Övörkhangai Province
At the left side of the entrance to the Zuu of Buddha, the main and central of the three preserved temples at Erdene Zuu, is a statue of Gonggor, one of the wrathful “Dharmapalas”, defenders of Buddhism, divinities with the rank of Bodhisattva who wage war without any mercy against the demons and enemies of Buddhism. Worship of these was initiated in the 8th century by the magician-saint Padmasambhava, who is said to have conquered the malevolent deities in Tibet and forced them to vow to protect Buddhists and the Buddhist faith.
Photo by Ludo Kuipers, Sat Aug 13, 2011