Ashtimki Chitra
Ashtimki Chitra is a painting created on the day of Ashthimki festival celebrated by the Tharu community in the western part of Nepal. 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"'s house. The colors are made from red clay (red), bean leaves (green) and burnt wild grass (black). The painting depicts the story of evolution. The main components of the painting are Kanha (Krishna), a kadam tree , a boat, fish, crabs, tortoise, monkeys and other animals, a twelve 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.