Manifesting the Mandala : a study of the core iconographic program of Newar Buddhist Monasteries in Nepal [PhD thesis]

This study examines the core iconographic elements of the Buddhist monasteries in Nepal and their relationship to the religion and ritual practices of the Newar Buddhists. Based on original field research I conducted in the Kathmandu Valley, I have identified three major iconographic themes were widespread and prevalent. These were the Svayambhū Mahācaitya, the Dharmadhātu Mandala, and the Cakrasamvara Mandala, which are manifest in the monasteries as three mandatory architectural elements: the principal vivifying stūpa; the exoteric shrine of the principal deity of the monastery; and, the secret esoteric shrine to the Tantric deity. The study analyzes their symbolic meaning and explores how these iconographic components serve as visual metaphors to express the fundamental constructs of Newar Buddhism.