The Radiant Dukar Thangka: A Sacred Shelter of Compassion

This thangka depicts the White Umbrella Covered Buddha Mother (Sanskrit name Sitatapatra), also known as the Green Umbrella Covered Heavenly Maiden. The white goddess in the picture has a slightly angry expression on her face, with a magic eye painted on each palm of her hand, symbolizing her supreme wisdom and the powerful power to protect sentient beings, seated majestically within a moon disc upon a lotus. The artwork is painted on a traditional fabric canvas, featuring beautiful, vibrant colors. The primary palette leans towards serene greens in the background, contrasting beautifully with the colourful hues of Dukar and her aura, creating an atmosphere of calm and divine power.

At the center of the thangka, Dukar, the White Umbrella Goddess, radiates divine serenity with her calm expression and multiple arms gracefully unfurling like a sacred umbrella. Each hand cradles symbolic objects—though delicately abstracted—hinting at her boundless power to protect and nurture. The backdrop of stylized blue mountains and drifting clouds frames her celestial presence, creating a sense of otherworldly tranquility.

Every element here speaks to Dukar’s role as a universal guardian: her many arms symbolize limitless compassion, while the white umbrella she embodies offers refuge from fear and adversity. Rooted in Tibetan Buddhist tradition, this thangka serves as a sacred tool for meditation and ritual, embodying the profound teachings of mantra recitation and the pursuit of inner peace.

     The colors used in the thangka painting are sourced from minerals like lapis lazuli for blue, cinnabar for red, and malachite for green. These minerals are ground into fine powders and mixed with animal glue to form a vibrant medium.