Tara, literally “star” in Indian vocabulary represents the pinnacle of compassion in Buddhism. Born from the tears shed by Bodhisattva Avalokiteshwara, Tara stands out in the Buddhist tradition as the great savior, whose benevolence can be compared to that of a mother, a quality in whose praise she is regarded as the mother of all the Buddhas. Presented here in wood, is the “Mandala” of Tara’s twenty-one forms evoked in the Tibetan Atisha tradition, which draws from the Indian Tantric systems around the worship of the divine saviouress.
The inspiration behind this breathtaking hand-carved wooden masterpiece twenty-one Tara Mandala is the ‘Homage to Twenty One Taras’, where each verse describes the beauty of mother Tara and prays for different boons such as wealth, health, and spiritual awakening. In practice, the ‘Homage to the Twenty-One Taras’ is chanted while visualizing the twenty-one female Bodhisattvas in the sky, offering praises to the virtuous character of the Mother of All Buddhas. At the heart of this hymn is Green Tara, the most common and illustrious form of the Bodhisattva, who is seated on the lotus throne in the center of this wooden twenty-one Tara Mandala. Her left hand is in the mudra (gesture) of fearlessness while with her right hand she disseminates boons to her worshippers.
The intricately carved wooden arch around her is decorated with animals such as horses and elephants- symbolic of strength, wisdom, and virility in Buddhism, Makara- a mythical creature in India that represents divine beauty, Garuda- the king of birds in the middle. The arch is held together by several celestial beings formed in a variety of attitudes. Surrounding Green Tara is her twenty-one magnificent forms, each on its lotus throne, with an enchanting smile on their face and their hand rising in the gesture of fearlessness.
At the top, in between the Taras is the Buddha in the state of meditation. In the lowermost section, one can see bulls and worshippers, along with an auspicious sign- “Purnaghata”- a water pot with vegetation carved and framed inside pillars. The reverse of this twenty-one Tara Mandala is a smooth wooden surface, giving this grand shrine-like icon a tasteful finish. Placed in your home as a magnificent wooden Thangka (scroll painting), this Tara Mandala will turn out to be a mesmeric visual and spiritual experience.
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