Indo-Tibetan art in Spiti Valley threatened by changing weather patterns

Changing weather patterns are beginning to leave a mark on the exquisite murals and paintings preserved over centuries in ancient Himalayan monasteries

During a recent journey through Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh, I had the privilege of visiting the ancient monasteries of Tabo, Kyi, Lalung and Komic. These monasteries are the repositories of some incredible murals, stucco statues and tankhas (painted scrolls). They have libraries of ancient Buddhist sutras and philosophical treatises dating back to the medieval period. They are literally the storehouses of classical Buddhist art of exceptional quality, rich in complex symbolism and aesthetic depth. 

The art retains its freshness due to the very dry and cold climate of Spiti, but weather patterns are changing and there is greater moisture in the air and occasional spells of heavy rain. The old monasteries, made of stone, straw and mud, are prone to seepage, and this has damaged some of the murals. There is an urgent need to make a detailed visual record of this art before further damage wipes much of it out of historical record. 

Stone Figure at Tabo with matted curls holding a cluster of babies. Probably a local fertility deity

 

These monasteries were situated strategically along the old India-Tibet trade routes, which accounted for their wealth and for their blend of Indian and Tibetan art forms. One of the wall paintings at the Kyi monastery depicts the distinctive double-humped Bactrian camels, which traversed these ancient caravan routes. The older frescoes and stucco figures date from the 10th century, and reflect Kashmiri and Central Asian art forms. These are more sombre and understated with softer colours. The later ones are from the 15th and 16th centuries, and are reputedly the work of Newari artists of the Kathmandu Valley, who were better known for their more ebullient idiom and rich palette of bright colours and for their mastery of complex iconography. The chronology of art in the monasteries also reflects the sectarian evolution in Buddhism in the Himalayan region. The older forms belong to the period when the Kadampa and Sakyapa sects exercised greater influence. The later forms are reflective of the now dominant Gelugpa, or the yellow hat sect. 

Stucco figures from Lalung

   

Dakini figure in Tsepana Mudra Kyi monastery

 

The upper Himalayan region of Spiti and Kinner were ruled by the Guge kingdom of western Tibet in the 10th and 11th centuries, and this lasted well into the 17th century, when Guge collapsed and fragmented. This is when Spiti and Kinner became principalities under local chieftains. 

Assembly of royal ladies, may be donors to Tabo

   

Abbot of Tabo Dulwa Jangchub from the Guge royal family, an early 11th century mural

 

Vairocana, Tabo

 

The Tabo monastery was built in 962CE by Rinchen Zangpo, on behalf of Yeshe-O, the ruler of Guge, under whom Tibet witnessed a major revival of Buddhism. Rinchen Zangpo was sent to study Sanskrit at Nalanda, and became an accomplished translator and scholar. Since its establishment, Tabo has become one of the oldest continuously operating Buddhist enclaves in India. Its rich display of frescoes have won it the reputation of being the Ajanta of the Himalayas. The main assembly hall, the Tsulakhang, has a statue of the four-faced Vairocana, the Primordial Cosmic Buddha, whose pervading light of wisdom is all encompassing. The wall paintings date back to the 10-11th centuries. There is one of the earliest portraits of Atisha, the famous dean of Vikramshila, who was invited to Tibet by King Yeshe-O to preach Buddhism. Atisha died there in 1054. 

A rare early portrait of Atisha Sri Dipankara, Tabo

 

Another old painting depicts Prajna Paramita, the goddess in esoteric Buddhism, or Vajrayana, who personifies the “Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom”. The iconography is complex with a rich array of symbolic attributes. The goddess has eight arms, each holding specific cosmic attributes. She holds the golden thunderbolt, the Vajra in one hand, and a bow and arrow, respectively, in her left and right hands. The arrow represents penetrating wisdom, Prajna, while the bow to launch it represents Upaya, or the skilful means. 

Vajradhara holding a 5 pronged golden Vajra or thunderbolt in one hand and a Belll in the other, Tabol

   

Prajna Paramita mural, Tabo

 

Another interesting painting is of Mahakala, from a later period, in an adjacent prayer hall at Tabo. He is represented here as a six-armed wrathful deity, said to be a fierce and protective emanation of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Among the cosmic symbols in his hands are the trident, the vajra, the damru (drum) and a kalash, or a pot, holding the nectar of immortality. The colours look fresh and vibrant even after several centuries. 

Six-armed Mahakala, Tabo

 

The Kyi monastery has a portrait gallery of past Panchen Lamas. Some of the paintings are exquisite, with sharp lines and fine coloration. The three most exquisite portraits are of the first Panchen Lama, Khedrup Je (1385-1438), He wears the Gelug Pandita hat with long lapels tucked over his shoulders. His right hand is raised in the vitarka, or teaching, mudra, while a loose-leaf manuscript rests in his lap. 

Another fine portrait is of the fourth Panchen Lama, Lobsang Chokyi Gyaltsen (1570-1662), who is also famed as the teacher of the fifth Dalai Lama. Over his left shoulder one can see the khadga, or the Sword of Wisdom, resting on a lotus. Across his right shoulder is the Prajnaparamita Sutra, the book of wisdom. 

Fourth Panchen Lama Lobsang Chokyi Gyalsen Kyi

 

An unusual portrait is of an Indian master, Bhavaviveka, said to be an early figure in the lineage of the Panchen Lamas, descended from early maha-siddhas, or adepts. His headgear is different, and he wears a gray tunic and an orange cape. 

Indian Mahasiddha Bhavaviveka, pre-incarnation of the Panchen Lama, from Legacy Gallery at Kyi monastery

 

The most interesting and unusually well-preserved among the monasteries is the small chapel-like Lalung monastery. This also dates to the 10th century and was built under the patronage of Yeshe-O. The main hall is compact, but built as a three-dimensional mandala, integrating sculpture and painting. As one enters through a low door, one is struck by the layer upon layer of stucco figures of Bodhisattvas, seemingly emerging from the elaborately painted frescoes on the walls. 

Guru Padmasambhava Lalung

 

At the centre is a statue of Guru Padmasambhava, accompanied by his Tibetan consort, Yeshe Tsogyal, on one side and his Indian consort, the princess Mandarva, on the other. Unusually, behind the image of Padmasambhava is an older image of Sakyamuni. My guide said that Lalung was originally a Kadampa monastery, but later, in the 16th century, was converted to a Nyingmapa centre with Padmasambhava, the founder of the sect, being given pride of place. There is also  an arresting portrait of the White Tara, another goddess who figures in Tantric Buddhism. She is identified by her two eyes and a third eye of wisdom; in addition, she has an eye each on the palms of her two hands and the soles of her two feet. These seven eyes convey that she can see suffering across the universe and spreads compassion in all directions. 

White Tara, Lalung

 

These ancient monasteries have preserved some of the exquisite art dating back several hundred years. They constitute a pictorial history of India at the cross-roads of ancient caravan routes criss-crossing the forbidding Himalayan landscape. They are testimony to the cultural efflorescence that took place in the long years when people across geographies and cultures interacted with each other, when ideas travelled across distant lands and stimulated new thinking, new perspectives on life and new forms of artistic expression. This is part of our heritage, which must be preserved and cherished. 

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The writer is a former foreign secretary and a regular visitor to the mountains