Thangka

One of the most important and famous types of Handicraft is Thangka. In Nepali Thangka is pronounced as “ Tangka, Thanka or Tanka”. Thangka is generally known for the painting of god and goddess in a paper or silk with lot of embroidert. Thangka is originally being used first from the Nepal. Thangka is a Nepalese art. It was exported to Tibet after Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal, daughter of King Lichchavi married to Sron Tsan Gampo.

Thangka is a Tibetan silk painting with embroidery, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, famous scene, ormandala of some sort. The thankga is not a flat creation like an oil or acrylic painting. However. It consists of a picture panel which is painted or embroidered over which a textile is mounted and then over which is laid a cover. Generally, thankga last a very long time and retain much of their lustre, but because of their delicate nature they have to be kept in dry places where moisture won't affect the quality of the silk. Thangka painting became popular among traveling monks because the scroll paintings were easily rolled and transported from monastery to monastery. These thangka served as important teaching tools depicting the life of the Buddha. One popular subject is The Wheel of Life, which is a visual representation of the Abhidharma teachings (Art of Enlightenment).

To Buddhists these Tibetan religious paintings offer a beautiful manifestation of the divine being both visually and mentally stimulating.

Devotional images act as the centerpiece during a ritual or ceremony and are often used as mediums through which one can offer prayers.

Tibetan painting had incorporated many elements from the Chinese and during the 18th century, Chinese painting had a deep and far-stretched impact on Tibetan visual art. Thangkas are painted on cotton duct or silk. The most common is loosely woven cotton produced in widths from 40 to 58 centimeters (16 - 23 inches). While some variations do exist, thangkas wider than 45 centimeters (17 or 18 inches) frequently have seams in the support. The composition of a thangka as with the majority of Buddhist art is highly geometric. Arms, legs, eyes, nostrils, ears, and various ritual implements are all laid out on a systematic grid of angles and intersecting lines. A skilled thangka artist will generally select from a variety of predestined items to include in the composition, ranging from alms bowls and animals, to the shape, size, and angle of a figure's eyes, nose, and lips. The process seems very scientific but often requires deep understanding of the symbolism involved to capture the spirit of it. The artist must be properly trained and have sufficient religious understanding, knowledge and background to create an accurate and appropriate thangka.


Whereas typical thangkas are fairly small between about 18 and 30 inches tall or wide, there are also giant festival thangkas usually Appliqué and designed to be unrolled against a wall in a monastery for particular religious occasions. These are likely to be wider than they are tall and may be sixty or more feet across and perhaps twenty or more high.

Types of Thangka

1.  Painted in colors
2.  Appliqué
3.  Black Background
4.  Block prints
5.  Embroidery
6.  Gold Background
7.  Red Background