The mandala is a formal geometric pattern representing the floor plan of a sacred mansion. The actual construction begins with the drawing of the design on the base. The artists measure out and draw the architectural lines using a straight-edge ruler, compass and white ink pen. Once the diagram is laid out, coloured sand is applied to the mandala through the end of a metal funnel, known as a chang-bu. Other popular substances are powdered flowers, herbs or grains, as well as powdered and coloured stones.
Intricate patterns reflect many levels of understanding.
The design is ritually prepared over a period of days, then blown away to represent the impermanence of life. The sand, which has been blessed throughout the process, is seen to benefit the land and rivers it comes in contact with. Tibetans believe that a sand Mandala contains the knowledge to achieve enlightenment in this lifetime. The creation of a sand painting is said to effect a purification and healing. The artists begin from the inside of the design and work outward, to symbolize how at birth a child is just a drop of sperm and ovum, and then steadily grows, until eventually the entire universe becomes experienced through the senses.