Tibetan Buddhist Yamantaka Ekavira (Vajrabhairava) - Large Brocadeless Thangka

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Yamantaka is known as the wrathful form of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of wisdom. Yamantaka is a Dharmapala or a wrathful deity and is called Vajrabhairava in Sanskrit. In traditional depictions, he is pictured with nine faces with a topmost face showing Manjushri (and a red face below it). The faces have three eyes each, symbolizing his power to see the past, present, and future. Manjushri is also known as the lord of terminating death, a goal in the life of Buddhists to break the cycle of samsara or rebirth, only then can enlightenment be achieved. This Yamantaka Ekavira appears in the solitary form.

The thirty-four hands hold symbolic objects and symbols in each. He is depicted with sixteen legs. His skin is blue to symbolize the never-ending Dharma. The central pair of hands are seen wielding a curved knife (to cut materialism) and a skull cap (to drink for bliss or enlightenment). He also holds elephant skin as a sign of victory against small-mindedness. Some of the objects in his set of hands-on his right side include a dart to pierce through conception, a pestle (to destroy degenerated thinking), an arrow (to shoot pain of preconception), a hook (to keep evil at bay), a skull-club (to remove obstacles), among others. Meanwhile, some of the hands-on the left side of his body include head of Brahma (work with compassion), a leg of a man (walking through enlightenment), a bell (symbol for wisdom), and a hand of a man (symbol to perform the four acts). The beings trampled on by his right foot represent the eight siddhis, while the ones stepped on by the left foot represent the eight powers. He steps on beings but it does not mean that he takes lives, it means that he can bring the world under his control. His aura of flames also represents wisdom. At the bottom is Mahakala, a form of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion. Meanwhile, the one the right is the protector of Vajrabhairava Tantras, wielding a bone stick and lasso and enjoined by consort Chamundi, both of whom are atop a buffalo. These deities are protectors of the Gelugpa school of Buddhism.

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Item Code: TZ93
Specifications:
Tibetan Thangka Painting
Dimensions 29 inch x 39 inch
Handmade
Handmade
Free delivery
Free delivery
Fully insured
Fully insured
100% Made in India
100% Made in India
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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