Marichi (Tibetan: ozer chen ma): the Goddess of the Dawn.

At the top is red Marichi with one face and two hands riding a horse. In the upraised right hand is a red sun marked with the Chinese character for the sun. The left hand holds a white lotus flower. She rides atop a white horse above a very large image of the sun.

The large red circular sun is gold fringed and adorned in the center with the ancient Chinese symbol of a three-legged crow, portrayed here as a golden rooster.

Below that is Marichi in her obstacle removing form, yellow in colour, with three faces and eight hands, riding on a chariot drawn by seven sows.

"... with a body yellow in colour, three faces and eight hands. The main face is yellow, the right red and the left a blue sow face. Each face has three eyes. The four right hands hold a vajra, hook, arrow and needle. The four left hold a branch of the ashoka tree, bow, thread and a wrathful gesture. Wearing a red lower garment and adorned with jewels and a garland of small bells." (Ngorchen Konchog Lhundrup (1497-1557). Taken from the Drup Thab Gyatsa. sGrub Thabs Kun bTus, vol.12).

Jeff Watt 2-2001