Godawari Dutta was born in 1930[1] in Bahadurpur, Darbhanga district, Bihar, India.

Reoccurring themes of her art are the portrayal of characters from Ramayana and Mahabharata, as well as events of daily life such as marriage or dance.

[4] Dutta had frequently visited Germany and Japan, where she would stay at times for up to a year.

[5][6] In December 1983, Dutta founded Mithila Kala Viaks Samiti, an NGO that aims to fight poverty through education, and to promote the Madhubani style of painting.

[citation needed] Dutta also helped rural women to become financially independent, and was a proponent of girls’ education.