The Buddha Shakyamuni and the Events From His Life -Tibetan Buddhist

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There is so much to a thangka that meets the eye at first glance, and infinitely more that does not. Typically consisting of a central motif, in this case the haloed Buddha Himself, several images branch out from this central motif in skilfully expressed transitions. This thangka revolves around the life of the great Buddha, His enlightened form replete with a bejewelled aureole and in bhumisparsha mudra ('bhumi' means earth and 'sparsh' means touch, in Sanskrit) at the centre, sitting atop a colourful lotus.

The rich life of the Buddha has been portrayed in extensive detail in this painting. For example, in the top left corner, Queen Mayadevi is depicted asleep in her regal chamber, dreaming of the white elephant that is considered in folklore the precursor to His birth as Prince Siddhartha Gautama of the Shakya clan. Beneath it is the image of the birth itself: Queen Mayadevi is in the middle of a forest, the branch of a saal tree in her clutches, as she gives birth to the Buddha. He emerges from her womb, takes seven steps that cause seven lotuses to bloom on the forest floors, and is blessed by no less than the Hindu trinity of Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva. To the right of the central figure, the young prince is sitting in the middle of the forest, cutting off his regal mane with his own hands, having renounced at that point the luxurious life he had lived till then.

Further right is a highly thought-provoking image of the solitary Buddha, meditating under a tree. The bottom left corner of the thangka depicts the princely regime of the Shakyamuni. He is sitting cross-legged in the lap of luxury in one image; in another He is frolicking in the palace gardens on his royal pony. Further upwards, He is seen to be mastering the Kshatriya skills of hunting and swimming in the forests surrounding His father's kingdom that was to pass to him. Note how stark the contrast these motifs constitute with the pallid image of death portrayed on the top right side of the Enlightened One in the centre - one of the fateful sights that transformed Him from prince to ascetic and paved the way for His wondrous enlightenment.

This is one of the densest, most gorgeously painted thangkas from the Exotic India collection. Typically, even the simplest paintings of this genre take half a year - and an army of monks with superior training in religion and art - to complete. Do not overlook the soothing confluence of each motif into another, brought about with sections of the skies, forest greenery, and streams done in luxuriant pastels. Note how each crop of greenery, be they the crowns of the ample trees that grace this thangka or the bushes at the feet of the Buddha at various points in the painting, is generously ornamented. The complex motifs of clouds and dragons, a staple of Sino-Tibetan art, contain the painting.

Unveiling the Divine Art: Journey into the Making of Thangkas

A Thangka is a traditional Tibetan Buddhist painting that usually depicts a Buddhist Deity (Buddha or Bodhisattva), a scene, or a mandala. These paintings are considered important paraphernalia in Buddhist rituals. They are used to teach the life of the Buddha, various lamas, and Bodhisattvas to the monastic students, and are also useful in visualizing the deity while meditating. One of the most important subjects of thangkas is the Bhavacakra (the wheel of life) which depicts the Art of Enlightenment. It is believed that Thangka paintings were developed over the centuries from the murals, of which only a few can be seen in the Ajanta caves in India and the Mogao caves in Gansu Province, Tibet. Thangkas are painted on cotton or silk applique and are usually small in size. The artist of these paintings is highly trained and has a proper understanding of Buddhist philosophy, knowledge, and background to create a realistic and bona fide painting.

The process of making a thangka begins with stitching a loosely woven cotton fabric onto a wooden frame. Traditionally, the canvas was prepared by coating it with gesso, chalk, and base pigment.

After this, the outline of the form of the deity is sketched with a pencil or charcoal onto the canvas using iconographic grids. The drawing process is followed in accordance with strict guidelines laid out in Buddhist scriptures. The systematic grid helps the artist to make a geometrical and professional painting. When the drawing of the figures is finalized and adjusted, it is then outlined with black ink.

Earlier, a special paint of different colors was made by mixing powdered forms of organic (vegetable) and mineral pigments in a water-soluble adhesive. Nowadays, artists use acrylic paints instead. The colors are now applied to the sketch using the wet and dry brush techniques. One of the characteristic features of a thangka is the use of vibrant colors such as red, blue, black, green, yellow, etc.

In the final step, pure gold is coated over some parts of the thangka to increase its beauty. Due to this beautification, thangkas are much more expensive and also stand out from other ordinary paintings.

Thangka paintings are generally kept unrolled when not on display on the wall. They also come with a frame, a silken cover in front, and a textile backing to protect the painting from getting damaged. Because Thangkas are delicate in nature, they are recommended to be kept in places with no excess moisture and where there is not much exposure to sunlight. This makes them last a long time without their colors fading away. Painting a thangka is an elaborate and complex process and requires excellent skills. A skilled artist can take up to 6 months to complete a detailed thangka painting. In earlier times, thangka painters were lamas that spent many years on Buddhist studies before they painted.