Source::image: Offline Thinker
The vibrant Tharu community in Kanchanpur is joyfully celebrating Ashtimki, also known as Shri Krishna Janmashtami, in their unique and traditional style. This festival holds special significance for the Tharu community, marked by the creation of intricate artworks that depict the journey of human life from birth to death, intertwined with the presence of Lord Krishna.
For generations, it has been a cherished tradition among Tharu households to adorn their homes with these pictorial representations as a form of worship during Ashtimki.
Wadghar Ramprasad Chaudhary explained that in the community's gathering spaces, the life cycle of humanity is portrayed through these meticulously crafted pictures. Both men and women actively participate in this creative endeavor, with a particular penchant for crafting images of fasting women. Chaudhary noted, "Tharu women, who fast throughout the day, diligently create images of Lord Krishna, or Kanha, with their own hands after their Brahma Muhurta meal."
These artistic compositions feature elements such as the moon in the west, the sun in the east, and a diverse array of animals, including fish, snakes, dogs, monkeys, turtles, elephants, horses, bulls, camels, chickens, peacocks, scorpions, and more. Additionally, the scenes often include the bride's attire and the doli (palanquin) carrying the bride during her undressing ritual.
Sitaram Chowdhury highlighted that these artworks are crafted on grain containers and walls, noting the evolving trend of men actively participating in the art form. Traditionally, cotton is used on a bamboo canvas, with rice and paddy chaff forming the composition.
Tharu community folk paintings hold immense cultural importance, serving as visual narratives of creation and the essentials for human survival. As nature priests, Tharu artistry has roots dating back five millennia. The community traditionally sourced colors from nature, with bean leaves for green, khayar for cotton, pawai seeds for red, and dried gourds used to create black pigment. Each color carries its own symbolic significance, with black representing emptiness, red symbolizing the joy of life, green denoting patience, yellow signifying intelligence, gray representing emotional states, and blue embodying tradition and values.
Experts in Tharu culture noted the prevalence of geometric forms in Ashtimki paintings, often characterized by cuboidal or triangular arms and a conical shape for legs, head, and torso. These artworks are known for their simplicity and visual appeal.
Habaldar Choudhary described the festival's customs, which include women fasting and dressing in traditional attire, offering rice, fruits, lamps, rice plants, lemon branches, and symbolic items for worship. The entire household congregates for night-long prayers and songs in Kanha's (Shri Krishna's) folk language. On the second day, after morning worship and river basin bathing, fasting women break their fast by offering a portion of their homemade dishes to God.
The Ashtimki festival brings the Tharu community together in a celebration of art, spirituality, and tradition, reaffirming their rich cultural heritage._Rss
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