MAHANKALA

 Mahankala or the great black one is a form of Shiva himself for Hindus where as he is the protector of Mandala for a Buddhist. Terrific looking image of Mahankala may carry with him a drum or a trisul. Several series of Hindu deities are found in the Buddhist pantheon. Mahakala is one of the Hindu deities of Brahma group. He is also one of the eight terrible deities of the Buddhist pantheon with ornaments of snakes, canine teeth, protruding belly and dressed with skin. He is dark blue in colour. He carries trisul and kapala in his two hands. He may have one face with two, four or six arms or eight faces with sixteen arms. As he is the defender of law, he is given a good position at the entrance doors of Buddhist shrines.