Of all the artistic traditions of Tantric Buddhism, that of painting with coloured sand is one of the most exquisite.  The Mandala essentially is a representation of the celestial mansion or abode of a principal deity or deities, surrounded by their retinues, and representing the paths and fruits of the particular cycle of practices.  To make a sand Mandala, millions of grains of sand are painstakingly laid into place in an intricate design over a period of several days using hollow tubes called chagpurs.  The material used is ground marble dust – but in ancient times powdered precious and semi-precious stones were also used.

Exhibitions take place over a period of between two and six days, depending on the mandala being constructed.  The exhibition begins with a short dedication prayer, and on completion, the mandala is dismantled in a moving ceremony during which the sand is swept into the centre of the table, symbolizing the impermanence of all things.  A small amount of sand is poured into running water, and people attending the ceremony can take away with them small bags of sand as a memory of the event.