Shri Ganesha

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Lord Ganesha is the elephant-headed Hindu god of new beginnings. He is revered as the god who removes obstacles, making him a popular deity to pray for those who are seeking to make major life changes and decisions. He is also invoked at the beginning of rituals or prayers.

As seen in this thangka, he is depicted with his classical icon of the elephant head. He is in a seating position—drawn complete with his rounded belly and four arms. One foot touches the ground and the other rests on his knee. The foot on the ground signifies that a wise person is of this earth, but not completely of it. He appears to be portrayed in a celestial set-up, with a moon encircling his form against a backdrop of dark space and stars. Legend has it that Ganesha hurled his broken tusk to the moon when it laughed at him after he stumbled and spilled his stomach’s contents. A quick zoom into this head shows one tusk is broken. One of his hands is in blessing mudra. Another hand is holding an ax, which symbolizes cutting off from materialism. He is also holding a lotus flower which is another iconic element in Buddhism, signifying purity. His fourth hand holds a bowl of sweets, a reward for living a wise life. He is usually pictured with a mouse that represents being able to overcome small and big adversaries, as well as a snake around his belly or neck that signifies his victory over Nagas.

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Item Code:	TS88
Specifications:	Tibetan Thangka Painting
Dimensions	Size of Painted Surface 11 inch X 13.0 inch Size with Brocade 21 inch X 33 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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