The Tibetan Cliff Relief of Bodhisattvas is located in Gato Town within Mangkang County. Carved into a rocky cliff, the relief spans 9 meters in height and 7.5 meters in width. At the center of the composition is the figure of Mahavairocana (Great Sun Tathagata), who is 4.95 meters tall, depicted in a meditative pose with a compassionate demeanor, seated on a lotus lion throne. Flanking him are eight Bodhisattvas, arranged in two tiers on each side. On the upper right are Samantabhadra and Vajrapani, with Ksitigarbha and Avalokiteshvara below; on the upper left are Maitreya and Akasagarbha, with Manjushri and Chagay Trang below, each figure rendered with robust and vivid detail.
Identified by Tibetan cultural heritage experts in 2014, the discovery of this large-scale Tibetan cliff relief of Mahavairocana and the eight Bodhisattvas in Mangkang County reflects the advanced level of early Tibetan stone carving craftsmanship. It holds significant historical and artistic research value, playing a crucial role in understanding the spread of Buddhism in eastern Tibet.
Travel Tips
Prior to this discovery, two other sets of reliefs depicting Mahavairocana and the eight Bodhisattvas from the Tibetan period were found in the Chamdo area: one in the cliff carvings of Renda Township in Chaya County and another in a group of round stone carvings worshipped within the Dari Like Temple in Bangda Township of Mangkang County.
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