CSMVS hosts live art of sand mandala by Buddhist monks

Four Buddhist monks from the Gyudmed Tantric Monastery in Karnataka are creating an intricate, 4/4 metre sand mandala, before the life-size statue of Maitreya or the Buddha of the future, inside the first-floor gallery

MUMBAI: Away from the crowds and chaos of the ongoing Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, a quiet, meditative and intensive art practice unfolds at the Himalayan gallery of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS). Four Buddhist monks from the Gyudmed Tantric Monastery in Karnataka are creating an intricate, 4/4 metre sand mandala, before the life-size statue of Maitreya or the Buddha of the future, inside the first-floor gallery.

CSMVS hosts live art of sand mandala by Buddhist monks

Seated cross-legged on a slightly raised table, monks Sonam Punchok, Ngodu Tsering, Thupten Tsultrim and Lobzang Choygal are bent over the geometric diagram, which also feature floral and freehand motifs. While they colour the tiny details of the mandala with a copper funnel called a chak-pur, tapping it with a wooden stick to release the coloured sand slowly, curious visitors stand transfixed, watching the therapeutic process of creation. “The making of the sand mandala, the living culture of the Vajrayana Buddhism is a slow and steady process that requires a lot of patience,” says Joyoti Roy, assistant director project and public relations of CSMVS. “The museum often invites such practices to demonstrate how performative rituals and displayed objects come together in reality,” she adds. This project is one such, facilitated by the department of information and international relations, Central Tibetan Administration, Dharamshala.

But not all monks can make sand mandalas. Punchok and his friends have studied the art for about a year at their monastery, which also houses an institute of Buddhism studies. They must also pass an exam, which tests their skills and knowledge of the scriptures on mandala. Punchok and other monks from his monastery have been invited to create sand mandalas in Germany, Russia, Singapore, Thailand and other countries. “It takes a lot of time and dedication to learn how to make sand mandalas,” says Punchok.

Initially, when they start, their backs and eyes hurt from bending over and squinting for long durations. “It is hard. But after some time, you get used to it,” adds Punchok.

Though what’s surprising is that the painstakingly created work over several days, and with so much precision, dedication and back-breaking hard work is almost immediately destroyed after it’s completed. “It does feel bad, but it’s in line with the teachings of Buddhism,” says Punchok. “The practice reiterates that nothing is permanent,” explains Roy.

(Watch the sand mandala being made at the Himalayan gallery at CSMVS, Fort today.

Time: Today; 10.30 am to 6 pm

Entry fee: ₹200)

EOM