Mekhala and Kanakhala

Sisters Mekhala and Kanakhala dancing in the nude

Mekhala (Mekhalā or Mahakhala – "Elder Mischievous Girl", "The Elder Severed-Headed Sister") and Kanakhala (Kankhala, Kanakhalā – "Younger Mischievous Girl", "The Younger Severed-Headed Sister") are two sisters who figure in the eighty-four mahasiddhas ("great adept") of Vajrayana Buddhism. Both are described as the disciples of another mahasiddha, Kanhapa (Krishnacharya). They are said to have severed their heads, offered them to their guru, and danced headless. Their legend is closely associated with the Buddhist severed-headed goddess Chinnamunda.

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