Shrine of the 1st Celestial Buddha. Vairochana on the East side of the base of the Temple of Adi Buddha, Sambhunath - April 1854.

Watercolour of the shrine of the 1st Celestial Buddha, Vairochana, at Swayambhunath in Nepal, by Henry Ambrose Oldfield (1822-1871), dated April 1854. This image is inscribed on the reverse: 'Shrine of the 1st Celestial Buddha. Vairochana on the East side of the base of the Temple of Adi Buddha, Sambhunath. April 1854', together with notes.
Dr Oldfield, who was Residency Surgeon at Kathmandu from 1850-1863, wrote in Volume II of his 'Sketches from Nipal, Historical and Descriptive...' (1880): "Round the base of the hemisphere or mound of the temple and built partly into its plinth, opposite the four cardinal points, are five large shrines, covered with copper-gilt, and each of which contains a gilt image, rather larger than life size, of one of the divine Buddhas. The shrine of Vairochana is close to that of Akshobya, and, therefore, faces a little to the south of east. These are the five shrines that were built by Rajah Partab Mall, and they are, therefore, nearly two hundred and twenty years old. The image of Vairochana is a new one, having been put in its place in 1818, by some pious Niwar, in consequence of the old image having been much injured, and its gold coating stolen."

Source : British Library