Buddha Vajradhara with Eighty-Five Mahasiddhas

Peaceful in appearance, usually blue in color but painted with gold as a special offering, with an attractive face, Vajradhara holds the two hands folded across the heart in the mudra of non-duality. The right hand holds a vajra sceptre and the left a vajra-handled bell. Beautifully adorned with a five-pointed crown of gold, each point is emblazoned with a buddha of the five families. With gold jewels, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, anklets and a girdle, he wears an upper garment of dark blue. The lower body is attired in a green skirt trimmed with blue and red. Seated in vajra posture with the legs interlocked atop a moon disc and multi-colored lotus and blue snow lion supported throne he is surrounded by a green and gold nimbus and red areola - both adorned with rings of precious jewels. The backrest displays the design of the 'six ornaments.' On each side at the bottom left and right are gray elephants supporting a small boy, a blue-hose like antelope again with a small child riding on the back, a makara (sea creature) and at the top a single garuda bird biting down on the stretched length of a snake. At the sides of the throne stand two bodhisattva figures. Above those, on the left is the tutelary deity Chakrasamvara embracing the consort Vajra Varahi. Above that is a seated buddha figure embracing a consort and another single smaller buddha to the right. At the right side is the tutelary deity Secret Accomplishment Hayagriva. Above that is the female deity Sitatapatra with one face and two hands holding a parasol upraised. A single buddha sits to the left. Below the bodhisattvas and alongside the throne seat are 4 more smaller buddha figures each with ornaments and silks, the hands placed in the mudra of meditation. Directly in front of the throne is the wrathful protector Chaturbhuja Mahakala, with one face and four hands, seated in a relaxed posture on a pink lotus seat and surrounded by red flames. Completely surrounding the central figure and arranged in rows from the top to the bottom are 91 famous mahasiddhas of India. Each is attired in characteristic garb and holds or performs unique objects and mudras. At the top left is the Acarya Nagarjuna, 5 down on the left with the hand raised in the air is Virupa. At the top center is Dombi Heruka riding a tiger and 4th from the top right is Kukkuripa embracing a dog. At the middle right is Guru Rinpoche wearing a red hat and directly above that is Saraha holding an arrow.