Goddess Tara Tibetan Buddhist Deity – Wall Hanging Souvenir

Continuing with my series on various souvenirs that I collected from different cities of different countries, this one is about wall hanging Tibetan Buddhist deity Tara Devi, made of brass, a home décor item. Tibet is one country I have wanted to visit for long. The nearest I could get to it was at Golden Temple Tibetan Monastery at Bylakuppe in Coorg Karnataka.

Tibetan Buddhist Deity Wall Hanging Souvenir

Foraging through the knick-knacks in a souvenir shop of Bylakuppe, I lay hands on this palm sized wall hanging mask of a calm serene face. I wondered if it was of Goddess Durga. But on closer look I saw there was just a bindi on the forehead and not the third eye, so obviously not Durga.

I turned to the sales guy for help. He said She is Goddess Tara, the feminine counterpart of the bodhisattva (buddha-to-be) Avalokiteshvara in one breath and turned away to continue his work.

Goddess? Tara is a Goddess?! My mind raced back to college days when I had a friend called Thara. We used to gang up for so called “combined study” when we discussed all things in world (read college) except studies.

One of the topics we discussed then, I recollected, was about meanings of names we and our friends had. Her name had the unusual spelling t-h-a-r-a. “In Sanskrit, the name Thara means Star” she explained. “Oh! I know that, but are you named after any particular star?” I asked, probing further if she knew why her parents named her so.

“I am the star of the house that is why they named me Thara” she replied with a naughty smile. “You never give up any chance to brag do you?” I teased her and we laughed over the discussion.

Green Tara Buddhist deity

“Take it didi (elder sister), it is a beautiful piece. I will give it you for 150INR” the sales guy said, interrupting my walk through the memory lanes of innocent (ignorant) years. “Can you explain a bit more?” I asked.

“This is Green Tara, known for compassion. Good to keep in house for long life, healing and serenity.” he explained.

“Green Tara? And these red and blue beads, do they have any significance?” I questioned.

Google kar lo didi sab mil jaayega (Google it sis, you will get all information)” he said, rushing to close the deal.

I bought without bargaining wanting to hang a piece of Tibetan art at home and probably explain to my friend Thara about this new find some day.

Goddess Tara Tibetan Buddhist Deity

Googling on Goddess Tara threw up loads of information, much more than my mind could comprehend. Sharing some aspects of this which I felt relates to its origin and significance of the souvenir.

Tara originated as a Hindu goddess – the Mother Creator, representing the eternal life force that fuels all life. She, who brings forth life hence known as the Great Compassionate Mother, and the Embodiment of Wisdom! Her symbol is a star.

But in countries like Nepal, Tibet, and Mongolia, She is revered as Tara, Tibetan Sgrol-ma, and Buddhist saviour goddess with numerous forms.

Practitioners of the Tibetan branch of Vajrayana Buddhism look up to Her as a meditation deity to develop certain inner qualities and understand outer, inner and secret teachings about compassion and kindness.

Tibetan art

How to distinguish between Green and White Tara?

First of all did you know there is a White Tara and a Green Tara? Well, I didn’t know. There is also the Red Tara, Yellow Tara, and Blue Tara (based on Tibetan flag colors, except black). Not only that, I read up that one specific school of Buddhism mentions as many as 21 forms of Tara!

In Tibet, Tara is believed to be incarnate in every pious woman. The two wives of the first Buddhist king of Tibet, Srong-brtsan-sgam-po, were identified with the two major forms of Tara. One was a Chinese princess, who is known as White Tara and the other a Nepali princess, who is the Green Tara.

White Tara (Sanskrit: Sitatara; Tibetan: Sgrol-dkar) symbolizes purity. She is often represented standing at the right side of her consort, Avalokiteshvara, or seated with legs crossed, holding a full-blown lotus. She is generally shown with a third eye.

This explains why the souvenir I picked was Green Tara. Had I known the difference I would have searched for wall hanging of White Tara too. The peaceful, compassionate White Tara gently protects and brings long life and peace.

Green Tara (Sanskrit: Shyamatara; Tibetan: Sgrol-ljang) is considered by some to be the original Tara and is the female consort of Amoghasiddhi ( Dhyani-Buddha). She is generally shown seated on a lotus throne with right leg hanging down, wearing the ornaments of a bodhisattva and holding the closed blue lotus. Green Tara is the more dynamic goddess who overcomes obstacles, and saves us from physical and spiritual danger.

If you are intending to buy full length statues look out for the above distinguishing features between the two forms of Tara.

Goddess Green Tara Tibetan Buddhist Deity

Goddess Green Tara Tibetan Buddhist Deity

Red and Blue Beads in Tibetan Art

Most of Tibetan Jewelry use red and blue beads. I picked up one in Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh. Dharamshala is home to the Dalai Lama’s temple outside of Tibet. It is known for its religious iconography and is home to Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama.

All of the colors used in Tibetan art and its rituals convey specific meanings. The five main colors, known as pancha-varna in Sanskrit, mean the Five Pure Lights according to Religion Facts. The colors represent a state of mind, a celestial Buddha, a body part, a part of the mantra word Hum and a natural element.

So here Blue is associated with purity and healing, Akshobhya is the celestial Buddha, Ears are the body part and the associated natural element is air. It is believed, when meditating on this color, anger can be transformed into wisdom.

Red conveys life force and preservation, associated celestial Buddha is Amitabha, the part of the body associated with this color is the tongue and the natural element is Fire. In Buddhism, meditating on the color red transforms the delusion of attachment into the wisdom of discernment.

To know more read here – Meanings of Different Colors in Tibetan Buddhism

Guidelines to place Goddess Tara

For Feng Shui believers there are some guidelines to be followed on how to place the Green Tara symbol. Choose east and southeast area of your house, and a height of at least 3ft. to place the statue/wall hanging. Goddess Tara Tibetan Buddhist Deity should never be placed on the floor, in the kitchen or in the bathroom.

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Goddess Tara Buddhist Deity Tibetan Art Souvenir

Souvenirs from Around the World

In these times of no travel I look back pieces of memories I have collected from the various cities I have travelled to. Yes, I am talking about the souvenirs I have collected during travels. Allow me to transport you to another part of our beautiful world, another era, through the stories of origin of these keepsakes!

Souvenir, in simple words is defined as: a thing that is kept as a reminder of a person, place, or event. First recorded in 1775 as meaning “a remembrance or memory,” the noun souvenir stems from the French souvenir “to remember, come to mind.” A few years later, it took on the sense of “a token” of an event or experience. Opposite is Castaway. Do you collect souvenirs? Do you have a theme for collection? Let me know in comments below.

Revival of Manas National Park by Maozigendri Ecotourism Society
Minature Merlion Statue Souvenir from Singapore

5 Responses to “Goddess Tara Tibetan Buddhist Deity – Wall Hanging Souvenir

  • Thank you for sharing this. I, recently, picked a few Green Tara Devi wall hangings for my loved ones(&me) from Sikkim as I couldn’t take my eyes off that beautiful piece. I didn’t find such precise information anywhere until I landed here. It’s beautifully & concisely written.

    Keep traveling & keep writting. Wishing you good luck.

  • Nice way of describing Buddhism, Yes Tara Goddess is a feminine counterpart of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. I love this article so much thank you for writing such a nice and informative article. Hope to see more articles on Buddhism in the coming days.

  • An amazing story – and some amazing pieces for sure. I love the elaborated little bust, however, also the jewelry is truly beautiful. The significance of colors – and also forms – in different cultures is just fascinating.

  • I found this really interesting & you have inspired me to learn more about the meaning of my travel souvenirs. It is fascinating to hear how involved the types of Tara are & how important the colour of the stones are (my 2 favourite colours as well!). Finally to hear about where you hang her for best effect – all things I would not even have thought of.

  • What a fun story about the Goddess Tara and her being the star of the house! I would never have known that a Tara goddess souvenir could come in so many colours. And that each colour has a different meaning. I would certainly have to make sure I hung it in the right place!

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