Alchi Monastery Three Story Hall: Five Dhyani Buddhas

INDIA, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh

Painted at the bottom of the left side of the north wall on the second story of Three Story Hall, this mural is divided into five squares in two rows. Each square contains a depiction of one of the Five Dhyani Buddhas in their Pure Land. From left to right in the upper row there are images of the Pure Lands of Aksobhya Buddha and Vairocana Buddha, while in the lower row the Pure Lands of Amitabha Buddha, Ratnasambhava Buddha, and Amoghasiddhi Buddha are shown.
The five squares all have a similar layout. The main figure is in the top center, flanked by Bodhisattvas on each side. The Five Dhyani Buddhas each have a nimbus and a mandorla. Each Buddha forms a mudra and is seated in full lotus position on a lotus throne that rests on a platform. They have tall usnisas and wear monastic robes.
In the lower register of each square, there is a black square altar in the middle with monks and nobles sitting on both sides. These figures are all similar in size, and are separated by several different kinds of trees. The images are arranged symmetrically, depicted in a simple, concise style, and are vividly colored. The background of the Pure Land of each Dhyani Buddha is painted in their corresponding symbolic color; blue for Aksobhya, white for Vairocana, red for Amitabha, yellow for Ratnasambhava, and green for Amoghasiddhi.