Precision

Precision, a photo by henrikj on Flickr.

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We arrived off-season in Leh after crossing the Himalayas on our bicycles. Shops were closing down for the seasons and most tourist had left a few weeks ago. We were almost completely alone when we visited the magnificent Leh Palace. After existing the palace, we noticed a small hand written sign that said "Exhibition on Sand Mandala and Butter Sculpture".

We were naturally intrigued and entered a nearby building. During the past two years, monks of the Chemde Monastery had practiced to make Sand Mandalas and Butter sculptures, as the knowledge of how to make them was rapidly decreasing. A Butter Sculpture is, as the name impedes, a sculpture made of butter. The sculptures can be very elaborate and they often depict scenes and stories from Tibetan Buddhist tradition. A Sand Mandala (http://goo.gl/pqXkd) is a circular drawing, purely made of sand, dedicated to different tantric deities. Once completed, both the Butter Sculpure and the Mandala is destroyed.

Once again, we were very lucky. The exhibition was the final part of the training and this was its last day. During three days, the monks had completed at least twenty small butter scupltures that were displayed on a small altar. In the middle of the room, twelve monks were busy making the final touches to two beautiful sand Mandalas. We sat down and watched, amazed, as the monks added, moved or removed single grains of sand to the Mandalas.