Telfair proudly announces the return of the Tibetan monks of Drepung Loseling Monastery to the museum to create a healing sand mandala at the Telfair Academy. The monks last visited Telfair in 2016 and are one of the museum’s most frequently requested programs. The opening program begins with sacred music and chants, after which the lamas (monks) begin by drawing the mandala’s outline on a wooden platform. On the following three days, the lamas will create the mandala by painstakingly pouring the sand from traditional metal funnels called chak-purs. At completion the monks will conduct a closing ceremony and the mandala will be deconstructed as a metaphor of the impermanence of life. The sands are swept up and placed in an urn. To fulfill the function of healing, half is distributed to the audience, while the remainder is carried to the Savannah River.

Due to limited seating, the opening and closing events are ticketed with discounts to Telfair members. During the mandala construction days admission is free to members.

Please Note

Official Guides of Savannah aims to provide the most up-to-date information on events listed on The Lobby List. In the event of a change, we will do our best to make sure it is reflected in our list. However, the best source for current information is the link to the actual event included in The Lobby List posting.