# Ushnishavijaya Within a Chaitya, Commemorating the Laksha Chaitya Vrata (Thousand Chaitya Ritual), with Dated Inscription

- By: Nepal (Kathmandu Valley)
- Date: 1513
- Medium: Opaque watercolor with gold on cotton
- Classification: Painting
- Dimensions: 58.2 × 57.2 cm (23 3/16 × 22 1/2 in.)
- Culture: Nepal
- Credit line: Gift of Marilynn B. Alsdorf
- Museum: [Art Institute of Chicago](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/131816)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://www.artic.edu/iiif/2/364b5f36-e213-f288-f5b2-c24122e81c39/full/!1920,1080/0/default.jpg
- Who can see it: Tweens profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

This painted banner (paubha) depicts the enlightened goddess Ushnishavijaya seated in the center of a chaitya (as stupas are called in Nepal), surrounded by repeated rows of smaller chaityas. She is white and has a peaceful countenance, with eight arms and three faces, each of which has three eyes. Surrounding her are red and green bodhisattvas, a pair of flying vidyadharas above, and the eight guardians of the directions on animal mounts. In smaller chaityas in the corners there are different forms of the goddess Tara. Below, on the upper row along the bottom are the Five Protector Goddesses (Pancharaksha). Under this is an inscription in Newari detailing the occasion of the ritual this paubha commemorates. At the very bottom are scenes of the consecration and other rituals. On the left, the vajracharya (priest) performs a fire sacrifice (homa) while the donors offer prayers. On the right, members of the sponsoring group offer prayers and make the small clay chaityas for which the ritual is named.

The paubha both depicts and forms a portion of the Laksha Chaitya, or Hundred Thousand Chaitya Rite, a ritual for the benefit and welfare of the household or group who sponsors it.…

Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0