Madhubani painting, also called Mithila art, comes from the Mithila region of northern Bihar and parts of Nepal. Traditionally, women painted it on freshly plastered mud walls and floors of homes, using natural pigments such as ochre, lampblack and indigo, and bamboo slivers or rags for brushes. The paintings use flat, two-dimensional figures and bold geometric patterns, and they fill every gap with flowers, animals and birds. Scenes often show gods, scenes from the Ramayana, weddings and festivals, and the tradition is tied to Sita, who is said to have been born in Mithila. In the 1960s artists began painting on paper and canvas to earn income, and around 1982 Japanese visitors bought pieces that led to a museum devoted to the style.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.