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Kurukulla is a Tantric Buddhist meditational deity originating in India. She has a standard recognized appearance that is very common along with other forms that are less well known. There are numerous forms and lineages of Kurukulla arising from the Kriya and Anuttarayoga classes of Buddhist tantra of the New (Sarma) traditions and many forms from the 'Terma' (Revealed Treasure) discoveries of the Nyingmapa Tradition. She can appear peaceful or semi wrathful and in a range of colours from white, pink and blue to her more typical red colour. In the Kriya tantras she is often portrayed, but not exclusively, as a red power emanation of Tara. However, most forms of red Tara are not Kurukulla. In Anuttarayoga, from the Hevajra and Vajrapanjara Tantras, Kurukulla is a power emanation of Shri Hevajra.

Kurukulla is a category of deities like Shri Devi and Mahakala. She can be [1] her own entity, [2] an emanation of Tara, or [3] an emanation of Hevajra.

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Jeff Watt 8-2005 [updated 9-2014, 4-2017, 12-2019]