In Vajrayana Buddhism, Mahakala is one of the eight great wrathful dharma protectors, a remover of obstacles, both internal and external. Mahakala has many forms, but is generally depicted as a fierce deity with a large belly, dark blue or black in color. One especially important form is the Panjaranatha Mahakala, “Lord of the [Bone] Pavilion,” who was a special protector of the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and its imperial Mongol patrons. Forms of Mahakala also appear in Hinduism, where the deity is associated with Bhairava.