Kacho Wangpo & the Composition of the Khandro Chitor
The subject of this painting visually relates a narrative about the 2nd Shamar Kacho Wangpo who traveled to a group of eight mountains (or peaks), Namlha Gye Kang Gi Rawa, accompanied by two attendant students. At the foot of the mountains Shamar performed a Khandro Chitor offering followed by a 'sang' smoke offering ritual. At the time he spontaneously composed a new liturgy for offering - still used today. Tseringma, a mountain goddess and Buddhist protector with a long history of close relations with the Karma Kagyu Tradition was pleased with the offering and smoke ritual and appeared to the three - lama and students.
Above the head of Shamar Rinpoche, three rays of emanated light, rainbow-like, twisting upward, spread from smaller to larger, bottom to top, indicating the inspiration in the composition of the new liturgical text of the Khandro Chitor. The five rainbow ribbons frame Manjushri, seated, orange in colour, with the two hands at the heart holding the stems of two flowers supporting a sword and book - attributes of scholarship and wisdom.
The basic compositional form of the central figure and some details have been borrowed and used to depict the Tai Situpa in a later lineage painting set. (See a comparison with painting HAR #51885. Note the divot in the hat generally a characteristic unique to the Tai Situpas). Borrowings of this type are quite common in Tibetan art.