Nalanda: Twelve-Armed Avalokitesvara

INDIA, Bihar

Representations of the Twelve-Armed Avalokitesvara are rare in India. Only a handful of examples have been identified to date, with this being the most well-preserved.
Avalokitesvara, carved in high relief, is surrounded by many smaller figures. A plain oval nimbus surrounds the Bodhisattva’s head and is capped with a canopy. The headress features the meditating Amitabha Buddha. A sacred thread hangs diagonally across the body while a sash sits just across the hips over the translucent skirt. The hand that is held in varada (wish-granting) mudra also has a Dharma wheel on the palm. The other objects held in the other hands include a vase, a jewel, a lasso, a lotus and some prayer beads.
The other figures probably include two Buddhas, one on either side of the nimbus. The one making the abhaya (fearlessness) mudra is Amoghasiddhi, while the one on the right in varada (wish-granting) mudra is Ratnasambhava. Near the center on both side are two female figures seated in the posture of royal ease while at the bottom there are four more figures, Tara and a hungry ghost on the left, while Hayagriva and Bhrkuti are on the right.