The hidden kingdom of Shambhala, believed to be north of the Tibetan plateau is depicted here with circular geography, surrounded by an impenetrable mass of mountains. The mystical land is ruled by an emanation of the bodhisattva of wisdom, the Glorious One with a Melodious Voice (Manjushri).

A temple within the royal precinct of Kalapa protects the Kalachakra (Wheel of Time) mandala, the source of Tibetan Buddhist teachings wherein time here is employed as a metaphor symbolizing the process of transformation from a mundane existence towards Buddhahood.

The landscape, replete with domiciles, gardens, and pathways, is protected by a dome of wisdom fire and the Shambhala kings depicted here. A worldly progenitor of this Pureland teaching, a Jonang lama, floats at top center. The bright blues and greens, and the tiny vegetation scattered across the mountains on the bottom register are executed in a style consistent with a nineteenth-century date.