Mahakala Masterworks - Art History - Iconography - Religious Context - Videos General Introduction: Mahakala (Great Black One) is a category of male Tantric Buddhist deities.The common function of Mahakala is as a protector (Dharmapala) deity and specifically the primary Wisdom Protector of Himalayan and Tibetan Buddhism. In some cases, Mahakala can also be a meditational deity (ishtadevata ...