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.
Our Thanka Art Gallery has the best collection of Newari and Tibetan Guru Tilopa Thanka Paintings for Online Sale.
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Tilopa (988-1069) was born a brahmin in India, but he renounced the world while still quite young to become an ascetic. After a short period, he had a vision of a dakini who gave him an explicit tantric initiation that connected him directly with the Void. She enjoined him to throw away his monk's robes, to act spontaneously and to practice in secret.
He became a wandering yogi and received instructions from several siddhas. In Bengal he spent twelve years earning his living by producing oil from sesame seed during the day, and working in the service of a prostitute by night, thus abjuring completely his brahmin status. (Tilopa was named for the til or sesame seed.) Later on, meditating in seclusion in a tiny grass hut, he came face-to-face with the form of Buddha Vajradhara. The Kagyu denomination holds the Mahamudra teachings that were received directly from Vajradhara via Tilopa.
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