Many readers have asked me about the sand used in creating sand mandalas. What is it? Where does it come from? Is it store-bought? If not, how is it made? How is it colored? Is it colored with natural dyes?
So I asked a monk friend of mine, who resides at Namgyal Monastery in Dharamsala, India, and here’s what he told me.
There in India, the colored sand is handmade. Special white stones are picked from the banks of rivers located in the nearby larger towns of Manali or Rewalsar. After transporting these stones back to the monastery, junior monks crush the stones manually in a “thick iron pot.” Gee, are you thinking what I’m thinking? A gigantic mortar and pestle? Wow, can you imagine the labor?!
When the stone is finally crushed into a sandy powder, they then wash it over and over again, adding natural fabric dyes purchased from local markets. Finally, the sand is put in the sun to dry.
The monks make a variety of sand, from courser to more refined. The quality used depends on the design element of the mandalas. For example, fine quality sand must be used for details, such as the faces of deities and animal figures, or the delicate ornamentation of architecture.
When monks travel, such as for example those in Sacred Arts Tour who create mandalas in America, they may buy pre-made colored sand in the U.S. However, they often still have to custom-make certain colors because not all store-bought ones are suitable for the specific symbolic colors of mandalas.