The Newar Craftsmen of Kathmandu Valley: Objects of Devotion from Nepal

Green Tara
Mineral pigments on primed cotton
By Purna Heju
12” x 8”
Based on an original painting dated 1260-1290
1987

Tara is a female celestial bodhisattva still worshiped across the Himalayan region. Like the bodhisattva Padmapani Lokeshvara, from whom she is an emanation, she seeks without respite to liberate others from suffering and danger. Tara holds a lotus stalk in her left hand as she bestows blessings from her right hand. Atop the shrine in which she sits are three Buddhist stupas. Her placement in an elaborate throne, with its real and mythological animals, is a traditional feature of Newar painting. Like Newari artists throughout history, Purna Heju has drawn his inspiration from an ancient source.