In this Spirit Of Enlightenment Mandala Thangka Painting, the sacred hum symbol is at the heart of this mandala. Thick, white strokes of the brush against a scarlet-colored circlet. Painted in the Tibetan script, it is the final syllable of the Shadakshari Avalokiteshvara mantra, which is extracted from the Mahayana Karandavyuhasootra and is considered the moola (fundamental) mantra of Buddhism. A

Lord Ganesh is one of Hinduism’s most prominent deities. He is the god of new beginnings and the lord who removes obstacles. Because of these, he is often invoked at the beginning of prayers or rituals, or when believers are set to undergo a major milestone and before making life decisions. He is traditionally depicted with an elephant head, often large in the proportion which signifies knowledg

This large size miniature, a contemporary work of art rendered in late Mughal art style of around 1740-50 AD, assimilating into it some Persian art elements too, especially in portraying the topography of the land and in the choice of palette, illustrates the legend of Laila and Majnun, a world-wide known, painted and sung tale of mad love with tragic end. Laila's Watercolor Painting:

Superfine Four-Armed Avalokiteshvara - Tibetan Buddhist Brocadeless Thangka Painting

The ashtabhujadhari Lord Ganesha, the one possessed of (‘dhari’) eight (‘ashta’) arms (‘bhuja’), stands on His short, chubby child’s legs. His adorable elephant head is turned sideways, revealing the lateral profile of His face to view. But for the gold predominating this Tanjore painting, it is a bitone composition in pale pink (the complexion of His form) and scarlet (the solid-col

An image of tender devotion. Lord Hanuman kneels on one knee upon the earth and gathers His hands in the supplicatory namaskaaram. His tail flourishes behind Him as He raises His head towards His beloved Lord Rama, His eyes brimming with the bhakti in His heart. Bhakti, or unconditional love, is the yogamaarga (‘maarga’ is Sanskrit for path) of Hanuman, an accomplished yogi of the finest order

Kat Fedora painting

Ushnishavijaya is one of the three gods of longevity and fulfillment of desire. The other three are Amitayus and White Tara. She is often depicted with eight arms and three heads. Her main face is white while another face is peaceful in gold, the face to her left is blue in a wrathful look. In this thangka, she sits on a moon disk on top of a multi-colored lotus within a stupa or a mound. Stupas a

Mahakala comes from the Sanskrit maha (great) and Kala (death or time) which translates that he is a deity beyond time. In Tibet, he is also called the Nagpo Chenpo, or the Great Black One, and is revered as guardian and protector. He is affiliated with the Hindu god Shiva. According to tradition, he dwells in the cremation grounds. In this thangka, he is depicted with two arms and two legs. On hi

Goddess Durga is a main diety in Hindu Religion. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Her legend centers around combating evils and demonic forces that threaten peace, prosperity, and Dharma the power of good over evil. Durga is believed to unleash her divine wrath against the wicked for the liberation of the oppressed and entails destruction to empower c

The merciless Durga brings the great Mahishasura to His knees. Her simhavahana (lion-mount) has him between its teeth, while the dashabhujadharini (the one possessed of ten arms) push Him down with Her feet and drives the spear end of Her trishoola (trident) into Him. Helplessly, the proud Mahishasura looks up at the feminine victor. The work of art that you see on this page is a pattachitra of th

This exquisite painting displays Krishna’s childhood pastime in the traditional Tanjore style. The precision with which it has been made and the use of vibrant colors makes it appealing and breathtaking. Lord Krishna being the Supreme Lord, appeared just like an ordinary child in Vrindavan but His naughty and uncommon activities were always astonishing for all the inhabitants of Vraja including

Little girl painting with her 2 pups gif

This ovally framed portrait is of the Mughal emperor Shahjahan, the builder of the Tajmahal. He is the only one of the Great Mughals to have lived to the greatest of grandeur and the worst of grief and achieved the highest of glory and the lowest of gloom. This depiction closely represents his likeness, as has been recorded in his contemporary portraits. The National Museum, New Delhi, has in its

In our Shastras, it has been mentioned that there are twelve forms of the Sun known as Adityas and they represent the twelve months in the calendar and twelve aspects of the Golden Deity Sun. As they are 12 in counting, they are referred to as Dvadashadityas. Adityas are basically the monthly Suns which is an ancient word for earth-moon barycentre for a lunar month. In the Rigveda, the Adityas

The unmistakable Tanjore painting is an especial kind of palagai padam (South Indian panel painting). Having originated as icons designed to grace the homes and temples of the wealthy, these works of art depict deities from the Hindu pantheon in all their iconographic beauty and glory. As such, the handpicked Tanjore painting that you see on this page is a collector’s item and would be a valuabl

Lantana painting ?

Tanjore paintings are famous for their unique depictions of devotional icons with pure gold coating and vivid colors. In this painting, Lord Venkateshavara stands straight atop a small elevated platform in His four-armed form (chaturbhuja). He is unprecedently dressed in a perfectly pleated pitambar (bright yellow) dhoti down to His ankles. Between the two fingers of His upper hands, He holds His

Ganesha's timeless appeal has been captured to perfection in this watercolor by artist Tulsi Das Vimbark. From the chubby limbs in their usual stance to the characteristic pot-belly of the indulgent laddoo-lover, this painting inspires a world of affection in the heart of the devotee. Note the soft glow of the skin, the effulgence of the elephant countenance. The golden halo that graces the h

Nevari is the term for the architecture and aesthetics of the Neva people of Nepal. Inhabitants of the Kathmandu valley, the Neva people are known for their love of well-defined lines and solid, statement colours. The thangka that you see on this page is atypical of the Nevari aesthetic. It depicts the seated Shakyamuni in the bhoomisparsha stance. Gautama Buddha is clad in a peach-coloured low-wo

An Avalokiteshvara Thangka Painting such as the one you see on this page would be a valuable addition to the home of any Buddha devotee. It is a skillfully, perfectly symmetrically executed Lokeshvara thangka painting in His traditional iconography. He is the glorious Lokeshvara sahasrabhuja (thousand-armed), the unmistakable aspect of His iconography. Speaking of signature aspects, this is an ima

Lord Varaha, the third of Vishnu’s dashavataras, is the most instantly recognizable of the incarnations. The word ‘Varaha’ is Sanskrit for boar; and while some iconographies feature Varaha as a pig-shaped deity, the painting that you see on this page is of an anthropomorphic boar-headed human-bodied entity. Lord Varaha is possessed of eight arms (ashtabhujadhari) and clad in a flame-colored

A glorious description of Lord Venkateshvara, a form of Bhagwan Vishnu. Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practices and an increase in irreligiosity, the Supreme Lord descends to reestablish Dharma and deliver the impious people. In Kali Yuga, Lord Vishnu appeared in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh in the form of Bhagwan Venkateshvara to attract people to God-consciousness. Today, tho

Kubera is a god-king in Hindu mythology. He is a semi-divine Lord of Wealth among the yakshas or nature spirits in the Hindu tradition. As a part of the Lokapalas, he protects the world and is the governor of the North. These Lokapalas are Guardians of the Directions involving the cardinal ways (north, east, south, and west). In Buddhism, Kubera is called Vaishravana. As evident in this thangka, K

Rendered in Marwar idiom of Rajasthani art style, pursuing the theme, style and everything of an early nineteenth century miniature from Jodhpur, in its exactness except the painting’s size and the background colour of the circle in the centre containing the figures of Radha and Krishna, the painting portrays a grieving Radha for Krishna’s failure to reach there despite the promise he had made