Tibetan Stone and Rock Carvings: Tibet is in rich repositories of culturally significant stone and rock carvings. When you are travelling in Tibet, you will find stone and rock carvings everywhere. Such images include those of animals, human figures, gods, plants, utensils, buildings, symbols, and natural objects. About 80 per cent of old rock carvings of animals and hunting scenes and the daily life of the nomadic people.
Ritu Rock Carving Site, Yaowangshan Rock Carving Site, and Zaxi Cave Rock Carving Site are three Tibetan rock carvings sites. Ritu Rock Carvings site in the Ngari area boasts hundreds of rock carvings, whose contents include hunting activities, war and fighting, religious ceremonies, and dancing scenes. The major colour there is red. The style is characterized by simple compositions drawn using simple techniques. Yaoshanwang Rock Carvings site is in the Yaowangshan Mountains near Lhasa. The rock carvings have been produced mostly in modern times. The images are mostly religious figures. Zaxi Cave Rock Carvings are found on the east side of Namtso Lake in the Nagqu area. These carvings are found in eight natural caves. Most of the carvings are coloured in red. There are images of animals, human, sun, and pagodas.
Black stone can be found in the homes of many ordinary Tibetans because it is seen as a propitious stone capable of driving away evil and attracting good fortune. Such stones are not very expensive as they are carved by machine. The most common rock carvings are Mani stones. The subjects of Mani stone carvings are usually sutras, designs, Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas. Sometimes the images are carved at the request of the relatives of the dead people to release souls from purgatory. Usually, the contents are decided by a Shaman. Mani stone carving differs significantly from place to place. Those from western Tibet are said to have an elegant flavour, while those in eastern Tibet have an air of antiquity.
