Welcome to Thangka.ws, site dedicated to Tibetan Thang Ka.

According to historical records, around the seventh or eighth century A.D. Thangka drawings began to be made in Tibet. This approach stems from Indian storytelling, where the image from which the story was told is vertically suspended, to visually assist in the story-telling. Some Thangka paintings seem to also be influenced by Han art effects.

The vast majority of Thangka expresses various themes in Tibetan Buddhism. The manner of its display directly reflects the Buddhist ceremony, such as when closing the painting, rules must be followed to roll the scroll from the bottom up. Otherwise, any other method would be regarded as blasphemy.

For Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns alike, Thangka is regarded as an essential tool during religious practice. Worship Thangka could earn merit while observing Thangka would evoke associations of Buddhist teachings. Similarly, at home, the faithful would invite the painter to create a Thangka for worship. Some would also personally paint and dedicate it to the monastery temple as decoration. The most spectacular can be found in monasteries during festivals and religious assemblies when monks bring out their collection of Thangka for public display as a demonstration of the glory of the great Buddha. They would also give speeches along with singing and dancing, creating an occasion of magnificence of solemnity. Normally the Thangka used for indoor worship is generally not more than one meter in length. However those used for public display when opened in full can completely cover one side of a mountain.