Sikkim, India
Thangka
Thangka is a Tibetan Buddhist scroll painting depicting deities, mandalas, and scenes from Buddhist cosmology. Created according to strict iconometric rules using mineral pigments and gold, Thangkas serve as meditation supports, teaching tools, and ritual objects.
History
The Story Behind the Art
Thangka painting has origins in the 11th century CE, developed as Buddhism spread from India across the Himalayas. The paintings serve as portable temples — rolled up for transport and unrolled for worship.
Thangka arrived in Sikkim with Tibetan monks in the 17th century. The tradition is inseparable from Buddhist practice — Thangka painters undergo years of training in both technique and religious iconography.
Today, Thangka painting is practised across Himalayan India — Sikkim, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Arunachal Pradesh — as well as in Nepal and Tibet.
Techniques
How It Is Made
Thangka paintings are created on cotton or silk treated with chalk and gum. Mineral pigments — including lapis lazuli, malachite, and cinnabar — are ground to fine powder and mixed with a natural binder. Gold is used extensively for outlines.
The painting process follows strict iconometric guidelines. Each deity has specific proportions, gestures, colours, and attributes that the artist must follow precisely.
Materials Used
- •Cotton or silk canvas treated with chalk and gum
- •Mineral pigments (lapis lazuli, malachite, cinnabar)
- •Gold for outlines and decoration
- •Fine brushes of varying size
- •Natural gum binder
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