A black ground thangka of Mahakala Panjarnata

Among the various Buddhist deities surrounding the central figure of Mahakala is Dorje Shugden, riding a black horse, in the bottom right corner. Among the Sakya lineage, from which this painting descends, worship of Dorje Shugden has generally diminished since the beginning of the 20th century to the point where monasteries in Tibet and India no longer make offerings to him.

In the Gelug tradition, the popularity of Dorje Shugden increased in the early 20th century and reached its peak at mid-century. Since the 1970s, however, the Dalai Lama has discouraged worshipping Dorje Shugden, viewing him as a harmful ghost spirit. While many have followed the word of the Dalai Lama, there still exists a group of Gelugpa Buddhists that fervently worship the deity; the diverging views continue to be a controversial point of contention amongst Buddhist followers.