I can’t quite determine who this god or goddess is, I think it could be Shiva based on the trident in it’s right hand. Whoever it is, you have to respect a culture that worships a God who cut off their own head and drink the blood squirting from their neck. I took this picture in a museum in Nepal in 2003 and have never seen anything quite like it. The simplicity of the line work and the single color are what made this stand out and make it unlike all the other thangka’s I’ve seen.
maureen drdak | 17-Jan-10 at 8:57 am | Permalink
Hello–the deity in question in this image is the Hindu tantric manifestation of the Great Goddess-Chinnamasta-She who cuts off her own head. The symbolism refers to the self termination or conquering of the individual ego, etc…