Paubha remains a common painting method in Nepal but the austere religious observances once followed by its artists have fallen out of practice
Paubha artist Ujay Bajracharya works on his rendition of the Green Tara, a goddess of compassion revered by Buddhists and Hindus in the country, in Lalitpur on the outskirts of Kathmandu.
Image: Prakash Mathena/ AFP
With a shaved head and an empty stomach, artist Ujay Bajracharya dips his brush to line the eyes of the deity Tara as a soothing Buddhist hymn warbles in the background.
The 40-year-old is applying the final strokes to his paubha painting, a devotional art form known for its minute detail, intense colours and the strict purification rituals traditionally required of its practitioners.