Himalayan Art Resources

Buddhist Deity: Achala Iconography

Achala Main Page

Subjects, Topics & Types:
- Description (below)
- Outline Page
- Kneeling, Blue (Sakya Tradition & Various)
- Kneeling, White (Sakya & Jonang Traditions)
- Standing, Solitary Form (Kadam Tradition)
- Standing with 11 Deity Retinue (Mitra Yogin Tradition)
- Chandamaharoshana with Consort & Retinue
- Red, One Face & Six Arms, Embracing a Consort (Shakya Rakshita)
- Blue with Four Faces & Four Arms (Sakya Tradition)
- Black with Four Legs (Sakya Tradition)
- Black with Three Faces & Six Arms, Eight Monkeys (Jetari Tradition)
- Ten Wrathful Ones (Guhyasamaja, Hevajra, Chakrasamvara, etc.)
- Others.....

Videos:
- Achala: The Immovable One
- Achala & Fudo-myoo: Key Topics for a Comparison Study

Iconographic Compendiums:
- Rinjung Lhantab: Achala
- Others...

Iconographic Confusions:
- Black Manjushri (wrathful/standing)
- Black Hayagriva
- Vighnantaka
- Niladanda
- Others...

[44] Achala.
'Achala, blue with one face and two hands. The right [hand] holds a sword raised to the sky. The left, a wrathful [gesture] together with a lasso, held to the heart. Having two red round eyes [and] pressing the lower lip with the upper teeth. Having a top-knot of black hair. Adorned with jewel ornaments and and a white snake necklace. Having a lower garment of tiger skin. Kneeling with the left leg, and the right heel pressing on the seat in a manner of rising.' (Konchog Lhundrub, 1497-1557).

Database Search: All Objects | Painting | Sculpture | Mandala

Jeff Watt 2-2003 [updated 9-2012, 12-2014, 4-2017, 10-2018, 1-2020]

(The images below are only a selection of examples from the links above).