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Vaisravana, sometimes spelt as Vaishravana or Visravana, is a Buddhist god and 'chief' of the Four Heavenly Kings, four deities who each protect one of the world's cardinal directions. Vaisravana is guardian of the north, and is derived from the Hindu deity Kubera. He makes his home on the lower half of the sacred Mount Meru, where he lords over all of <i>yaksha</i> (guardian spirits) who dwell there.<br/><br/> Vaisravana is the ruler of rain, and thus is symbolically armed with an umbrella or a pagoda, while wearing heavy armour. The colours most associated with him are yellow or green, which is why he is often portrayed with a yellow face. Vaisravana is sometimes also portrayed with a mongoose ejecting jewels from its mouth, representing its generosity and antithesis to the snake, a common symbol of greed and hatred.<br/><br/> In Theravada Buddhism, he is known as Vessavana, one of the Four Guardian Kings, while he is known as Bishamonten or just Bishamon - sometimes called Tamonten - in Japan, where he is portrayed as an armour-clad god of war and righteousness, as well as being one of the Seven Lucky Gods.
A Taoist deity, Mo-Li Shou was one of the Four Diamond Kings, and Guardian of the North. He is often depicted with a black face and holding two whips, as well as a pearl and a bag made of panther skin containing the rat Hua-Hu Tiao. He also plays a small role in the classic Ming Dynasty novel 'Fengshen Yanyi', alongside the other Diamond Kings.
Tamzhing / Tamshing Lhundrup Monastery is a temple complex in Bumthang District, central Bhutan. Tamzhing Monastery is the most important Nyingma gompa in Bhutan, a Tibetan Buddhist ecclesiastical place of learning that is a mix of a fortification, a vihara (monastery) and a university.<br/><br/> The temple was built in 1501 by Bhutanese saint Pema Lingpa (1450-1521). When he died in 1521, his descendants took care of the temple. It eventually fell into disrepair and neglect under private hands. It stopped being privately owned in 1960, when monks fleeing Tibet returned to the monastery and reestablished a presence there.
The Punakha Dzong, also known as Pungtang Dewa chhenbi Phodrang ('the palace of great happiness or bliss') was built in 1637 - 1638 by the 1st Zhabdrung Rinpoche and founder of the Bhutanese state, Ngawang Namgyal (1594 - 1651). It is the second largest and second oldest dzong (fortress) in Bhutan, located at the confluence of the Pho Chhu (father) and Mo Chhu (mother) rivers in the Punakha-Wangdue valley.<br/><br/> Punakha Dzong is the administrative centre of Punakha District, and once acted as the administrative centre and the seat of Bhutan's government until 1855, when the capital was moved to Thimphu, though it still acts as the winter capital for the head of the Bhutanese clergy. It houses sacred relics from the southern Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.
Vaiśravaṇa (Sanskrit) or Vessavaṇa (Pāli) also known as Jambhala in Tibet and Bishamonten in Japan is the name of the chief of the Four Heavenly Kings and an important figure in Buddhist mythology. Here he is depicted riding across the sea. The Buddhist era kings of Khotan claimed descent from Vaisravana, who is said to have come to live in the oasis when it was just a desert.
The Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves (Bozikeli Qian Fo Dong) are complex of Buddhist cave grottos dating from the 5th to the 9th centuries. There are 77 rock-cut caves at the site. Some ceilings are painted with a large Buddha surrounded by other figures, including Indians, Persians and Europeans. The quality of the murals vary with some being artistically naive while others are masterpieces of religious art
Vaiśravaṇa (Sanskrit) or Vessavaṇa (Pāli) also known as Jambhala in Tibet and Bishamonten in Japan is the name of the chief of the Four Heavenly Kings and an important figure in Buddhist mythology. Here he is depicted riding across the sea. The Buddhist era kings of Khotan claimed descent from Vaisravana, who is said to have come to live in the oasis when it was just a desert.<br/><br/> The Kingdom of Khotan was an ancient Buddhist kingdom that was located on the branch of the Silk Road that ran along the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert in the Tarim basin. The area lies in present day Xinjiang, China.<br/><br/> The ancient capital was originally located to the west of modern day Hotan (Chinese: 和田) at Yotkan. From the Han Dynasty until at least the Tang Dynasty it was known in Chinese as Yutian (Chinese: 于闐, 于窴).<br/><br/> The kingdom existed for over a thousand years until it was conquered by Muslim invaders in 1006.