Drenpa Namka

Drenpa Namka, from the Zhang Zhung region of the Himalayan Plateau, is regarded as an emanation of Tonpa Shenrab, the founder of Tibet’s Bon religion. Comparable to Buddhism’s Padmasambhava, Drenpa Namka is the most important early teacher of Bon. He has acquired a cult status and is both worshipped and portrayed in art as a deity with many varying forms. In this sculpture he is depicted with the same characteristics as Indian siddhas. In his upper right hand he grasps a parasol that is topped by a swastika, the Bon religion’s most important symbol.