BAJRA or Vajra

Bajra is the symbolic representation of the thunderbolt in Buddhist scriptures and sculptures. Such a Bajra is found installed in many places in and around Kathmandu valley, mostly atop a Dharamadhatu (a kind of small pagoda with a flat top). Bajra is the symbol of Buddha Aksyobhaya and the deities of his family. Both, Buddhist and Hindu deities like Narteswar, Avalokiteswar, Shiva and Indra, carry the Bajra with them.Bajra is indestructible. It destroys all forms of ignorance. The Bajra is also the symbol of Indra.  Dorje is the Tibetan terminology for Bajra, which represents the “upaya” or the means or method of achieving enlightenment in Tibetan Tantrism.