India, Feb. 1 -- Dulari Devi, a renowned Mithila painter from Bihar, met finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman when the latter visited Madhalubani last year and gifted her a saree with Madhubani painting, requesting her to wear it during her next budget speech.

On Saturday, the finance minister obliged, wearing the same saree in a gesture highlighting the artwork from Mithila region and the exquisite craftsmanship behind Madhubani art

During Sitharaman's visit for a credit outreach programme at the Mithila Art Institute, Devi, a Padma Shri Award winner, told her about the intricacies of the Madhubani art and how the sarees are painstakingly prepared.

In 2021, Devi had also gifted Prime Minister Narendra Modi her artwork during his inform...