Achalanatha (Tibetan Buddhist God)

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Achala is Sanskrit for 'immovable' and natha for 'ruler'. The immovable, unyielding deity of Tibetan Buddhism functions as a dharmapala, which means the 'protector of dharma'. He does so with characteristic wrath - He is one of Tibetan Buddhism's stuff-of-folk-tales wrathful deities - and watches over His dharmic devotees with fierce protectiveness. In this richly coloured thangka from the Exotic India collection, the determined stance of the dharmapala is set off by the lifelike flames leaping up behind Him. The fact that the aureole thus constituted gives away the direction of the wind and even sets the nearby clouds aglow, adds soul and dynamism to the whole painting.

Achalanatha boasts of arguably the most complex iconography of the entire Hindu-Buddhist pantheon. Beginning from the bottom, He is usually portrayed with large, decisive feet set firmly atop a rock base symbolic of His steadfast nature. His loincloth is resplendent and matches the brightly hued jewels that grace His powerful arms and chest. The vajra or 'treasure-sword' He holds is strictly erect, almost as if He is simply giving adharmees a hint of what it can do without actually flourishing it (like, for example, the Bodhisattva Manjushri). In the other hand, He holds a lasso that He wields together with the vajra when need be. Achalanath's two fangs famously point in opposite directions, with the lower fang biting the upper lip and the upper fang biting the lower lip, which serves to strike fear into the hearts of adharmees.

The lotus set in His hair, the ubiquitous Buddhist symbol of compassion, gives away the fact that this thangka was intended to tone down the insatiable ferocity of Achalanatha, especially given that He is usually portrayed in a tigerskin loincloth and a stance infinitely more ferocious. Despite the flaming halo and the wrathful composure of countenance, the backdrop is populated by pastel-coloured bodies of rock, a limpid stream, and delicate florals and foliage. The rolling shades and tints across the skies and the grass, and the way they blend into each other, make for a soothing aesthetic experience for whoever views this thangka in your space.

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.