THANKAS OF THE HIMALAYAS
Speciality Of: Himachal Pradesh
The monasteries of Kinnaur,
Lahaul and
Spiti and other areas have an amazing
collection of religious manuscripts, scriptures and paintings known as "thankas".
"Thankas" is the name given to the paintings on cloth and are
believed to ward off the "evil eye", malificent influences and
prevent diseases and mental depression.
The History Of Thankas
The "thankas" were brought to these districts by the Buddhist
missionaries from the Indian plain,
Kashmir ,
Tibet and other neighbourig countries. Although these are now hung in
temples, their name indicates that they were rolled and carried by
travelers too privide protection from evil spirits or were used by
minstrels to illustrate the episode they were describing. These paintings
are a regular feature of any monastery and are found in abundance in the
Ki-monastery of
Spiti.
The Themes And Inspirations Thankas are traditional scroll
paintings drawn on cloth with wonderful compositions of geometrical
arrangements known as "Mandalas" and are steeped in oriental
tradition. "Mandalas" are cosmic symbols whose strict
geometrical structure displays the order of the cosmos.
These Buddhist religious "thankas" generally depict "Jataka"
tales, which recount the events of the past lives of Buddha. In these
paintings Buddha, 'Bodhisattavas' and other divinties are portrayed with
impressive retinues or acolytes.
In other representations these deties dominate the composition and are
shown as choir in their own paradise. The essential schemes of these
paradises also are defined by a literature dedicated to them.
For doing these paintings craftsmen were trained as apprentices in
monasteries where they worked mainly by copying well-known images of the
scenes and the deities. These craftsmen seldom singed their name. Hence
they are anonymous.
Terrifying scenes portraying disintegrating bodies ejecting blood,
skeletons, dead creatures and various mutilations of the body. "Tantric
thankas" depict "Siddhas", gods, goddesses, demons, "apsaras",
and "yoginis" in various yogic postures.
A Peculiar Method
The material used for painting a "thankas" is usually coarse
woolen cotton. Silk, however, is preferred for important subjects. The
process of doing this painting is quite lengthy and time consuming.
The fabric for painting is stretched on a wooden frame and a coat of
thin, starchy paste made of animal glue and talcum powder, is spread over
the surface to fill into the texture and block up the holes. As the paste,
dries, the artist rub the cloth with a flat stone to smoothen the surface.
The outline of the figure and the subject to be represented are sketched
on chbarcoal on the surface. The drawing always begin with the central
figure which represents the focal point of composition. After this various
colours are applied over these drawings with a brush. The main colour used
is the gold colour, which is widely used for representing garments or for
the emblems of the deities represented.
The Colour Scheme
An impressive feature of these paintings is the unique colour scheme by
which the deity is represented. Inwhite while a combative and terrifying
aspect is depicted by red or dark - blue colour. Even the Buddhas and
Bodhisattavas and other divinities have a particular of their own.
Panitings are mounted on the walls of the monastery in accordance with
certain Buddhist rules.
