. This, as per them, was the best compliment for me. I have also met people from Bihar who are not very comfortable announcing the fact that they are from here,” the 43-year-old Patna resident tells The Better India.

Today Sumati runs Bihart, a clothing brand that she says is her bid to challenge the stereotypes of her culturally rich state. She moved back home permanently to start this in 2018.

From mulberry silk sarees to kurtis, crop tops, tote bags with applique figurines, handmade Sujani dolls, and extra weft cushions, Sumati creates contemporary designs using age-old crafts that have seldom been explored outside their traditional methods.

Why Bihar is more than just Madhubani

“Bihar is very culturally rich, but except for Madhubani paintings and Bhagalpuri Tussar silk weaves, its other crafts are not very well known. For instance, sujani, manjusha, sikki, and weaves like extra weft, chingari, fishnet, and jharna, are either lost, or on the verge of extinction. We are trying to uplift and revive these crafts and show the beauty of Bihar through art,” says Bihart’s founder.

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