It’s tough to kickstart the life at a new place, suddenly uprooted from your home and doomed to live rest of your lives in exile. Tibetans have faced this almost 55 years ago and they continue to weave a better life at their new homes in India. Search of Tibetan souvenirs to be taken back home took us to Tibetan Handicraft Society premises located on one end of the main market in Mcleodganj. We had to wait for a while as the manager was away for a work. The collection at the centre was very attractive. While others were busy in their purchases, I went towards a modest workshop adjacent to store, where a few women were busy weaving carpets. Tibetan Handicraft Society was established in 1963 at Mcleodganj near Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh to provide work and income for Tibet...
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Tibetan wood carving is a sublime art. Everything from Dalai Lama’s throne to incense boxes and Chemar bowls, has imprints of it. The signs of art of wood carving can be traced to as far as 7th century Tsuglakghang in Lhasa constructed during reign of King Songtsen Gampo. Wooden table paintings were also unique and popular during those times. That was said to be another branch of Tibetan art. Subjects and pictorial composition of these wooden table paintings are similar to those of thangka paintings. Beautiful wooden engravings have lavishly decorated the columns, beams, doors, windows, cross beam supports etc in Tibetan monasteries and temples. Even shrines, platforms for deities, altars, stupas and other ritualistic objects were usually adorned with wood carvings. It has also been us
Read MoreMandala is a art, a design. But it takes different forms in different references. Mandala is said to be one of the richest visual objects in Tibetan Buddhism. Even on purely art terms it needs high concentration and precision to create such fine and intricate design. The mandala represents an imaginary palace that is contemplated during meditation. Each object in the palace has significance, representing an aspect of wisdom or reminding the meditator of a guiding principle. The mandala's purpose is to help transform ordinary minds into enlightened ones and to assist with healing. Monks at Dalai Lama temple at Mcleodganj near Dharamshala busy in creating a Kalchakra painting through sacred Mandala. Monks rarely like to get photographed during this moment. This is a sand mandala being
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