Thanka / thangka are excellent piece of Tibetan art works. The thanka / thangka is of exceptional quality, hand-painted by Nepali and Tibiten artist. The word "Thanka" is believed to have come from the Tibetan word "thang yig" meaning a written record.Thanka / Thangka is a Tibetan painting depicting various facts of Buddhism of mystic sect. Thanka / Thangka is painted on silk or cotton fabrics using bright colors of many hues. Thanka / Thangkas are used as wall -decorations. For, Lamas thanka / thangka is object of religious importance. It is an object of devotion, an aid to spiritual practice, and a bringer of blessings.

Thanka / Thangka come in a huge variety of styles, depicting various subjects.Colorful thanka / thangka paintings are generally represent Buddhist and Hindu Gods, Goddesses, meditating Buddha and his life cycle, Wheel of Life, Mandala, Bhairab, Exotic pictures, etc. Two basic types of thanka paintings are generally available, Tibetan style and Newari style (Paubha), each having its own fundamental style of painting A thanka / thangka may portray the Buddha or some other deity, or a concept in Tibetan cosmology, astrology or medicine. The iconography of the thanka / thangka is rich in information about the spiritual practice of Buddhists and the Tibetan world view. A thanka / thangka can help a meditator to learn and emulate the qualities of a particular deity, or to visualize his or her path towards enlightenment. Thanka / Thangka can bring blessings on the household and serves as a constant reminder of the Buddha’s teachings of compassion, kindness and wisdom. Thanka / Thangka of particular deities may be used for protection or to overcome difficulties such as sickness.

Thanka / Thangka painting involves mastery of many demanding techniques: mastery in sketching the illustrations and numerous deities according to formal iconography rules laid down by generations of Tibetan masters; learning to grind and apply the paints, which are made from natural stone pigments; and learning to prepare and apply details in pure gold. From the canvas preparation and drawing of the subject, through to mixing and applying colours, decorating with gold, and mounting the finished work in brocade, the creation of a thangka painting involves skill and care at each stage and displays meticulous detail and exquisite artisanship.

A spiritual and religious expression as much as an art form, the process of learning to paint thanka / thangka is rigorous. In the first three years, students learn to sketch the Tibetan Buddhist deities using precise grids dictated by scripture.The two years following are devoted to the techniques of grinding and applying the mineral colours and pure gold used in the paintings. In the sixth year, students study in detail the religious texts and scriptures used for the subject matter of their work. To become an accomplished thangka painter, at least ten years training is required under the constant supervision of a master. After the training process, students still need five to ten years to become experts in thanka / thangka painting.

Thanka / Thangka painting requires extended concentration, attention to detail, and knowledge of Buddhist philosophy, and must be carried out in a peaceful environment

We have wide collection of best Tibetan and Newari style thankas / thangkas. Like: Buddha Life History Thanka / Thangka, Buddha Mandala Thanka / Thangka, Avai Lokiteshwor Mandala Thanka / Thangka, Kalachakra Mandala Thanka / Thangka, Wheel Of Life Thanka / Thangka, White Tara Thanka / Thangka, Green Tara Thanka..etc.We also accept special requests and order– see our “Order By Demand” section for details or call us at 977-01-5547819 or fax us at 977-01-5565657 or mail us at info@himalayanmart.com

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THANKA / THANGKA WE OFFER:::

Most of the Thanka / Thangka viewer simply think that Thanka / Thangka is an art of the Buddhist scholar of higher intellectuality revere it with entire homage considering mystic power of Lamaistic dieties . In accordance with the religious culture, the Thanka / Thangka to be kept at the worship room sanctifies with holy water muttering mantras to enliven Thangkas mystic power and puts kada (a two feet long silk cloth) on it. This Thanka / Thangka illustrates the life story of Buddha. Shakyamuni Buddha was born in Lumbini in the southern Nepal, twenty five hundred years ago. Since his time, Nepal has been a sacred ground for Buddhists, as the birthplace of the Buddha. Buddha was born to a royal family. His mother Mayadevi, a queen, had a dream of a white elephant with nine tusks came down to her from the heaven and enter her body. When her delivery time approached, en-routed to her parents home, she gave birth to Siddhartha in the garden in Lumbini. The prince is said to have emerged from her tight side as she rested her arm on the branch of a big tree. After birth of prince lived in his father's palace, free from the evil and pain outside world. His father had been informed by the sego of the time that the prince would leave either becomes a great king or holy man. Fearing his son would leave the world for religious practice, the king took pain to see that prince neither saw nor experienced suffering and hoped his son will become great emperor. But Siddhartha, who lived life of isolated royal splendor ventured beyond the castle walls one day. He came across sorrow, pain, death, and those suffering - he saw a beggar, a cripple, a corpse and a holy man. These encounters affected the prince deeply, awakening a deep desire to find the corpse of suffering and thus alleviate it. One night when all were asleep inside the palace, he escaped and began the life of wandering ascetic. For years he fasted, meditated and spent his time in painful search to find away to end suffering. On a full moon night, in Indian town of Bodhgaya as he meditated under a tree, Siddhartha had direct realizations of nirvana (eternal peace). This transformed the prince into a Buddha. He spent rest of time guiding people towards nirvana, love and friendship. He left this world at the age of eighty, having exhausted his human body for the sake of all sentiment beings.

Most of the Thanka / Thangka viewer simply think that Thanka / Thangka is an art of the Buddhist scholar of higher intellectuality revere it with entire homage considering mystic power of Lamaistic dieties . In accordance with the religious culture, the Thanka / Thangka to be kept at the worship room sanctifies with holy water muttering mantras to enliven Thanka / Thangka mystic power and puts kada (a two feet long silk cloth) on it. This Thanka / Thangka depicts Mandala. Mandala, a circle which is a device for the Tantric meditation. It is a visual aid for concentration and introvertive meditation leading to the attainment of insights and to activation of forces culminating in "Siddhi" supernatural forces. The Mandala is the graphic representation of this process. It is not only theoretical but practical also as an operational scheme involving a clear plan for practical realization of the process within oneself. It thus becomes an instrument (Yantra). There are many types and varieties of Mandalas depending on the nature of the central deity. The most classic pattern of Mandalas are of the Dhyani Buddha. The Mandala represents "palace of purity" a magic sphere cleared of spiritual obstacles and unpurified. The square of the "Sacred palace" proper is end used in multiple circles of flame, Vajra, eight centuries (appears only in wrathful deities) lotus, then the inner square to reach of the deity of the Mandala.

Most of the Thanka / Thangka viewer simply think that Thanka / Thangka is an art of the Buddhist scholar of higher intellectuality revere it with entire homage considering mystic power of Lamaistic dieties . In accordance with the religious culture, the Thanka / Thangka to be kept at the worship room sanctifies with holy water muttering mantras to enliven Thanka / Thangka mystic power and puts kada (a two feet long silk cloth) on it. This Thanka / Thangka depicts Mandala. Mandala, a circle which is a device for the Tantric meditation. It is a visual aid for concentration and introvertive meditation leading to the attainment of insights and to activation of forces culminating in "Siddhi" supernatural forces. The Mandala is the graphic representation of this process. It is not only theoretical but practical also as an operational scheme involving a clear plan for practical realization of the process within oneself. It thus becomes an instrument (Yantra). There are many types and varieties of Mandalas depending on the nature of the central deity. The most classic pattern of Mandalas are of the Dhyani Buddha. The Mandala represents "palace of purity" a magic sphere cleared of spiritual obstacles and unpurified. The square of the "Sacred palace" proper is end used in multiple circles of flame, Vajra, eight centuries (appears only in wrathful deities) lotus, then the inner square to reach of the deity of the Mandala.

Mandala, a circle which is a device for the Tantric meditation. It is a visual aid for concentration and introvertive meditation leading to the attainment of insights and to activation of forces culminating in "Siddhi" supernatural forces. The Kalachakra Tantra is classified as a Mother Tantra of Anuttaryoga Tantra. The Tantra is presented in five chapters and it discusses the three Kalachakras; External Kalachakra, internal Kalachakra and alternative Kalachakra. External Kalachakra: It is an external cosmos, the universe and the beings within. It discusses the inter-dependence of the universe and its dependence on the internal cosmos. The environmental awareness which is slowly being understood was infact a part of this ancient wisdom. The internal Kalachakra: The internal cosmos deals with the understanding and central of nerve centres, life force and energy. Through the proper training and use of these techniques the total personal environment is purified, and the innate Buddha Natural is awakened. The alternative Kalachakra deals with the ultimate nature of the cosmos. This deals with the ultimate truth while the other two are on the level of truth. The alternative Kalachakra also gives us the practical and methods to realize the ultimate truth, which cannot be understood with the mind but only with the wisdom. This wisdom is experienced when the mind ceases. Since this wisdom could not be generated with the intellectual understanding alone, the method of initiation is employed to enter the field of the transcendental wisdom. It is a teaching with the combined forces of teaching, prayer, blessing, devotion, mantra, yoga and meditation. It is also a permission to practice the Tantra with the combined forces of teaching, prayer, blessing, devotion, mantra, yoga and meditation. Even, in case, one is not in a position of actually practicing the Tantra, a strong Karmic connection is made with the teaching when one receives the initiation. So that the blessing will ripen whenever a right environment can be created. The thanka / thangka of the Kalachakra Mandala signifies the above mentioned facts. The fingers stretched but within the Mandala is the symbol of three cosmic universe through which the human beings is passed after being delivered from the suffering of psychic pain.

The wheel of Life is considered an endless life cycle of human being. It is believed to have been drawn first by the Buddha himself As seen in the picture, a minister demon, usually identified as Yama the god of death, clutches the whole wheel. In the smallest circle at the centre a pig, snake and cock symbolize the three cardinal sins of ignorance (Pig), anger (Snake) and lust (Cock), and are biting each others tails to show that these evils are inseparably connected. In the narrow circle around the innermost circle the light half at the viewer's left shows figures ascending to higher levels of existence, the dark half at the right shows figures descending to lower levels. The six main segments of the wheel depict the six world existence. In the upper half are the relatively happier realms of the gods, the asuras or demigods and human being. In the lower half are the more wretched realms of the animals, pretas or hungry ghosts, and those tortured in hell.

The wheel of Life is considered an endless life cycle of human being. It is believed to have been drawn first by the Buddha himself As seen in the picture, a minister demon, usually identified as Yama the god of death, clutches the whole wheel. In the smallest circle at the centre a pig, snake and cock symbolize the three cardinal sins of ignorance (Pig), anger (Snake) and lust (Cock), and are biting each others tails to show that these evils are inseparably connected. In the narrow circle around the innermost circle the light half at the viewer's left shows figures ascending to higher levels of existence, the dark half at the right shows figures descending to lower levels. The six main segments of the wheel depict the six world existence. In the upper half are the relatively happier realms of the gods, the asuras or demigods and human being. In the lower half are the more wretched realms of the animals, pretas or hungry ghosts, and those tortured in hell.

The Green Tara is regarded as spiritual consort of Amogasidhi, the Dhyani Buddha. She is portrayed similar to that of the White Tara. One can find the difference only in her left hand which holds a half-closed lotus or water-lily flower with long petals which is often blue. In the Lamaeist Tradition, Tara is incarnated in all good women. She is also to have mortal base in historic persons of the Nepali and Chinese princess who married the great king Srang-Tsan Gampo and credited with the introduction of Buddhism to Tibet and China. She is worshipped, because she brings all good women. One of the main Tara in this group is Aryatara.