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Naga Kanya is a Hindu goddess. Easy to recognize. Her upper body is human and her lower body is that of a snake. She carries a crown with jewels on her head, and out of her neck five snake heads are forming a kind of crown. Naga Kanya means daughter of Naga. And the Nagas are responsible for the rain. This is it.
Naga Kanya in Nepalese Arts and Crafts
The majority of Nepal's population is Hindu. Buddhists are the second largest religious groups. But in Nepalese arts and crafts there is no sharp distinction between Hinduism and Buddhism. It is all a bit mingled. The Newari people, one of the many ethnic groups living in Nepal, have been famous for centuries for their skill in making metal statues all by hand by the lost wax method. Their statues have been in demand by Tibetan cloisters, by Indians and even by Chinese people for centuries.
I cannot remember of ever having seen Naga Kanya as a thangka motif. I can only remember statues. And Naga Kanya can of course be found in Indian paintings.
Dieter Wanczura, June 23, 2010.
