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43" x 29" Devi Annapurna | Handmade

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Name: 43" x 29" Devi Annapurna | Handmade
Brand: Exotic India
SKU: PAA345
Price: 455.00 USD
Availability: InStock

$455

A Hindu goddess depicted in Buddhist art. The thangka painting that you see on this page depicts the serene Devi Annapurna. Her name is a portmanteau of ‘anna’, which means foodgrain, and ‘poorna’, which means fulfillment; as such Annapurna Devi is presiding deity over material nourishment.

In this thangka painting, the ashtabhujadharini is surrounded by elements of wrath and divine power. She is seated on the coils of a ferocious snake that bares its fangs right beneath Her. A garland of severed skulls She wears, and as a necklace the body of a snake that barely conceals Her torso. She is surrounded by a quantum of raging fire, large and lifelike enough to strike fear into the heart of the sinful mortal. Miniature skulls at the base of the five spires of Her crown, and tempestuous black waters below.

At the heart of it all is the face of Devi Annapurna. Replete with beauty and serenity, it is designed to captivate the purest hearts.

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Item Code:	PAA345
Specifications:	TIBETAN THANGKA PAINTING
Dimensions	43.00 inch Height X 29.00 inch Width

Handmade

Free delivery

Fully insured

100% Made in India

Fair trade

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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