The Sacred Art of Sand MandalasNovember 1 to November 5
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
Union Station
Witness the construction of an ancient art form as the Tibetan monks of the Drepung Gomang Monastery construct a mandala, or Tibetan sand painting. The mandala (from a Sanskrit word meaning “world in harmony”) is a three-dimensional form composed of colored sand.
The Monks begin by consecrating the site of the mandala sand painting with a ceremony of chants, music and mantra recitation. Over the next 4-5 days, they will pour millions of grains of sand, using traditional metal funnels called chak-pur, to create the mandala.
Once complete, the mandala is consecrated and then swept up to symbolize the impermanence of all that exists. Half of the sand may be distributed to the audience in small bags as blessings for personal health and healing. Then the monks, along with spectators, travel to a body of water, where the sand is ceremonially poured into the water in order to spread the healing energies of the mandala throughout the world.
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