Delegation of Monks from India Begins Creating a Sand Mandala

Today, work began at the Central Khurul on a sand mandala of the Buddha of longevity and compassion — Amitayus.

From early morning, everything followed ancient tradition: first, the monks held a morning prayer service and special rituals to purify the space, remove potential obstacles, and fill their intentions with light and kindness. This is an important spiritual preparation, without which work on the sacred creation cannot begin.

The entire process is imbued with calm and serenity. As tradition requires, the skilled monks began by drawing the plan of the sacred palace they would create for the deity.

Precise lines, essential axes — no detail here is arbitrary, and each carries deep meaning. Taking turns, they move on to the main task: using special metal tubes called chak-pur, the monks begin laying out the pattern with tiny grains of sand. Gentle vibrations from tapping allow the sand to fall in an extremely fine stream. The process is mesmerizing. Notably, the artisans work strictly from the center toward the edges: after all, the center — the “heart” of the palace — is created first.

Creating a mandala — is painstaking work that takes many days and requires both precision and the monks’ inner focus. Every stage, from drawing the plan to laying out the sand, follows strict traditional rules and is accompanied by the recitation of mantras.

Dear devotees and visitors to the capital, be sure to visit the khurul over these days to see this sacred creation take shape: there is a special beauty and peace in this quiet, focused work. May the creation of the mandala benefit all beings!