Tibetan Buddhist Vijaya Stupa: For Long Life of The Patron (Brocadeless Thangka)

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Ushnishavijaya is one of the three gods of longevity and fulfillment of desire. The other three are Amitayus and White Tara. She is often depicted with eight arms and three heads. Her main face is white while another face is peaceful in gold, the face to her left is blue in a wrathful look. In this thangka, she sits on a moon disk on top of a multi-colored lotus within a stupa or a mound. Stupas are originally the funerary mound for the Shakyamuni but have since been associated with the patterns to the enlightenment of the Buddha. In this thangka, notice that the vidyadhara (garland holders) near the clouds are holding pots containing durva grass (associated with long life). On the sides of her stupa are Avalokiteshvara (on her right) and Vajrapani (to her left). At the lower part of the stupa are the guardians of the four cardinal directions (like the Hindu Lokapalas).

On one right hand is a figure of Amitabha on a white lotus. Another hand is in a mudra that represents utmost generosity. Near her breast, she holds a vajra (one which destroys ignorance and is indestructible). She also has an arrow (for piercing focus or attention) as well as a lasso (for restraining ignorance by vigilance). Another hand shows the protection mudra, while the object on the lower hand is a jar that contains the nectar of longevity and immortality. She is also dressed in opulence like a Bodhisattva. The thangka also showcases several buddhas including the Shakyamuni, the Five Transcendent Gods, as well as the Medicine Buddha. Near the bottom are various lamas and teachers of Buddhism. At the offering shrine. is the patron of the thangka.

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Item Code:	TZ89
Specifications:	Tibetan Thangka Painting
Dimensions	16.2 inch x 24.2 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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