The paper discusses a group of dhāraṇīs associated with the seven days (saptavāra) of the week, with each dhāraṇī being recited on a specific day. The visual forms of the dhāraṇīs were represented in miniature paintings in manuscripts of the saptavāra texts and in woodcarvings on the struts of two Newar Buddhist monasteries in Kathmandu. The paper shows that even though two members of the saptavāra group were originally male, eventually all members came to be conceived of as feminine in Nepal. It further provides evidence that the group is likely to have become known in Nepal by at least the late sixteenth century.
