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Warrior Appearance is unique because it is based on Tibetan culture and not Indian cultural iconography. Warrior Appearance also describes both a look and a function. The appearance is that of a warrior and the function is that of an indeginous Tibetan god that has been subjugated, converted, and now employed as a Buddhist protector deity - called a Worldly Protector.

Warrior Appearance is distinct because nothing else in Tantric iconography really looks the same. A warrior is characterized as a male figure wearing a helmet, battle armor, boots and riding a horse. The warrior can hold a range of objects/attributes such as a riding whip, sword or spear. The warrior appearance is what defines the iconographic type, however the facial expressions can range from peaceful, semi-peaceful/wrathful, all the way to extremely wrathful. For this reason it is possible to confuse Warrior Appearance for Wrathful Deity Appearance. It is the over-all visual form of the warrior that is important, not the specific facial expressions. Always notice first the horse, the battle helmet, the body armor and the felt boots.

There are a very small number of human monastic figures that can be confused with Buddha figures. All of the human monastic teachers listed below have basic monastic appearance with the additional Buddha characteristic of the ushnisha on the crown of the head. Some of the figures typically display the gesture of teaching, or Turning the Wheel of Dharma. Occasionally there might also be the urna, single hair tuft, or white dot between the eyebrows.


- Rahula (arhat): commonly depicted with an ushnisha on the crown of the head

- Nagarjuna: commonly depicted with an ushnisha & teaching gesture

- Garab Dorje: commonly depicted with an ushnisha

- Padmasambhava, Shakya Sengge: commonly depicted with an ushnisha

- Sakya Pandita: commonly depicted with an ushnisha & teaching gesture


Monastic Appearance and Arhat Appearance are also similar to each other. There can be overlap in appearance which can lead to confusion in identification. The facial expressions of Arhats, the colours of the robes and the context of the composition are often very different from the depictions of Tibetan monastic figures. Arhats also do not have hats and rarely if ever have Tantric attributes such as a vajra or bell.

There are several types of objects that are created to represent offerings in Himalayan and Tibetan art. They can first be divided by medium: sculpture, painting and textile - applique and embroidery. Most of these objects are created as sets making it important to be aware of the Number Sets associated with offering objects.

The various mediums for sculpture can be almost anything that can render an object in three dimensions. Metal, clay, wood or stone are the most common materials. Painting and textile are only divided by medium and technique, otherwise the subjects and uses are the same for both. There are three styles of physical format: portrait, landscape and banner. The banners are very long horizontal scrolls intended to hang in temples. The portrait and landscape format styles are generally more iconographic while the banners are more decorative with repeating designs and motifs

Sculpture is employed primarily for Peaceful Offerings subjects & types:

- Human Figure

- Animal Figure

- Symbol Sets

- Mandala Plate



Painting and textiles are used more for Wrathful Offerings, subjects and types:

- Mount Meru & Miscellaneous Offerings

- Stylized Food (torma)

- Animals (from sets of offering paintings)

- Multiple Deity Attributes in a single composition

- Single Deity Attribute Composition

An Offerings in Art Outline Page has been added.

The Weird & Fantastical Gods & Deities Outline Page has been updated. Links have also been added to the other pages of weird subjects on the HAR website. Work still remains to be done on the main subject page of Weird & Fantastical Gods & Deities such as adding the various links to pages and outlines. There are also more weird gods and deities to include in this growing section.

This is a list of the most famous founding teachers of Tibetan and Himalayan Buddhism. It is not definitive and not complete. For example, although Shabdrung Ngagwang Namgyal (1594-1651) is credited with the founding of the state of Bhutan, he did not necessarily introduce the Drugpa Kagyu Tradition to the region of Bhutan. Pajo Drugom Zhigpo (1208-1276) introduced Drugpa Kagyu to the region of Bhutan in the 13th century. For Shalu Monastery, Buton Tamche Khyenpa Rinchen Drub (1290-1364) was certainly the most famous teacher but he did not found the monastery, that was done in 1040 by Chetsun Sherab Jungne. It is also important to understand that founders of monasteries are not always founders of traditions of Buddhism, such as with Chetsun. It is difficult to find images for a number of the early founders of the various traditions, lineages and monasteries such as Pajo, Chetsun Sherab Jungne and others.

The various works of art depicting Ling Gesar, and associated topics, can be divided into two mediums (painting and sculpture) and four general subjects solely based on the works that have been identified in museum and private collections thus far.


The Four Gesar Art Subjects:

[1] Gesar Life Story - Painting Set

[2] Gesar & the Thirty Warriors - Painting Set

[3] Gesar Norbu Dradul (painting or sculpture)

[4] Gesar Dorje Tsegyal (painting or sculpture)

The works documented are primarily from the time period prior to 1960. In the future, there will of course be many more paintings, sculpture and murals identified as the field of Himalayan and Tibetan art develops with time, interest and resources.

The subject of lineage is one of the most common topics and visual depictions in Tibetan and Himalayan art. The two most commonly portrayed lineage types, in both painting and sculpture, are Teaching & Initiation Lineages followed by Incarnation Lineages. The more famous the lineage the more often it will be found represented in works of art.

The subject of lineage is best approached through the Three Essential Lineage Topics:

1. Definition & Three Similar Words

2. Three General Types of Lineage

3. Three Buddhist Traditions & Lineages

Milarepa was the most famous poet saint of Tibet. He is today principally known for his singing, leading a yogi lifestyle and for being a student of Marpa Chokyi Lodro.

However, before finding Marpa, Milarepa had a number of well known teachers. From amongst the many students of Milarepa the most famous are Rechungpa, Gampopa and the mountain goddess Tseringma. Each of Milarepa's teachers and each of Milarepa's students had many other disciples and students. From many of those teachers and students arose numerous lineages of teachings.

Garwa Nagpo, Damchen (English: the Avowed Blacksmith), the principal attendant deity in the entourage of the Tibetan worldly protector Dorje Legpa. Garwa Nagpo can typically be found in art as a retinue figure in paintings of Dorje Legpa or as an independent figure in a painted composition with his own retinue of attendant figures.

Garwa Nagpo is generally found as a standard protector deity in the Karma Kagyu and Nyingma Traditions. Some Gelug monasteries and incarnate lama traditions (trulku) have also adopted Garwa Nagpo as their special protector deity.

Dorje Legpa and his retinue, including Damchen Garwa Nagpo, were originally believed to be subjugated in Tibet by Padmasambhava in the 8th century. They are avowed, oath-bound, protectors and perform the specific function of safeguarding the Nyingma Terma (treasure) tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

General Description: Wrathful with one face and two hands, he is dark blue in colour, with three eyes, bared fangs and bright orange or brown hair flaming upward. The right hand holds aloft a vajra hammer and the left a blacksmith's bellows made of striped tiger skin. Adorned with a crown of five dry skulls and earrings he is lavishly attired in variously coloured full-length garments and felt boots. Riding atop a brown goat with two horns he is surrounded most often by grey or dark brown smoke along with licks of orange and yellow flame.

Damchen Garwa Nagpo can be accompanied by an assortment of retinue figures as described in the various ritual texts belonging to the different Nyingma Traditions of 'Revealed Treasure' (terma). Also, Garwa Nagpo is sometimes depicted with the accompanying figures of a black bear, fox, wild blue mule and a grey wolf. The animals function as servant-like messengers for the protector.

The Tsang Nyon Heruka page has been updated with the addition of a short biography.

Marpa Chokyi Lodro is credited with the founding of the Marpa Kagyu Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. He had a number of well known teachers in Tibet, Nepal and India. The most famous teacher was the Indian siddha Naropa. From amongst the many students, Milarepa is the most well known. Each of Marpa's teachers and each of Marpa's students had many other disciple students. From each of these teachers and students arose numerous lineages of teachings. Some of the lineages of teachings remained within schools and traditions named after the many students while other lineages were absorbed into the Sakya, Jonang or Gelug Traditions.

The word lineage refers more accurately to a specific line of teachings, a specific transmission from a text or oral tradition, on a specific topic, such as Hevajra, Chakrasamvara or Guhyasamaja. For the Mahayan traditions there are the individual lineages of the Bodhisattva ordinations from the Madhyamakaand Yogachara. For the Hinayana Tradition there are the lineages of monastic ordination which can come from a number of different lineage traditions such as the Sarvastavadin from India. There are numerous Tibetan lineages of monastic ordination with the specific lineage of Shakyashri Bhadra being particularly well known.A school or tradition, such as the Kagyu School or Kagyu Tradition is a social and political construct. Schools and Traditions, two words often used inter- changeably, are larger repositories for the hundreds of individual lines of teachings, i.e. Tibetan Lineages.

An example of a lineage in the Marpa Kagyu Tradition would be the Ganges River Mahamudra taught by Naropa to Marpa. Another would be the Chakrasamvara instructions taught by the Pamting Brothers of Nepal to Marpa. It is always important to learn the differences early on between schools/traditions and specific teaching lineages.

A glossary of Gesar terms specifically related to the art has been added to the Gesar pages. Epic Literature Gesar is a very large subject with a huge vocabulary of specialized terms and unique names. Luckily for the student studying Ritual Gesar, and the many visual forms, the unique vocabulary is much less daunting and easier to manage.

Dorje Rabtenma, (English: the Vajra Stable One), a form of the protector goddess Shri Devi originating in the Nyingma Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Dorje Rabtenma is commonly found as the protector deity located in the bottom registers of paintings belonging to the schools originating with the Pagdru Kagyu of Pagmodrubpa. Subsequently, based on the numbers of images reproduced in paintings, the deity was predominantly practiced in the Shalupa and Tsarpa sub-schools of the Sakya Tradition.

A better quality and higher resolution image has been uploaded. This is perhaps one of the finest early examples of Newar painting from Kathmandu, Nepal. The image is also extrordianry because of the subject of Maharakta Ganapati an emanation of Avalokiteshvara. He is an elephant headed deity, red in colour, with twelve arms standing in a dancing posture with a giant blue rat underfoot. In the upper left corner is the mahasiddha Virupa. At the upper right side is Bhutadamara Vajrapani in the unique form associated with Maharakta Ganapati.

This Hevajra Mandala is a wonderful example of early 14th and 15th century painting. The iconography is crystal clear and every figure can be recognized, identified and understood from the point of view of the Hevajra and Panjarnata Tantras. Greyscale, numbered image and coloured schematics to follow.

Gesar Dorje Tsegyal (rdo rje tshe rgyal), Gesar Vajra King of Life, is the second most common form of Gesar to appear in art. He is typically depicted in king appearance with a peaceful countenance and clothing. The head is topped with a tall white hat, he wears heavy layered clothes of multi-colours along with felt boots. The right hand holds to the heart a wish-fulfilling jewel and the left extended to the side holds a bow and arrow. He is seated in a relaxed posture on a throne decorated with three flayed human skins.

Dorje Tsegyal can be depicted in painting or sculpture in this single form described above, or he can be accompanied by seven other figures. The full retinue as described by Mipam Jamyang Namgyal Gyamtso (1846-1912) includes the youth Dorje Legpa standing at the proper right side of Gesar and in a similar appearance. On the left side stands the female figure Dorje Yudronma. In front is the army general Migmar Chenpo along with the Four Great Secret Mothers appearing as beautiful young girls. In total, there are eight figures described in the full group of the Gesar Dorje Tsegyal retinue.

The original description of the form of Dorje Tsegyal, and possibly with retinue, is attributed to Lelung Zhepa'i Dorje (1697-1740). This is known from authoritative Tibetan informants and from the lists of collected writings of Lelung. Most of the Lelung writings on the subject of Gesar are not currently available. It is hoped they will be located in the near future.

There are two sculptural representations known in museum and private collections. Only one example is shown here. Others will undoubtedly be found. The metal images can vary in posture and hand attributes but in general follow the Dorje Tsegyal depiction and descriptions.

Gesar is generally classified as a protector deity in Tibetan Buddhism. He can also be employed for the four Tantric activities of peaceful, increase, powerful and wrathful. Different iconographic forms of Gesar are used, visualized, imagined, when performing these different activities.

This Vajravali Set of Mandala Paintings were created to commemorate the death of the 11th Ngor Khenpo Sanggye Sengge (1504-1569) [TBRC P2510], head of the Ngor sub-school of Sakya. They were commissioned by the 13th Ngor Khenpo Drangti Namkha Palzang (1532-1602) [TBRC P777]. The paintings were made after the death of Sanggye Sengge and even up to several years after. Therefore the date of the creation should properly be between 1569 and likely 1575 at the latest. The set of paintings, following a Newar style, is very late and shows how the Ngorpas of Ngor Ewam Monastery were still invested in the Newar artistic style at this time and even into the early 17th century.

The tradition of the Dalai Lamas claim over fifty previous incarnations prior to the 1st Dalai Lama. The individual characters can be organized into three distinct groups and are commonly reproduced in both painting and sculpture.

The [1] first group is from the list of individuals described in the text of the Kadam Legbam. The [2] second group are an assortment of miscellaneous Tibetan kings beginning from the early royal chronicles up to and including Tri Ralpachen. The [3] third group are those Tibetan teachers immediately following Dromton Gyalwa'i Jungne (1005-1064) up to the time of the designated 1st Dalai Lama, Gendun Drubpa (1391-1474). This last group includes famous teachers such as Sachen Kunga Nyingpo, Chogyal Pagpa, Terton Padma Wang and Nyangral Nyima Ozer.

An exploration of Himalayan Prayer Wheels. Over 200 photographic examples, with explanatory text drawn, from Bhutan, Nepal and Sikkim" by David K. Baker.

This online publication has almost everything you would ever want or need to know about Prayer Wheels - plus a huge range of photographs documenting the many types and styles. It is definitely worth looking at.