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Shadbhuja Ganesha Seated on a Rat with Snakes as Dragons

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Lord Ganesh is one of Hinduism’s most prominent deities. He is the god of new beginnings and the lord who removes obstacles. Because of these, he is often invoked at the beginning of prayers or rituals, or when believers are set to undergo a major milestone and before making life decisions. He is traditionally depicted with an elephant head, often large in the proportion which signifies knowledge (Lord Ganesha is a god of arts and wisdom). He has big eyes to see beyond what the naked eyes see and big ears to listen to the universe well.

Along with his elephant head, Lord Ganesha is also usually depicted with a big, rounded belly. In this painting, he is pictured standing, in a heroic or battle stance against the enemy, the snake-dragons. His features are also true to tradition, one tusk is broken and has four hands each with a symbolic meaning. One hand holds a noose as a symbol for attachment (in a blessing mudra) while another holds an ax, use to cut down material attachment as well as Krodha or anger. He also holds his broken tusk on a third hand and a bowl of food on the fourth hand to symbolize the rewards of being wise. In most depictions, he is seen drawn with a small mouse, this time, the rides the rat in a bigger proportion. The rat used to mean that Ganesha can overcome obstacles of all sizes. On the rat, he is seated with one foot ready to touch the ground, while the other is resting on the knee which signifies him being of earth while also not being of it. The snake in his iconography is often seen around his waist or torso as a belt or a necklace. In this thangka, the snakes are depicted as dragons whom Ganesha defeat.

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Item Code:	TO48
Specifications:	Tibetan Thangka Painting
Dimensions	Size of Painted Surface 10 inch X 15 inch Size with Brocade 21 inch X 33.5 inch

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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.

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