Mandala of Raktayamari

This central Tibetan scroll painting depicts a complex geometric mandala centered on the wrathful deity Raktayamari. The composition is organized into a nested series of circles and a central square palace, populated by numerous wrathful and peaceful deities, which serve as a focus for contemplative visualization. The intense color palette and intricate linework are characteristic of 14th-century religious art intended to represent the sacred architecture of the deity's celestial realm.

This painting is a central tool for Vajrayana Buddhist tantric practice, functioning as a 'map of the invisible' or a guide for the initiate to traverse stages of consciousness and manifest the deity within. Its structure relates to the broader tradition of esoteric Indian and Himalayan meditative systems where geometric diagrams are used to harmonize the practitioner with cosmic forces.