Laksa Caitya

NEPAL; Malla dynasty

This Nepalese artwork symbolically illustrates the annual offering of “Laksa Caitya,” or a hundred thousand stupas. The ritual takes place at Swayambhunath Stupa in Kathmandu, which is depicted in the center of the illustration, flanked by white towers representing the temples of Pratappur and Anantapur. Below the large central stupa, many tiny stupas are arranged in a trapezoidal shape surrounding a large image of Mahapratisara, one of the Pancaraksa deities. The rest of the Pancaraksa deities–Mahasahasrapramardini, Mahamayuri, Mahasitavati, and Mahamantranusarini–surround the central stupa and the towers.
In the bottom half of the illustration, small figures are shown digging up the ground and mixing dairy food offerings into the earth. They recite 21 times before the earth is molded into stupas. Rice grains and precious items are added to the offerings which form the final stupas.