A group called The Mystical Arts of Tibet travels around the world to share their culture

Apr 30, 2014 11:43 GMT  ·  By
The Mystical Arts of Tibet create intricate artworks using millions of grains of sand
   The Mystical Arts of Tibet create intricate artworks using millions of grains of sand

A group of traveling monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery in India use millions of grains of sand to create stunning works of art, which are usually deconstructed shortly after their completion as a way to illustrate the transient nature of life.

Their intricate form of art is called mandala sand painting. The amazing designs are made with millions of colored grains of sand over a period of days or weeks. According to Daily Mail, each mandala artwork takes a group of ten monks up to 30 hours to complete.

The surprising part of their performance is the fact that they swipe the paintings away once complete, in a bid to teach people nothing lasts forever.

“From all the artistic traditions of Tantric Buddhism, that of painting with colored sand ranks as one of the most unique and exquisite. In Tibetan this art is called dul-tson-kyil-khor, which literally means ‘mandala of colored powders,’” it is explained on the group's website.

The group of monks travel the world under the name of The Mystical Arts of Tibet, and besides painting, they also perform a variety of traditional songs and dances.

To create a mandala, they use a flat wooden platform on which they draw different geometrical shapes and a multitude of ancient spiritual symbols. Then, the grains of sand are painstakingly laid into place on that platform to create incredibly beautiful designs.

To pour the grains of sand, the monks use traditional metal funnels called chak-purs. Each of them holds a chak-pur in one hand, while running a metal rod on its grated surface to create vibrations and make the sand flow like liquid.

It's definitely not an easy technique, and it takes a long time to master. This unique form of art requires a lot of patience, skill and control, but the results are truly amazing.

Gala Rinpoche, a spokesperson for the Mystical Arts of Tibet, tried to explain the complex technique by saying, “The learning process for mandala sand painting is quite vigorous and takes long time to learn. First artist monks must be initiated by qualified teachers and receive all the required empowerments.”

“After that, one can learn the arts of pouring the sand, for which one has to learn the correct body postures and breathing. One must have passion, dedication for arts and must know benefits and meaning of the arts. Then everything comes easily,” he adds.

When the painting is complete, the sands are usually swept away and placed in an urn. If the design was created as part of a ceremony, half of the sand is distributed to the audience to fulfill the function of healing.