Mandala of the Sun God Surya Surrounded by Eight Planetary Deities

This mandala is devoted to the solar deity Surya and bears a partially legible date, making it one of only two confirmed Nepalese paintings of the fourteenth century. The inscription names the donor and the artist—the latter an extremely rare occurrence in Nepalese art—and declares that it was painted when the donor, named as Bhisnudevesvara, performed a ceremony so that he might be forgiven for negative karma. This ritual is depicted in the lower register, with a Vajracharya priest performing a fire sacrifice, and with the donor at center. His family is also present, at right. The eight planetary deities ring the mandala.