Colourful painted in gold and silver liquids, the thangkas manifest philosophical & spiritual teachings.
Lamas, the Buddhist monks, widely use thangkas in religious ceremonies.
Thangkas origin is based on practical theory. The thangka paintings was invented after metal idols & sculptures of Lord Buddha became too cumbersome for Lamas to carry on long walks while wandering for preaching Buddha teachings. Both for meditation purposes and preaching, the monks indispensably required Buddha images.
In course of exploring ways to keep Buddha images, they invented thangka paintings which are equally or more durable and easier to carry.
Original thangka paintings usually made by Lamas and the spiritual Tibetan monks are expensive by virtue of its time-taking and precious metal like gold and silver used in them.
Religious values apart, the philosophical overtones attach greater importance to these Buddhist paintings.
The thangka paintings are found in nearly all the shops selling curio goods, wood and metal carvings
However, certain areas of Kathmandu with Buddhist concentration like Bouddha,
Patan Durbar Square, Thamel, Patan Industrial Estate, Lagankhel, Jhonche, Swayambhu
are the particular areas where the handicrafts shops offer Thangka paintings.