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The completed mandala - intricate and colorful - in vivid red, yellow, green, blue, and white.
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Tibetan Healing Mandala

Image Gallery

Our photographer, John Tsantes and his staff documented the construction of the mandala.

Monks in ceremonial garments, including a colorful headdress bedecked with serpents and a skull performe a ceremonial chant and dance.
Monks in ceremonial garments, including a colorful headdress bedecked with serpents and a skull performe a ceremonial chant and dance.
Young monks dressed in maroon assist and old monk clad in yellow to create the first guide line in white chalk on the table where the mandala will be created.
Monks in red use a large protractor to create guides on the table.
A crowd watches as monks in red continue to draw guidelines in white chalk on the table where the mandala will be created.
A crowd watches as two monks stand close over the table to continue drawing guidelines. The dark table is covered in a complex grid.
Three monks innred continue to use string guides to draw guidelines on the table.
Four monks in red begin adding white sand to the center of the mandala. Two stand, leaning far over the table, while two more sit cross-legged on top of the table.
Four monks in red begin adding white sand to the center of the mandala. Two stand, leaning far over the table, while two more sit cross-legged on top of the table.
Three monks in red begin adding white sand to the center of the mandala. One stands, leaning far over the table, while two more sit cross-legged on top of the table.
Two monks in red lean in close to the mandala. The center is already intricately drawn. They very steadily place sand upon a raised boarder surrounding the center of the mandala.
Four monks in red lean in close to the mandala. The center is already intricately drawn. They very steadily place sand upon a raised boarder surrounding the center of the mandala. One is seated on the table.
A single monk in red leans in close to the mandala, with cushions under his forearms to steady him.
Three monks lean in close, working on the mandala.
Close-up of five monks working on the mandala.
Close-up of several monks working on the mandala.
The mandala, in progress, in brilliant bright colors.
A monk in red concentrates as he adds sand to the mandala.
A monk leans over and rests his upper body on the table to steady himself and lean in close to the mandala.
A spread of offerings, including a bowl of rice with flowers, an ornate gold centerpiece, and a bowl containing Snickers bars.
Several monks in red, all leaning over the table, heads down as they work on the mandala.
Three monks work on the edge of the mandala.
Six monks in red lean against the table to work on the mandala, while another monk faces and engages with a crowd behind them.
Several monks in red lean against the table to work on the mandala, while another monk faces and engages with a crowd behind them.
Monks lean in close, heads down as they work on the edge of the mandala.
Several monks in red, all leaning over the table, heads down as they work on the mandala.
Six monks in red lean against the table to work on the mandala, while another monk faces and engages with a crowd behind them.
The completed mandala - intricate and colorful - in bright red, yellow, green, blue, and white.
Two men shake hands, while a third man holding a white cloth stands to the side.
A monk in red and gold robes, wearing a yellow crested headdress chants over the finished mandala. Monks wearing the same clothes are seated in meditation behind him.
A monk in red and gold robes, wearing a yellow crested headdress leans over the finished mandala, holding a bell. Monks wearing the same clothes are seated in meditation behind him.
A monk in red and gold robes, wearing a yellow crested headdress leans over the finished mandala, holding a bell. Monks wearing the same clothes are seated in meditation behind him.
A monk in red and gold robes, wearing a yellow crested headdress leans over the finished mandala, holding a bell. Monks wearing the same clothes are seated in meditation behind him.
A young monk wearing gold and red robes creates the first brush-stroke to begin destroying the mandala.
Close-up of a monk's hand. He works the brush through the sand in back-and-forth movements, and the colors blur together.
A young monk wearing gold and red robes continues drawing the brush through the mandala, destoying the image and blending the colors of a portion of the mandala.
A young monk wearing gold and red robes continues drawing the brush through the mandala, destoying the image and blending the colors of a portion of the mandala.
A young monk wearing gold and red robes continues drawing the brush through the mandala, destoying the image and blending the colors of the mandala, now almost completely destroyed.
Several monks in red and gold robes stand around the table as the mandala is now completely destroyed by radial, even brushtrokes.
Monks collect the sand of the destroyed mandala in a Ziploc bag.
A smiling young monk distributes small bags of sand from the destroyed mandala to people outside the museum.
A monk distributes small bags of sand from the destroyed mandala to a crowd outside the museum.
A monk in red distributes small bags of sand from the mandala to people outside the museum.
A procession of monks leaving the Sackler.
A profession of monks through the Smithsonian gardens outside the museum.
A procession of monks walking past the Freer.
A procession of monks along with a crowd of people walking from the museum in the direction of the Tidal Basin.
A procession of monks going over a bridge to the Tidal Basin.
Monks in red and gold robes, wearing yellow crested head-dresses line up around the Tidal Basin. One of them holds a colorful gankyil.
A monk in red and gold robes and a yellow crested headdress pours sand from the mandala into the Tidal Basin.
A monk in red and gold robes and a yellow crested headdress pours sand from the mandala into the Tidal Basin as the sun begins to set..
A monk in red and gold robes and a yellow crested headdress pours sand from the mandala into the Tidal Basin. The sun is setting behind the buildings, reflecting a pink and blue sky upon the water.
Monks wave joyously after the ceremony has been completed.
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