This 22″ Dorje Shugden statue is fully fire gilded in 24K gold, handcrafted in Patan, Nepal by master Newar artisans using the traditional lost wax sculpting method. At 22″ this is the largest and most formally imposing Dorje Shugden statue in our collection — a monastery or Dharma center scale piece suited to a primary altar position. The statue depicts the Lord Duldzin form of Dorje Shugden — the central form of the five Rig Nga (Dorje Shugden’s five emanations) — seated on a snow lion mount and surrounded by a ring of flames representing pristine awareness. Discover the five forms of Dorje Shugden in our complete Dorje Shugden statues guide.
Dorje Shugden is a powerful Dharmapala and Gelug protector deity understood as a wrathful emanation of Manjushri — the Bodhisattva of Wisdom — and closely associated with the tradition of Je Tsongkhapa and the preservation of the Gelug school. Dorje Shugden’s iconography is precisely defined. He rides a snow lion — the symbol of fearlessness and the power of the Dharma — his expression fierce, with three glaring eyes symbolizing his omniscient knowledge of past, present, and future, and his mouth displaying canine teeth. In his right hand he wields the sword of wisdom that cuts through ignorance and conceptual obscuration. In his left hand he holds the heart jewel (Tib: snying po nor bu) — the wish-fulfilling gem of spiritual attainment, not to be confused with a literal heart — near his chest, symbolizing his power to bestow the most essential realizations of the path. The jewel-producing mongoose Nehulay sits on his left arm, symbolizing his power to bestow material and spiritual prosperity. He wears the golden domed hat of the Gelug school, the same yellow tradition as Je Tsongkhapa, marking him as guardian specifically of the Gelug Dharma lineage. The ring of flames surrounding him represents pristine awareness consuming all neurotic states that obstruct realization.
Dorje Shugden Statue Features
This is a rare and difficult statue to source in Nepal — the technical demands of depicting Dorje Shugden’s wrathful form, snow lion mount, multiple attributes, and elaborate throne assembly at 22″ require a master artisan with specific experience in this iconographic tradition. The Newar artisans of Patan have supplied sacred Dharmapala sculpture to Tibetan monasteries for centuries, and this statue reflects that tradition at the highest level of scale and finish. It ships directly from Kathmandu with a certificate of authenticity issued by Nepal’s Department of Archaeology.
Authentic, Handmade in Nepal
Every statue and ritual item is handcrafted in Patan, Nepal, using traditional lost wax casting and comes with a certificate of authenticity issued by Nepal's Department of Archaeology, verifying its materials, technique, and origin.
