Potala Palace: Tapestry of Yamantaka

CHINA, Tibet, Lhasa

Yamantaka is a wrathful manifestation of Manjusri Bodhisattva and also serve as a Dharma protector.
Here, Yamantaka is depicted in blue with a main head in the form of a buffalo. This manifestation has 9 heads, 36 arms, and 16 legs. Each of the nine heads wear a crown of skulls, and the faces are different colors with three eyes each. Atop all the other crowns is a main crown upon which there is an image of Amitayus Buddha with a red face, followed by Manjusri Bodhisattva above. In his two main hands, Yamantaka holds a vajra and a skull cup, while the remaining hands grasp various Dharma instruments. He stands on a number of animals and human figures. In the center of the arch surrounding Yamantaka, there is an image of Kirtimukha, while on each side there is lotus-born child and a makara, together with complex and colorful floral patterns.