GREEN TARA (Newari style) Card, by Robert Beer

GREEN TARA (Newari style) Card

by Robert Beer

(Tibetan: Drolma Jang) This exquisite modern painting was made by the young contemporary Nepali artist Sundar Singwal of Kathmandu. The painting is a copy of a famous early masterpice which is now commonly know as the 'Cleveland Tara', as it is housed in the Cleveland museum in the USA. This painting is attributed to brilliant young thirteenth century Newar artist named Aniko, who was appointed master artist to the court of Kablai Khan in China when he was only eighteen years of age. Aniko was an eastern counterpart of Leonardo da Vinci, with an amazing ability and techincal dexterity. Amongst his many achievements was the construction of a transparent human model showing all of the median nerves employed in acupuncture- a feat which the Chinese masters believed was impossible.

Green Tara- the female bodhisattva of love and compassion- is depicted upon a moon disc and lotus throne, positioned above a highly ornate animal throne dispalying the gargoyle-like heads of lions and elephants. Behind her body is her 'throne of enlightenment'- consisting of two elephants which support two creatures known as Shabara (a hybrid formed from a lion, horse and ram); cross-bar; two Makara or 'crocodiles'; and the Kirtimukha or 'face of majesty' which is depicted devouring a serpent above her head. Behind the enlightenment throne and its aureole or torana is a highly ornate temple with a forest of khadira or acacia trees in the background- identifying this form of Green Tara as Khadiravani Tara, or 'Tara of the acacia forest'.