The Shrine of Arya Tara at the northwest. Arya Tara is a very complex goddess and important in her own right. She is the protectress from evil as Astamahabhaya Tara, protrectress from illness as Kadhiravani Tara, and is manifest as 21 separate Taras as the verses of the "Hymn to Tara." However, in this context she is primarily the Prajna/Shakti of Amoghasiddhi Buddha. Arya Tara is paired with Amoghasiddhi and ostensibly should come after him in the circumambulation of the mandala/caitya. However, due to the requirement that the Buddha Shaktis appear to the proper left of the Buddhas (i.e., to the viewer's right) she must be placed after Amitabha.
