People starting out with Himalayan art often ask whether their first thangka should be a mandala or a deity painting.

A mandala is a geometric picture of an enlightened world, usually a circle inside a square with a gate on each side. It suits modern homes and offices because it feels balanced and calm, and many people use it as a focus for meditation. A deity thangka, like Buddha Shakyamuni, Green Tara or Chenrezig, is more personal and is usually chosen for daily practice or devotion.

There is no wrong choice. Go with the one you feel drawn to, and check for clean linework and natural colours. To see both kinds side by side, Buy authentic thangka painting has a wide range of hand-painted mandalas and deity paintings from Nepal.