Sunday, June 18, 2006
Making a Mandala
As previously reported, from the press coverage, a group of Buddhist monks are currently here in La Orotava, Tenerife, making one of their traditional mandalas and which is being integrated with the town's traditional sand carpet for this week's Corpus Cristi celebrations.
Jose Mesa wrote to me this morning to say that he has put a provisional set of photos online, showing the monks starting on their work. Yes, he was there in person. On Friday, he says, after they had consecrated the area, they spent six or seven hours drawing out the design. Yesterday, Saturday, they started to fill it in with the colored sand and, as far as I am aware, it will take them a few more days yet before it is fully finished. It is a painstaking and fascinating work of art.
As well as the Buddhist monks and, of course, La Orotava's own alfombristas (carpet makers), there are also representations here from Mexico, Japan, Italy and possibly others this year. Since this is such a new and unique occurrence - usually it is only the local carpets - I hope to get there on Thursday to see them finished and, naturally, take some pictures for you to see.
It's possible that Jose might be going again also and, since he takes MUCH better photos than I do, this really gives us something to look forward to.
Making a Mandala
Jose Mesa wrote to me this morning to say that he has put a provisional set of photos online, showing the monks starting on their work. Yes, he was there in person. On Friday, he says, after they had consecrated the area, they spent six or seven hours drawing out the design. Yesterday, Saturday, they started to fill it in with the colored sand and, as far as I am aware, it will take them a few more days yet before it is fully finished. It is a painstaking and fascinating work of art.
As well as the Buddhist monks and, of course, La Orotava's own alfombristas (carpet makers), there are also representations here from Mexico, Japan, Italy and possibly others this year. Since this is such a new and unique occurrence - usually it is only the local carpets - I hope to get there on Thursday to see them finished and, naturally, take some pictures for you to see.
It's possible that Jose might be going again also and, since he takes MUCH better photos than I do, this really gives us something to look forward to.
Making a Mandala
