Himalayan Art Resources

Item: Ekajati (Buddhist Deity)

རལ་གཅིག་མ། ནང་ལྷ། 一发佛母(佛教本尊)
(item no. 81609)
Origin Location Tibet
Date Range 1600 - 1699
Lineages Sakya and Buddhist
Material Wood
Collection Private
Notes about the Central Figure

Classification: Deity

Interpretation / Description

Ekajati (Tibetan: ral chig ma. English: Single Braid): from a set of eight sculpture depicting Panjarnata Mahakala, Shri Devi, Ekajati, and the Five Activity Deities (Putra Mising Nga).

"...Ekajati, with a body blue in colour, one face, two hands holding a nectar filled vase to the heart, wearing an upper garment of white silk fabric and a lower garment of tiger skin. The hair is tied in one braid hanging to the left; in a fierce aspect." (Konchog Lhundrub, 1497-1557).

This form of Ekajati is associated with Panjarnata Mahakala and Shri Devi. She is commonly found in the Eight Deity and Three Deity Panjarnata Mahakala configurations.

In this form Ekajati is regarded as the mother of Mahakala and Shri Devi.

Jeff Watt, 8-2006

Secondary Images
Related Items
Thematic Sets
Buddhist Deity: Ekajati Art History
Buddhist Deity: Ekajati Main Page (One Braid)
Tradition: Sakya Protectors
Buddhist Protectors, Wisdom Deities (Dharmapala)
Buddhist Deity: Ekajati Masterworks
Buddhist Deity: Ekajati Iconography