Thangka of Rahula Bhadra

The central figure, Rahula Bhadra, sits cross-legged on a low cushion, wearing a dark green outer robe and a bright red inner garment. He has a shaved head, a prominent orange halo behind his head, and performs a teaching gesture with both hands holding a golden, multi-spoked wheel. Behind him to the left, a youthful female deity with long, flowing orange hair holds a long-handled ritual fan. The background depicts a lush landscape with stylized trees, fruit-laden branches, and swirling clouds in shades of green, blue, and pink, all enclosed by an ornate Chinese-style silk brocade border.

Rahula Bhadra is traditionally counted as one of the Sixteen Arhats, the disciples of the Buddha tasked with protecting the Dharma. This thangka belongs to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of iconographic portraiture used for meditation and devotional practice.