Description: In Buddhism, fierce deities are the fierce, wrathful or forceful (Tibetan: trowo, Sanskrit: krodha) forms of enlightened Buddhas, Bodhisattvas or Devas. Because of their power to destroy and surpass the obstacles to enlightenment, they are also termed krodha-vighnantaka, (fierce destroyers of obstacles). Protecting deities are notable figures of the Mahayana iconography and of Vajrayana Buddhism. These types of deities first emerged in India at the end of the 6th century; their main source was the Yaksha image which later became a central feature of Indian Tantric Buddhism until the end of the 10th century.