Vajrakumara (Vajrakila)

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With his two principal hands Vajrakumara or Vajrakila rolls the phurpa between his palms-an ancient Tibetan method of casting a curse upon an enemy. That this was very likely a pre-Buddhist practice is indicated by the above mantra, used by the Kagyupas in some of their religious ceremonies.

Vajrakumara appears here with three faces, four legs, and six arms. All his faces are three-eyed. His consort lifts a skull cup in her left hand, offering sips of its elixir to her lord, and holds a vajra chopper in the right hand, out of sight behind his neck. She wears a leopard-skin skirt. Both are adorned with the ornaments typical of the fierce deities and stand on symbolic conquered deities of ignorance lying on the decorated sun disc above the lotus pedestal. Of these prostrate figures one is male and the other female. A vajra can be seen peeping out from above his five-skull crown.

The twisting and blazing fiery aureole surrounding him is also described as kalagni, meaning the 'fire of time'. Literally it is the 'fire at the end of time', according to Buddhist ideals, the ultimate conflagration of the universe at the end of this aeon.

The aureole flames are drawn with much grace and expression of movement, the flames curl to one side and leap out at the other. This transverse movement of the flames enhances the dynamic body posture of Vajrakumara, full of vitality and movement.

His eyebrows too are like small flames, and his beard is made of golden hook like shapes.

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

References:

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.