Sitatapatra (English: White Parasol Goddess).

Universal in form with one thousand heads, one thousand arms, and one thousand legs, her body is adorned with ten million eyes - all watching over the needs of human kind. She has five main faces in the four principal colors representing the four basic enlightened activities, along with the fifth face, green, the combination of all activities together. The white parasol held overhead symbolizes the gentle protection of a loving mother. Each of the hands hold special attributes; objects that symbolically represent a specific benefit. All obstacles of the individual person and those of the nation at large are depicted as trampled underfoot, preventing all misfortune, pestilence and war.

Universal White Parasol, a Buddha emanation, is similar in appearance to her male counterpart the All-seeing Lord (Avalokiteshvara) and the Hindu gods Shiva and Vishnu in their universal representations (vishvarupa) as they actively display a multitude of heads, arms and legs - the conflation of all gods and powers fashioned into one supreme form

Jeff Watt 5-2005