Mandala of Chandra, God of the Moon

Chandra, the personification of the moon, and the solar deity Surya have been worshipped in India since antiquity. Here Chandra is surrounded by eight other figures, constituting the full ensemble of the nine planetary deities (navagrahas). The god is enthroned on a chariot driven by his charioteer and seven sacred geese (hamsa), mirroring the seven horses that assist Surya. He is flanked by two female archers whose arrows dispel the light of the sun and thus bring forth the night. The radiant white of the aureole is echoed in Chandra’s body. In the upper register, the five Transcendent Buddhas appear, flanked by two bodhisattvas. In the lower register are three scenes (from left): a Vajrayana Buddhist priest officiating a consecration ritual, celebrants dancing and making music, and the painting’s donor, together with seven members of his family, offering a lamp.