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Tibetan Buddhist Six Armed White Mahakala

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Thangka or Tanka is a sacred Buddhist art form made on a cotton fabric and usually demonstrates a Buddhist deity, scene or Mandala; based on themes of history, culture, policy or social life; each detail here is filled with a retold myth with laid guidelines of their symbols and allusions. The Buddhist Mahakala painted here is the protector deity of the Shangpa Kagyu tradition and its practitioners.

White Mahakala is a wrathful aspect of Avalokiteshwara and is worshipped for eliminating spiritual and material poverty; stands here in his ferocious stance, lotus petals which are placed on a stylized multicoloured pedestal; attired and jewelled graciously with the outrageous expressions signifying him as the King of Power and the Lord of pristine awareness.

He has six arms and three eyes with the brilliant fires of dissolution and dwells in the midst of eight cremation grounds; he holds a trident, damru, scythe etc in his various hands as his incensed weapons of protection; framed in an aureole of deadly ashes from the cremation ground and surrounded by White Elephants near his legs and skulls at the bottom. The painter has created a very realistic view of the deity, such that his single glance is enough to picturize his actual self.

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Item Code:	TI44
Specifications:	Tibetan Buddhist Thangka Painting
Dimensions	Size of Painted Surface 15.5 inch X 21 inch Size with Brocade 27.5 inch X 45 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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