The
monks were quite happy to share their work with us.Home Indian Trips <<Previous Ladakh Next>>
Whilst at Spituk we were lucky enough to see some monks working on a sand mandala. This was in preparation for a festival later in the week. The monks spend seven days working on the mandela, drawing it in coloured sand through special pipes, following a strictly laid out plan. The mandala is a representation of the pantheon of spirits in various layers of the cosmos. After the festival the drawing will be ceremonially destroyed, the sand gathered and then taken to the river to be returned to the water.
The process of drawing is regarded as a meditative and prayer process for the monk. It takes many years of training to reach the skill necessary to draw the ceremonial mandalas.
The
monks were quite happy to share their work with us.
Various
tools used in the drawing
This drawing is different from some in that it also has a three dimensional component that is not always present
The
work is very demanding. The monk is using one pipe to gently tap sand out
from the other onto the drawing.
The
final work is extremely detailed and delicate.