Thangka art is an ancient form of scroll painting originated in Tibet. It consists of the painting and the brocade. Thangkas are usually made to visualise buddhist scriptures. This visualisation helps in various dharma practices and meditations. One crucial aspect of thangka is that it should be as accurate as mentioned in the scriptures, any inconsistency will hamper in a practitioner's growth in the dharma practice and meditations. A problem that plagues the modern society of buddhism is the availability of a correct visualisation of Thangka figures. There is an abundance of thangkas that is a copy of a copy which is commercialised to meet the demands. So to be a master artist in Thangka one must also have good knowledge of reading and deciphering buddhist scriptures wich takes more than 6 years to complete and couple more years to master and more years to develop specialisations and so on.

Khandu Wangchuk is an ordained monk of Pemayangtse Monastery, where he studied scriptures at a young age. He was also schooled in formal education in Senior Secondary School, Pelling but only till grade 6. Khandu Wangchuk completely his studies of the Thangka Arts under Shri Phunstok Sangpo and was a master by the age of 21. He also briefly trained under another artist called Shri Zapa Acho, who was a master artist of Tsangri style but of a slightly different variation. Khandu Wangchuk Bhutia was also specialised in the Terser traditions at the early ages. His terser Thangkas are donned in various Dharma centers of H.H. the Kyabje Dudjom Rimpoche around the world. He is well known for his thangka called the Terser Chokshing (Terser Refuge tree) which is an important Thangka for Terser practitioner.

Some were of middle class while most were of low income families from Sikkim and the neighbouring regions. He provided free lodging and fooding and taught them completely out of his own pocket. He continues it to this day, although the alias Khanchendzonga Handicraft Center was stopped around 2012 he teaches them as proteges. He has also taught many student under various government schemes like the Guru Shishya Parampara, but thoses were of maximum 6 months, and the students were taught mostly fundamentals. But those students have utilised the skills gain for various of their own projects. He lived a measly life spending most of his income on providing a reliable environment to nurture the growth of thangka artists. Over the years he has taught well over 350 student who are all established artists around the world. One notable student of his is Yeshey Zangpo Bhutia who is now the successor of the thangka style, lived as protege under Khandu Wangchuk for a good 16 years absorbing everything that he could making him a Thangka Master of his own right. Yeshey Zangpo started on his own as a Thangka Master in 2006 and went on to recieve the National Award in 2008 by the Ministry of Textiles. Khandu Wangchuk is also a Master Artist of Debri Painting ( Thangka paintings but on monastery walls) and has painted in various monasteries. He has also taken part in various exhibitions, spreading the influence of Thangka Painting.