Abstract

Newars of Kathmandu valley are renowned painters who created the finest paintings not just in valley but in far off locations in Tibet, China and other Asian nations. Newars are not one socio ethnic group but a mix community absorbing all the people who entered the Kathmandu valley. They have produced art of pictorial form called Paubhā, stone images, carving on wood, emboss on brass, cast in bronze, painted mural paintings on the walls, molded terra cotta, made thousands of shrines in Pagodā forms within the valley for a long period of time. In Licchavī period 400 CE to 800 CE, Chinese travelers’ accounts speak of quite eloquent houses in Kathmandu valley which were embellished with both sculptures and paintings. But unfortunately, because of various nature calamities and other disaster most of the old paintings are destroyed.
In the travel account of Huien Tsang, he stated that the houses were made of wood and the walls of these houses were sculptured and painted. In Tibet around 1360 CE to 1450 CE, Newar style of painting was the chief style of Thāngkā painting.

Newar artists took their painting skills to many parts of Asia. Arniko (Anige in China) who was one of the finest artists produced in the Nepal’s soil, created different art works in Tibet and China. His distinct style of painting with the combination of different local style created a new blend of art in Asia at the time of Yuan dynasty. Newar artists had immense influence in Tibetan Paintings which they call it Thāngkā.

Many Newar artists in different periods contributed to development of painting in many parts of Asia. Some of the finest influence of Newar paintings could be found in Mustang of Nepalese Himalayan region, in Tibetan monasteries, in monasteries of Ladakh in India, in many Buddhist monasteries of Bhutan, in many cave monasteries of China specially Mogao and Yulin grottoes in Dunhuang. With all these strong influences of Newar paintings in these important Buddhist sites, it can be concluded that Newar artists’ contribution to the Asia Buddhist Paintings is immense.

Key words: Newar, Paubhā, Pagodā, Arniko, Thāngkā