Nepal (Early Malla Period) | likely 1379
Artist: Kitaharasa
Key Features
Surya, Lord of the Solar Cosmos
This powerful mandala is devoted to Surya, the solar deity who governs light, time, vitality, and cosmic order. At the center, Surya rides his radiant solar chariot drawn by seven horses, symbolizing the days of the week, the spectrum of light, and the rhythmic movement of time itself. His charioteer commands the team, reinforcing Surya’s role as the regulator of cosmic motion.
Goddesses Who Dispel Darkness
Flanking Surya are two attendant goddesses, depicted releasing arrows into space. Their action is symbolic rather than martial: the arrows drive away darkness, ignorance, disease, and misfortune. Together, they express the Sun’s purifying force-not merely as physical light, but as spiritual illumination that restores balance.
The Eight Planetary Deities (Navagrahas)
Encircling the central mandala are the eight planetary deities, forming a protective and regulatory ring around Surya. This cosmic configuration reflects South Asian astrological thought, where planetary forces shape karma, destiny, and human experience. Surya’s central placement affirms him as the sovereign power through which planetary influences are harmonized.
A Rare Dated Nepalese Painting
The partially legible inscription dates the work to likely 1379, making it one of only two securely dated fourteenth-century Nepalese paintings known today. Such precise chronological anchors are extraordinarily rare in Himalayan art, lending this mandala exceptional historical importance.
Named Donor and Artist - An Extraordinary Record
The inscription identifies both the donor, Bhisnudevesvara, and the artist, Kitaharasa-a remarkable occurrence in Nepalese painting, where artists are almost never named. This acknowledgment elevates the work from devotional image to documented cultural artifact, preserving a human chain of patronage, ritual, and craftsmanship.
Ritual of Karmic Purification
The lower register reveals the mandala’s lived ritual function. At left, a Vajracharya priest performs a fire sacrifice (homa). At center, the donor undergoes a rite of purification and exorcism, accompanied by musicians whose sound aids the expulsion of negative forces. At right, the donor’s family bears witness. The painting thus records a specific ceremony undertaken to erase negative karma resulting from past misdeeds, transforming the mandala into both a cosmological map and a ritual document.
Early Malla Aesthetic and Sacred Geometry
Executed during the Early Malla period, the mandala combines disciplined geometry with vibrant narrative detail. Its symmetry reinforces cosmic order, while its vivid figures and ritual scenes anchor the celestial vision firmly in human experience-an essential characteristic of Nepalese Buddhist–Hindu mandala traditions.
Museum-Grade Archival Print
This 18 × 24 inch poster is printed on 350 GSM archival matte paper, ensuring long-lasting color fidelity and sharp detail. The matte finish enhances visibility of intricate linework and inscriptions, making it ideal for close viewing in study rooms, meditation spaces, or curated collections.
Why You’ll Love It
This mandala is not just an image of Surya-it is a complete cosmological, astrological, and ritual universe. Rarely does a single artwork unite named artist, named donor, precise function, and cosmic symbolism so seamlessly. Ideal for collectors of Himalayan art, astrology enthusiasts, practitioners of ritual traditions, and anyone drawn to the deep intersections of art, karma, and cosmic order.
Order Now
Bring home one of the rarest visual records of fourteenth-century Nepalese ritual art. A profound centerpiece for meditation spaces, libraries, or heritage collections.
Available in 18 × 24 inches, with framed and unframed options, exclusively at The Soma Store.
