With its variety of geographical and cultural zones, Kinnaur (Himachal Pradesh) is one of the most fascinating regions of India. Enclosed between the Greater Himalaya and the Zaskar, Nako lies at an altitude of 3600 m, and at 1000 m above the Spiti River it is the highest village in the region (D.Sanan, 1998; map).
The Chos-khor (sacred compound) comprises 4 important temple buildings with historically significant paintings and sculptures from the beginning of the 12th century (Lo-tsa-ba lHa-khang - T1 on the map, lHa-khang gong-ma - T2, rGya-phag-pa - T3, dKar-chung - T4). Grouped around a roughly rectangular courtyard, the evolutionary history of the monuments and the function and chronology of the complex remain to be studied.
The massive cube-like shape of the single constructions is in the
tradition of Western Tibetan temple architecture, a form that was
evidently an adaptation to the harsh climate.
The single narrow doors
are the only articulation in the wall structure to admit daylight, revealing a sacred space of incredible richness and colourful
splendour. The structures are now in a fragile condition and their
preservation is urgent.
One of the two oldest monuments of the sacred compound (early 12th century) is the Main Temple (gTsug-lag-khang) or Lo-tsa-ba lHa-khang, which one assumes refers to the Great Translator, Rinchen Bzangpo (958-1055). The apse of the simple, spacious interior is occupied by clay sculptures of the five Jina Buddhas with Vairocana in the centre. One large painted mandala covers each side wall to the north and south. The Upper Temple (lHa-khang gong-ma) from the same period preserves a number of distinctive artistic features, such as the careful depiction of architectural ornament. The depictions of the 8 Bodhisattvas on the main wall display an ambivalent approach toward pictorial space: The sacred realm of the deities is defined by an illusionistic architectural structure as well as the two-dimensional hieratic throne frame. This artistic mode allows compositions that incorporate both temporal and spiritual space.
The sophisticated art and architecture of Nako evolved from the Kashmiri sphere of influence, having adapted to Indo-Tibetan iconography and aesthetics. The artistic evolution of Western Tibetan style from the 10th to 13th c. points to a phenomenon of regional unification. From the early 11th century, both wall paintings and book illustrations display evidence of common stylistic features: Dungkhar (near Tholing) and the Alchi school of painting are the latest achievements of this development (D. Klimburg-Salter 1997 / 2002). In Nako, fully developed artistic themes are found, such as the depiction of celestial spaces filled with light using brilliant and intensive colours. In the Lo-tsa-ba lHa-khang, the use of gold (tib: gser, skt: suvarṇ "good" "gold colour") on pastiglia-relief in the mandalas is further evidence of this tendency. On a symbolic level, gold is the colourless light and represents the absolute consciousness and complete dissolution of the mirage of existence (G.Tucci 1949).
The Nako paintings are also important as documents of material
culture in their depictions of architecture, donors, costumes, and
textile motifs. The ornament of the exquisite textile depictions on
the ceilings and in the wall paintings can be related
to the art of Tabo
during the Renovation Phase (1042), and to the newly excavated mChod-rten
in Tholing (mTho-gling, today within the borders of Chinese Tibet) from
the same period, as well as to the Dung-dkar caves (around 1200, Chinese
Tibet). Some of the panels show depictions of printed cotton cloths and
luxurious textiles like silk brocades. The great variety of textile
depictions and their careful rendering provide evidence of the use
of sumptuous garments in the dressing of Buddhist temples, as well
as the cultural and economic transfers along the trade routes. These
features in the art of Nako clearly indicate the regional impact of
the rich and diverse Western Tibetan culture. The study of ornaments - subject of this author's ongoing research ( see overview of research interests on the FSP-homepage) - provides a vast material for the analysis of cultural transmission in terms of motifs and surface patterns. However, there exists a wide range of varieties of ornamental language in the Western Himalayan region which differs profoundly in function, meaning as well as aesthetic values. A future task of
collaborative and interdisciplinary investigations will be to
reconstruct the process of adaptation of the Kashmiri, North-West Indian,
and Central Asian traditions to the unique needs of the newly founded
Buddhist monasteries and their Tibetan patrons in the Western Himalaya.
Due to massive destruction by the Red Guards in Tibet, the tradition of Buddhist Mahayana that once flourished in India and Tibet is almost lost today. There is therefore an urgent need to preserve the heritage of Nako as a rare example of this historical period in the Western Himalaya.