The art of Thanka Painting is very old and has been practived from the 3rd century BC in Tibet. The word "Thanka" is estimated to have derived from the Tibetan word "thang yig" meaning a written record. Thankas are fine paintings that are made with great care and concentration all by hands. The tradition was not only inside Tibet and the Tibetan community it soon spread to those who adopted Tibetan Buddhism learned this wonderful art so Thakali, Sherpas, Tamangs, Yolmos, Manangeys and Newars started creating the beauty. According to religious culture, Thanka can be stored at room sanctifies worship with holy water mumbling mantras to animate Thankas mystical power and puts kada or khata(two feet long silk cloth) on it. Since then, the devout use to divest its head before it at the time of worship especially in the morning. These paintings are generally colored part Buddhist and Hindu Gods, Goddess, meditating Buddha and its life cycle, Wheel of Life, Mandala, Bhairab, Tara, Exotic photos, etc.
As Thanka ritual paintings are most people have never considered the Thankas as decorative object. But nowadays Thankas are gaining popularity as a decorative element throughout the world. Usually painted on cotton cloth, more rarely on silk, colors are traditionally made from mineral and vegetable dyes, but now a day Tibetan artists also use modern synthetic dyes, silver and gold for better presentation.
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Guru Nagarjuna lived in India 2,000 years ago. Guru Nagarjuna flourished in the second half of the second century of the Christian era. Guru Nagarjuna was a contemporary friend of the Satavahana king Gautamiputra Yajnasri (166 – 196 A.D.). Guru Nagarjuna came from a wealthy Brahmin family from Vidarbha. Guru Nagarjuna went to Nalanda where he became a disciple of the great sage Rahula Bhadra and underwent a thorough training in all five branches of learning.
After his ordination he remained for sometime a monk of Sarvastivada and later changed into Mahayana. In the course of his career as a wandering monk he came across a treatise of Prajnaparamita Sutras. Guru Nagarjuna composed a series of treatise on Madhyamika philosophy based on Prajnaparamita Sutras. His six works on Madhyamika philosophy are well known to the Buddhist world. They are as follows: 1. Mula Madhyamika Sastra, 2. Sunyata Saptati, 3. Yukti Sastika, 4. Vigrahavya Vartani, 5. Ratnavali, 6. Vaidalyaprakaran.
Guru Nagarjuna developed a system of philosophy called Madhyamika based on the Buddha’s original sutras. Guru Nagarjuna expounded the true meaning of Sunyata based on four point analysis (Sanskrit Catuskoti). According to him all the phenomena and the person have no true existence of their own. They are all dependently originated and cannot have their independent existence. To realize Nirvana, according to him is to realize Emptiness in all its depth. Later on his philosophy was nurtured and enhanced by Arya Deva, Chandrakirti, Buddhapalita and Acharya Santi Deva. The Vajrayana doctrine of Nepal is usually based on Madhyamika as well as Yogachakra doctrines.
Guru Nagarjuna is depicted as bodhisattva with nine serpents around his head. Guru Nagarjuna is generally seen in Dharmachakra Mudra i.e. teaching Mudra symbolizing teaching of the doctrine of emptiness to all sentient beings order to eliminate ego grasping. Guru Nagarjuna wears a saffron colored robe and sits on a cushion proper for a dharma master.
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