Ashtimki painting
{{Short description|Nepalese painting style}}
Ashtimki Chitra ({{Langx|ne|अष्टिम्की चित्र|lit=Ashtimki painting}}) is a type of painting drawn on the day of Ashtimki festival celebrated by the Tharu community in the western region of Nepal.[https://archive.today/20121220070738/http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/mag/yubamanch.detail.php?article_id=77&cat_id=1 About Ashthimki and Ashtimki Picture], The Rising Nepal{{Cite web |title=Ashtimki, an Ancient Form of Tharu Wall Painting |url=http://ecs.com.np/features/ashtimki-an-ancient-form-of-tharu-wall-painting |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=ECS NEPAL |language=en}}
Significance
The painting is made on the wall of the house using home-made colors that make the painting unique and beautiful. It is done on the day of Lord Krishna's birthday, Krishna Janmashtami at Tharu elder Mahatawa
The colors are made from red clay (red), bean leaves (green) and burnt wild grass (black).{{Cite web |last=Chaudhary |first=Sanjib |date=2023-09-05 |title=Ashtimki |url=https://askmeaboutnepal.com/ashtimki/ |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=Ask Me About Nepal |language=en-US}}
Symbolism
The painting depicts the story of evolution.{{Cite web|url=http://annapurnapost.com/news/107053|title=अष्टिम्कीको अन्तर्य|website=The Annapurna Post|accessdate=13 March 2019}} The main components of the painting are Kanha (Krishna), a kadam tree, a boat, fish, crabs, tortoise, monkeys and other animals, a ten headed demon (Ravana), Pandava, Draupadi, a sun and a moon. Lately, the artists have been adding other animals to the painting. These characters are marked with tika on the painting as the ritual function of the Ashtimki festival.{{Cite web |title=थारू समुदायमा अष्टिम्की अनुष्ठान |url=https://annapurnapost.com/news/77464-77464 |access-date=2022-06-21 |website=थारू समुदायमा अष्टिम्की अनुष्ठान |language=en}}