Sapta-lochani Tara (Seven-eyed Tara)

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

In the present painting she has a lovely young face. She is seated in vajraparyankasana on a lotus seat. Her right hand is in the gesture of supreme giving, her boundless generosity that ensures eight siddhis and supreme Enlightenment. Graceful and calm, her left hand holds blue lotus, the symbol of protection from all terrors and fears. She has seven eyes of Knowledge – three on her face, two on her palms of her hands, and two on the soles of feet. This form of Tara is very popular in Mongolia and Nepal. In Nepal she is popularly called Sapta-lochani Tara or Seven-eyed Tara. Her silk robes, scarves, coronet, earrings, necklaces, armbands, bracelets, anklets and belt sparkle in their celestial elegance.

In mantra recitation and meditation, the white syllable Tam (for Tara) appears in the heart, and lights emanate forth from it. The syllable Tam at the heart suddenly melts and reappears as a white, eight-spokes wheel that in nature is the wisdom symbolized by White Tara. The wheel has five rims of mantra – from all the letters and from the wisdom-wheel shine forth white lights. Devotee's body is filled with the nectar of immortality, and white lights emanate from each pore of the body to form an aura, a span in radius around him. Meditating thus, white radiance accomplishes the activity of pacifying illness, evil spirits, negative karmic forces, mental obscurations and hindrances as well as the completion of the natural span of life. The ceremonies of Tara are an integral part of Karmpa rituals. Her mandalas are worshipped from the third to ninth of every month. On auspicious days there are special services to White Tara.

Three Cosmic Buddhas have been depicted on the top, they are seated on throne in clouds – Vairochana Buddha (in the left) who is making the teaching gesture, a Buddha (in the center) who is making the earth-witness and refuge-granting gesture, and the Buddha Amoghasiddhi (in the right) whose right hand is in refuge-granting gesture and the left hand is in contemplative gesture. Sadakshari Lokeshvara (four-armed Avalokiteshvara) is depicted on upper right side before a grand shrine. A ferocious dragon has been depicted on the upper left side. At the bottom left and right corners perhaps Marichi and Mahamayuri are seated. The middle and foreground beautifully covered with the figures of high peaks, covered with natural green vegetation, clouds and lake. In the middle of the lake, before the White Tara are auspicious offerings. The thangka is undoubtedly brilliantly drawn and painted. The painting is very much suitable for sadhana of great mother Tara and also for museum collection.

This description by Dr. Shailendra Kumar Verma, Ph.D. His doctorate thesis being on the "Emergence and Evolution of the Buddha Image (From its inception to 8th century A.D)."

Click Here to View the Thangka Painting along with its Brocade

Free Shipping. Delivered by to all international destinations within 3 to 5 days, fully insured.

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.