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Journalism of Courage
CHANDIGARH, Dec 8: A serene figure draped in a maroon robe with a rosary of rudrakshs around his neck sits in a quiet world of his own as he paints a thanka of Gautam Buddha at the ongoing exhibition of Himachal handicrafts, in Lajpat Rai Bhawan here.
The artist is Sonam Tobgyal, a Tibetian monk. The 55-year-old monk took his vows at the age of 12 and at 15 began learning the art which was perfected in the monasteries of Tibet centuries ago. It takes a thanka artist six years just to learn the rudiments and thereafter he works under a guru.
Fixed geometrical patterns characterise the postures in which Gautam Buddha is painted; these patterns are carefully replicated in every painting. "In our times there used to be no scales to sketch the painting and we relied totally on hand measurements," Tobgyal recalled. The colour schemes are also fixed and each colour has its significance. Only colours derived plants or powdered stones are used (a pleasant departure in from the artificial colours that characterise most of modern life).
It’s a painstaking process the painting itself may take weeks to complete and even the preparation of the canvas involves an elaborate technique.
The canvas is stretched on a frame and both sides are covered with a mixture of slaked lime and glue; while the mixture is still wet it is rubbed with a stone to even the surface. After the canvas is dry, it is stretched and tied with threads on a wooden frame. After this, the sketching begins.
"Painting a thanka is not like painting a still-life or a portrait," the monk says in his soft and deliberate voice. To paint a thanka is a meditation and it is intended to guide the viewer in meditation."
