Six-Armed Mahakala

$275
Item Code: ZE65
Specifications:
Black-ground Tibetan Buddhist Thangka Painting With 24 Karat Gold
Dimensions 1.5 ft X 2.1 ft
Handmade
Handmade
Free delivery
Free delivery
Fully insured
Fully insured
100% Made in India
100% Made in India
Fair trade
Fair trade
Mahakala is the wrathful manifestation of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. He is one of the main deities of Tibetan Buddhism, and is considered both a meditational deity, or yidam, and a protector deity. Following his practise would result in reaching two goals: the excellent goal, meaning that the practitioner becomes a Buddha; and the common goal, meaning that Mahakala would remove obstacles, grant knowledge and fulfil wishes.

There are seventy-five forms of Mahakala, each with a different origin and a different name. Included among them are thirteen Six-Armed Mahakalas, each with a slightly different sadhana. The Six-Armed Mahakala is especially powerful in his ability to destroy or conquer enemies.

The Six-Armed Mahakala has one head with three bulging eyes. His face is fierce, with an open mouth and bared fangs, and he wears a five-skull crown. There is a small snake in his golden, upswept hair, his eyebrows are like small flames, and his beard is made of hooklike shapes. In his upper right hand he holds a rosary of human skulls and his lower right hand holds a drum. His two main hands hold a chopper and a blood-filled skull cup. His upper left hand holds a vajra goad, and the lower left hand holds a vajra lasso. He wears many ornaments on his body, and a necklace of fifty freshly severed human heads, each with a different face. A tiger skin is around his waist.

To indicate that he overcomes obstacles, Mahakala stands upon Ganesha, the king of obstacles, who has a human body, and an elephant head with an open mouth.

The painting is a beautiful black thangka with fine gold lines. The black color here reflects the ultimate reality, voidness, the Truth Body of enlightened beings. Such paintings are utilized especially for depicting wrathful deities and exude great mystery. The images themselves, though very expressive and powerful, are extremely delicate and well drawn.

Mahakala is surrounded by his five main attendants. In the upper right corner can be seen Tra Kshad, wearing a long silk robe, riding a horse and holding a spear and a skull cup. In the upper left corner is Jinamitra, holding a noose.

In the lower left corner is Takkiraja, holding a drum, in the bottom centre is Kshetrapala, sitting on a black bear and holding a vajra chopper and a skull cup. In the lower right corner can be seen Palden Lhamo, riding her characteristic mule.

A Thangka is a painted banner, which is hung in a monastery or a family altar and carried by lamas in ceremonial processions. In Tibetan the word 'than' means flat and the suffix 'ka' stands for painting. The Thangka is thus a kind of painting done on flat surface but which can be rolled up when not required for display.

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This description by Nitin Kumar, Executive Editor, Exotic India.

References:

Beer, Robert. The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1999.

Chakraverty, Anjan. Sacred Buddhist Painting. New Delhi: Roli Books, 1998

Fisher, Robert E. Art of Tibet. London: Thames and Hudson, 1997.

Getty, Alice. The Gods of Northern Buddhism. New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal, 1978.

Lipton, Barbara, and Ragnubs, Nima Dorjee. Treasures of Tibetan Art: Collection of the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.

Pal, Pratapaditya. Art of Tibet. Los Angeles: The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1990.

Rhie, Marylin M. & Thurman, Robert A.F. Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of Tibet. London: Thames and Hudson, 1996.

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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