NORTHEAST INDIA, PALA PERIOD, 12TH CENTURY

The present example is unusual in that there are ten roundels depicting the ten avatars of Vishnu in the aureole above. Starting at lower left and moving clockwise, they are Matsya killing the demon, Kurma the turtle in the story of the Samudra Manthan, Varaha the boar raising up the world from the ocean, Narasimha killing the tyrant Hiranyakashipu, Vamana the dwarf, Parashurama with an axe, Rama with his bow, Krishna, Buddha and finally Kalki on his steed.