From Monday 10th to Friday 14th August, visitors are invited to experience the vibrant traditions of Tibetan Buddhist culture through a series of free performances and hands-on family workshops led by monks from Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. Featuring sacred music, ceremonial dance, and interactive creative activities, these events offer a rare opportunity to discover the artistry, symbolism, and spiritual practices of one of Tibet’s great monastic traditions.

Monday 10th August – Friday 14th August  

Construction of the Mandala in the Gallery- 10.30 – 4.00pm (last entry 3.30pm) 

Join eight Tibetan monks from Tashi Lhunpo Monastery during their residency at Harewood as they create an intricate sand mandala and offer an introduction to the arts, dance and music of a Tibetan monastery. From the dedication ceremony in the Gallery on Monday 10th August through the week see how the monks painstakingly place millions of grains of coloured sand into a design symbolizing a beautiful palace for the Buddha – a form of meditation in the Tantric tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. In a moving final ritual on the afternoon of Saturday 15th August, witness the destruction of the mandala as the meditation is completed. 

Info about the Mandala: 

Tibet – the Land of Snows: home to Buddhist lamas whose ancient rituals have fascinated people for centuries.  From the Tantric tradition of Tibet five monks from Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in India bring the unique art of sand mandala making, using millions of grains of coloured sand to represent a Buddha’s earthly palace.  Watch as the monks build up the intricate design of the Twenty-one Tara Mandala, memorised during years of study, from the first grain of sand to the final ceremony of the ritual dismantling of the mandala.   

Monday 10th August – Friday 14th August 

Performance on the Terrace (library steps)- 2.00 – 2.30pm 

Each afternoon the monks will present a taste of their unique monastic dance, performed in the Gyutor Festival in the monastery in preparation for the Tibetan New Year.  The great Dungchen (long horns) announce the performance of sacred dance and music, with colourful costumes and traditional instruments. 

Tuesday 11th August + Wednesday 12th August  

Free, drop-in workshop in the Education Suite – 11.00 – 12.00pm
Suitable for ages 5+ 

Meet the Tibetan monks from Tashi Lhunpo Monastery and experience first-hand Buddhist monastic culture.  You can have a go at prayer flag printing, try making butter sculpture and using the chagpurs, special tools used for making a sand mandala in the Tantric tradition.  Or perhaps make a Dukar Protection Wheel which will be blessed with a prayer at the end of the workshop.   

Saturday 15th August  

Destruction of the Mandala – 2.00 – 2.30pm in the Gallery, 2.30pm onwards procession to the cascade where members of the public are invited to watch the destruction of the Mandala near the Stupa