Painting is an integral part of society signifying social relationships of people, projection of socio-culture and one such form that is nestled in the laps of Sikkim is Thangka painting, popularly known as “virtual image of Lord Buddha”. Commonly painted by the Buddhist monks for propagation of Buddhist religion and its teachings. It is also a revival of holy paintings and passing of the same tradition, preservation of relics, and an image of the life of Lord Buddha. Transition has also been witnessed, from monks to common people, and from exclusiveness of male and one community to inclusiveness of female and others. This paper employed narrative-interpretive qualitative method by locating history of Thangka painting, rules, and norms of enrolment in Thangka institutes, iconography, and its transition from exclusivity to inclusivity.
