KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 14

Rajesh Chitrakar says that his father did not have enough money to even buy a slate for school, therefore he started painting when he was 15.

Last year, the Municipality's, Guthi Sansthan and the religious committee provided them a total of NPR 200,000 to make masks of religious idols but they had to bear the rest of the expenses on their own which approximately amounted to NPR. 300,000-350,000.

“Every year since my father started the work, we have always been underpaid and this year, particularly as the COVID-19 pandemic has hot every sector, we are still uncertain whether the amount will stay the same or shrink even more," says Rajesh.