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This is one of the many forms of Avalokiteshvara comprising 108 as depicted in Kanakacaitya Mahavihara of Kathmandu.  Avalokiteshvara has 11 heads and 1,000 arms.  The main image is 8 armed.  In the Sahasrabhuja Avalokitesvara, depicted here, 8 arms are prominent.  The eleventh head on the top is of his spiritual sire, Buddha Amitabha.  The tenth head is a wrathful aspect of Vajrapani, while the other heads are placid.  The principal pair of hands are in Namaskar Mudra (gesture of adoration or prayer) while the uppermost right hand holds a rosary and the uppermost left hand holds a full blown lotus.  The  lower right hand is in Varada Mudra (charity gesture) and the lower left hand holds the holy vase.  In the middle right hand he holds the wheel with an om symbol and a bow and arrow in the middle left hand.  The pedestal is supported by two snow lions, to the left and right of the snow lions you will find engravings of double dorjes and in the bottom center an engraving of a single dorje.  The back is decorated with conch shells; a symbol of the proclamation of the Buddha's teachings.  The conch symbolizes the truth of the Dharma.  Just beneath the lotus seat of Avalokiteshvara is a depiction of one of the eight auspicious symbols, the wheel.

The story of the origin of this form of Avalokiteshvara is as follows:
It is said that Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara made strong vows before Buddha Amitabha to intentionally manifest into the three realms of samsara in order to liberate all sentient beings from samsara and to be their supreme spiritual guide.  He also vowed that if by chance his compassion and courageous mind of mercy for all sentient beings were to falter, that Buddha Amitabha should then let his head and body just completely crack and fall into one thousand pieces.  Receiving blessings from Buddha Amitabha, Avalokiteshvara went through universal manifestations into the three realms of existence.  Thereafter he went to hell and emancipated beings from both the hot and the cold hells by teaching the mantra of Great Compassion.  He in turn went to the ghost, human, asura and deva realms to free sentient beings from their respective types of suffering.  Through these actions, he thoroughly emptied the ocean of suffering.  Following this he went back to Buddha Amitabha and declared that the liberation had been concluded.  Buddha Amitabha said to Avalokiteshvara, "You should look again, look back again and again into the world", and as he did, there he saw once again that sentient beings were in samsara and in sorrow, at that moment as he lost heart, his enlightened thought, his bodhicitta diminished.  He became disappointed in the very presence of Buddha Amitabha.  He thought, "How could the time come to liberate all sentient beings forever from this type of condition?"  And instantly when his mind despaired his body and head just cracked and fell part into 1,000 pieces, and henceforth he fainted.  Buddha Amitabha then said to him, "My son, where has your courage and mental strength gone?"  Buddha Amitabha then picked up all of the pieces of Avalokiteshvara's body and head and at the same time he said, "This happened because of your prayer.  You deserve the praise of all Buddhas since your prayer was efficacious.  However, noble son, do not worry.  He then blessed his broken head into eleven faces his broken body emanated one thousand hands like one thousand petals of a lotus.  Thereafter he said, "I bow to you because your thousand hands are the hands of a thousand universal emperors and those eyes in each of the palms of the hands are eyes of one thousand Buddhas who will appear in this fortunate eon.  After that, Avalokiteshcvara appeared in many different forms in order to ease the suffering of all sentient beings and he successfully accomplished innumerable altruistic actions.

Many Himalayan versions of the tale include eight arms with which Avalokitesvara skillfully upholds the Dharma, each possessing its own particular implement.  His Mantra "Om Mane Padme Hum" is found inscribed on rocks, temples and prayer wheels throughout Tibet and Asia.

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