Collection: Buy Hand Painted Manjushri Thangka Paintings

Who buys a Manjushri thangka, and why

Manjushri is the bodhisattva of wisdom, so his thangka suits people for whom clear thinking matters.

• Students: for a desk, a dorm or a study room. Many families give one at the start of a school year or for a graduation.
• Teachers, writers and researchers: a reminder to keep the mind sharp and honest.
• Practitioners: Manjushri is practiced widely in Tibetan Buddhism, including in monastic study and debate. His mantra is Om Ah Ra Pa Ca Na Dhih.
• Anyone starting a new venture or a hard subject: a symbol of clarity and focus.
• Gift buyers: see our guide to thangka art as a gift for spiritual milestones. Tell us the occasion and we’ll suggest a size.

A thangka supports reflection and practice, and it does not promise particular outcomes, such as exam results.

Choose your Manjushri by budget and size

• From about $75 to $200, a first Manjushri: the small 8" x 10" and 9" x 12" thangkas, and mid-sized 15" x 20", 16" x 20" and 16" x 22" paintings. Compact enough for a desk, a shelf or a study wall. Several come with a brocade mount.
• About $185 to $410, a statement piece: the 17" x 24" thangkas and the larger paintings, with more presence on a wall, and with the sword, the book and the lotus easier to read.
• About $500 and above, the five-forms painting and collector pieces: our most detailed Manjushri paintings, for a shrine room or a serious collection.

Prices on this page change with sales, so check the current price on each product. Use the price and size filters above to narrow the list. Tell us your budget and where it will hang, and we’ll point you to the right painting.

Which composition should you choose?

• The classic two-arm Manjushri: a youthful, golden figure seated on a lotus with the flaming sword raised in his right hand and a book of wisdom resting on a lotus at his left shoulder. The traditional image, and the best first choice.
• The minimalist Manjushri: fewer elements and more space, a clean look for a modern room or a desk.
• Manjushri in a landscape or on a calm lotus seat: a landscape painting adds depth and a peaceful feeling. A lotus seat is simpler and calmer.
• The five forms of Manjushri: one painting shows Manjushri at the center, with four other forms around him in white, blue, red and yellow. It is a rare, more detailed painting for a shrine room, a study or a collection.
• The brocade-mounted thangka: ready for display with the traditional silk border. Why brocade matters in a thangka explains the tradition.

What to look for in a Manjushri painting

• The flaming sword: it cuts through ignorance and illusion. It stands for wisdom, not violence.
• The book on a lotus: the Perfection of Wisdom scripture, the wisdom rooted in compassionate teaching.
• A youthful, golden body and a calm, alert posture: awareness without tension, presence without distraction.
• A lotus seat or a landscape: the setting varies between paintings.
• Blues, golds and warm tones: the transforming light of insight.

Details vary between paintings and traditions. If your practice follows a specific form, tell us and we’ll paint it accordingly.

Manjushri and his fierce form

Manjushri also appears in a fierce form, Yamantaka (or Vajrabhairava), the conqueror of death. If you are drawn to the stronger, wrathful side of his wisdom, see our Yamantaka thangkas.

Buy with confidence

• Painted by hand, never printed, by skilled artists in the traditional Tibetan way. Meet our artists, or see how a thangka is made.
• Blessed by a monk before it leaves our gallery.
• A real gallery and a real address: our gallery is at Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu, and we have been operating since 1976. Read our story.
• Ask us anything before you buy. Message us on WhatsApp, and we’ll answer questions, send close-up photos and recommend a size.
• Shipped worldwide with tracking and insurance, rolled and wrapped in protective silk. See our shipping policy.
• Clear policies. Read our refund policy before you order.
• Easy to verify. Our guide to authentic vs replica thangkas shows how to tell an original from a print.

Can’t find the right one?

We paint to order. Tell us the form, composition, size and mounting you want, and we’ll paint it for you. Start through our commission page, or message us on WhatsApp. For general advice, read how to choose the right Buddhist thangka, or try our Pick Your Thangka guide.

Displaying your thangka

For a study or a desk, hang it at or above eye level, where you will see it as you work. Keep it on a clean wall or altar, never on the floor, and away from bright sunlight, humidity and dust. Our Buddhist altar setup guide shows how to arrange the space.

Explore more

Browse all of our Bodhisattva thangkas, including Avalokiteshvara and Chenrezig, the bodhisattva of compassion, and Green Tara. For the Buddhas, see our Buddha thangka paintings, and for the protectors and deities, our Buddhist deity thangkas.