A Mandala of Hindu Beliefs

Mandala means "circle" in Sanskrit. Mandalas are circular diagrams that originated in Hinduism to symbolize the cyclical nature of the universe. Hindus and Buddhists often use mandalas to focus themselves during meditation and increase spiritual awareness.

Mandalas can range from very simple to very complex. They can be made up of images or repeating patterns. Mandalas can be monotone or many colors.

Mandalas are often made to be temporary. Some of the most common mandalas are made of sand. Sand mandalas take hours, sometimes days to complete, and often take the work of many people.

The work of creating a mandala can be considered a form of meditation. When the mandala is finished, it is swept away, often ceremoniously. This sweeping away of the mandala represents the cyclical nature of life. Watch these Buddhist monks create a sand mandala using time-lapse video. 


In this post are some examples of mandalas. Today, we will begin creating our own mandalas, representing the ideas of Hinduism.