One of the “Three Treasure Protectors” of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, Rahul, referred to as the Kyab Jug Chen Po in Tibetan, is an amalgamated deity comprising aspects of Lord Vishnu from the Hindu culture and the eclipse demon Rahu, a planetary deity of Indian astrology. The Indian God Rahula, a demi-god of the universe associated with the eclipse of the sun, moon, and other planets, is the prime inspiration for the Tibetan guardian deity. Rahula became well-known as a proponent of the precepts referred to as the “revealed treasure” in the early Tibetan Buddhist Nyingma tradition.

With a lower body of a coiled naga and the upper body carrying nine heads and four arms, the physical manifestation of the deity is quite bizarre. Covered in a thousand eyes, Rahul is also depicted with a stomach that features a large wrathful face; the stomach is also the core head of the deity. The nine heads stacked above represent the nine planets that Rahul eclipsed. In the mythic tale of Rahul, the deity quite literally swallowed the planets, which is what caused the eclipse. Lord Vishnu, angered by Rahul’s insatiability, then cuts off his head. But because Rahul is a deity, and thus, immortal, his insatiable hunger still pursues the planets, the sun, and the moon, which is why we still have eclipses in our world. Given that the Hindu god Indra is likewise reported to be covered in eyes and credited with killing the eclipse demon Svarbhanu, it is possible that the eyes covering Rahul’s torso are a holdover from Indra’s iconography. Likewise, Rahul is also associated with rainbows.  

Rahul, in the context of Tibetan Buddhism, is a protector deity. It is believed that housing the statute of Rahul brings in protection and enlightenment. The deity is especially associated with the Revealed Treasure Tradition (Terma). The notion of a “Revealed Treasure” (Terma) has its roots in the Nyingma Tradition of Tibetan and Himalayan Buddhism. It is said that Padmasambhava and a handful of his key followers concealed holy scriptures and artefacts around Tibet and the Himalayas to be found by succeeding generations when needed, and Rahul protects these treasures. This notion is also often associated with the Kanchenjunga Himal, and many treasures are believed to be hidden beneath the mountain’s snow. 

Much like the rich lore surrounding the deity, the images and iconography of Rahul are fascinating to observe, to say the least. The statue by Milushree Arts depicts the deity in its primordial form, with stacked heads and arms reaching out to devour planets, just like the lore tells. Painstaking details are carved into the statue by Milushree Arts’ sculptors and generational artisans. Embedded within the statue are precious stones like rubies, corals, and turquoise, with each line and indentation carved into the statue’s appearance intricately hand-carved and moulded with great care and passion.