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Nikita Visht

3rd Year, B.com Hons.

9355666925 

nikitavisht@gmail.com

Gangtok, Sikkim

Ralph Waldo Emerson, a famous poet and philosopher once said, “The artist is the ambassador of the spiritual world”, and this holds true in the graceful settings of Sikkim. We all have heard about Sikkim’s beautiful terrain and some fortunate would have travelled to it’s greatest landmark such as Gangtok, Nathula Pass and Ravangla.

But today I would like to shed light on the artists’ hand which, in simplest terms, are used as a tool to express the divine vision. And how the fusion of 3 realms- India, Nepal and Tibet, has given the world a pure art form, a true epitome of tranquillity, elegance and rite.

Thangka Painting were developed alongside Tibetan Buddhist wall paintings which now only survive in a few sites such as the Ajanta Caves in India and the Mogao Caves in China, these caves have very extensive wall-paintings and were the repository for what are now the earliest surviving Tibetan paintings on cloth. 

A thangka is a Tibetan Buddhist painting on cotton or silk, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, scene, or mandala. Traditionally kept unframed and rolled up when not on display, Thangka is mounted on a textile with a further silk cover on the front. They can last a long time, but because of their delicate nature, they have to be kept in dry places where moisture will not affect the quality of the silk.

Traditionally, most thangka artists were monks and the commissioner provided the materials, which were often valuable, and by tradition the compensation to the artist was regarded as a "gift" rather than a fee. The monks considered the whole process of Thangka painting a ritual, supported by numerous rules and regulations which to this day holds true.

Thangka paintings can take anywhere from 6 months to a year to complete, such is the dedication, attention to intricate details and devotion it demands, glimpses of which can be seen through YouTube. Though there are many regulations, which ordinary citizens as us wouldn’t be aware of but to express the process in brief – it starts with using 4 small and big sticks to make the wooden or bamboo frame which supports a clean and raw cotton or silk fabric, devoid of any plastics. After being properly placed together, a mixture of yak leather or fish skin is used to prepare glue, which is equally lathered upon the fabric to prepare it for the painting. After being left in a location avoiding direct sunlight, it is rubbed against stones with the aim to make the canvas look and feel like a drum which upon touching doesn’t make a sound rather a vibration. All the pigments used for the painting are natural and sourced through various object such as – leaves, fruits and many more. There are also rules as to which element of the painting is painted first and last.

The thangkas emerged as profound fusion of the spiritual, artistic, and cultural traditions of India, Nepal, and Tibet during the reign of Tibetan Dharma King Trisong Duetsen, the Tibetan masters refined their already well-developed arts through research and studies of different country's tradition. Thangka painting's lining and measurement, costumes, implementations and ornaments are mostly based on Indian styles. The drawing of figures is based on Nepalese style and the background sceneries are based on Chinese style. Thus, the thangka paintings became a unique and distinctive art.

Over time, these three distinct cultural influences have come together to create a unique and visually stunning art form that continues to captivate audiences worldwide.