Mahakala in the Form of a Brahman

The dark-brown central figure of Mahakala in the form of a Brahman ascetic (Brahmanarupa) blowing a horn is surrounded by four furies of different colors that appear to be dancing in the sky. This group of five is repeated four times around the central cave in a much smaller format, each in a charnel ground setting marked by a partially hidden stupa. At the top of the painting the orange deity Guhyasamaja Manjuvajra is flanked by the arhat Angaja surrounded by disciples (left) and Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara accompanied by the seated goddesses White and Green Tara in front of a very distinctive Tibetan monastery (right).