Tara is a fully enlightened buddha who promised, before attaining buddhahood, to manifest in the form of a female bodhisattva and deity to benefit all beings. Her main activity is to protect beings from the eight fears. Tara, in Tibetan Drol-ma, is the deity of protection and compassion, represents the enlightened activities of all the Buddhas, and is one of the most practised deities in Tibet.

With his infinite compassion and great vision to benefit all beings, Lama Zopa Rinpoche expressed his wish that a statue of Tara be built in O Sel Ling and placed on the esplanade above the Dome to transform the area into a place for reading and meditation.

The artist Beltrand Cayla was in charge of carrying out this great project following Rinpoche’s detailed advice to create a completely original piece that was completed in 2009. Lama Zopa has commented that this statue is historical and that there will be many others like it.