Mandala Publishing, a branch of multimedia publishing company Insight Editions LP, released two new poster collections on April 14 that illuminate some of the sacred and elaborate stories of Buddhism and Hinduism.
Celestial Gallery: The Poster Collection, Volume I contains 40 posters painted by artist Romio Shrestha, who specializes in the sacred artwork of Tibetan Buddhist. His paintings, according to Mandala Publishing, are intended to invite viewers into meditation and reflection.
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The other poster collection, Gods in Print: The Krishna Poster Collection, draws from another Mandala Publishing book on Indian mythological art and also features 40 removable posters painted by various artists.
These paintings are a feast for the eyes, bringing to life the stories of Vishnu, Rama, the Buddha and more. See a sampling of the posters below, with captions from Mandala Publishing's original hardcover books.
Radha and Krishna as a Couple
Gods in Print: The Krishna Poster Collection
Indra Sharma, photo-offset lithograph, 1960s, S. S. Brijbasi and Sons, Mathura. Indra Sharma depicts Radha and Krishna in a forest grove at a moment of intimate embrace. Sharma accentuates the principal figures and adds animal witnesses. Reprinted from Gods in Print: The Krishna Poster Collection. Published by Mandala Publishing. Illustrations copyright © 2015 by Mandala Publishing. All rights reserved.
Shri Vishnu
Gods in Print: The Krishna Poster Collection
Lithograph, c. 1920s, Ravi Varma Press, Malavli. In myth, Vishnu rises up from the milk ocean. Here, he stands on a globe emerging from the ocean with the outline of the Indian subcontinent visible.Reprinted from Gods in Print: The Krishna Poster Collection. Published by Mandala Publishing. Illustrations copyright © 2015 by Mandala Publishing. All rights reserved.
Rama, Ruler of Ayodha
Gods in Print: The Krishna Poster Collection
B. G. Sharma, gouache on board, 1960s, Sharma Picture Publications, Bombay (Mumbai). Rama, lord of Ayodha, stands centermost, flanked by wife Sita and brother Lakshmana, while Hanuman kneels in respectful adoration below. Reprinted from Gods in Print: The Krishna Poster Collection. Published by Mandala Publishing. Illustrations copyright © 2015 by Mandala Publishing. All rights reserved.
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Buddha Sakyamuni
Romio Shrestha/Celestial Gallery: The Poster Collection, Volume I
"Be a light unto yourself," Buddha Sakyamuni declared at the end of his life. "Become a Buddha, an awakened being," he urged, "but never a blind follower of tradition."Reprinted from Celestial Gallery: The Poster Collection, Volume I. Illustrations by Romio Shrestha. Published by Mandala Publishing. Copyright © 2015. All rights reserved.
The Wheel of Deluded Existence
Romio Shrestha/Celestial Gallery: The Poster Collection, Volume I
Commonly referred to as the "wheel of life," this classical image from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition depicts the realms of existence associated with the unenlightened state."As long as our actions are dominated by anger, ignorance, and pride, we are lost in a world of illusions, spinning in an endless cycle from which we will not escape." - Romio Shrestha.Reprinted from Celestial Gallery: The Poster Collection, Volume I. Illustrations by Romio Shrestha. Published by Mandala Publishing. Copyright © 2015. All rights reserved.
Chintamani: The Jewel of Abundance
Romio Shrestha/Celestial Gallery: The Poster Collection, Volume I
Tibetan iconographical sources list seventy-five forms of Mahakala, a wrathful deity who guards the Buddhist path of wisdom and compassion. In this thangka, Mahakala manifests holding a flaming chintamani, or "wish-fulfilling jewel." In Buddhist mythology, the chintamani refers less to the fulfillment of worldly hopes than to the jewel of enlightened consciousness that exists within all beings. "When you seek prosperity for all of humanity, the realm of Chintamani Mahakala opens before you, offering an abundance of wish-granting jewels. When you seek wealth only for yourself, you compete against all other human beings." - Romio Shrestha.Reprinted from Celestial Gallery: The Poster Collection, Volume I. Illustrations by Romio Shrestha. Published by Mandala Publishing. Copyright © 2015. All rights reserved.
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The Vision of Selflessness
Romio Shrestha/Celestial Gallery: The Poster Collection, Volume I
Sitting on the spheres of sun and moon supported by a blossoming lotus, Avalokiteshvara, the "bodhisattva of great compassion," wears the silk robes and jeweled ornaments of a bodhisattva, a celestial being who returns to the world to bring others to the realm of the enlightenment. "Avalokiteshvara, the most important of the bodhisattvas, leads us to realize that everything that has happened in our lives, whether directly or indirectly, is the result of our aspirations. We create our own reality." - Romio Shrestha.Reprinted from Celestial Gallery: The Poster Collection, Volume I. Illustrations by Romio Shrestha. Published by Mandala Publishing. Copyright © 2015. All rights reserved.
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