The construction will begin with an opening ceremony of chanting and music on Wednesday, November 6 at 12:00 PM. Over the next five days, the monks will pour millions of grains of sand into place, resulting in a mandala approximately 4’ x 4’ in size. The public is welcome to observe the process during the Museum’s regular hours of operation (9:00 AM – 5:00 PM).

A lecture about the meaning of the mandala will take place on Sunday, November 10 at 1:30 PM. A closing ceremony will follow at 3:30 PM, where the mandala will be consecrated and its sand swept up, done as a metaphor for the impermanence of life.

Thanks to our venue sponsor – the Kalamazoo Valley Museum – these mandala events are free to the general public.

In conjunction with this mandala sand painting, the monks will be performing a concert of song and dance at the Comstock Auditorium on Friday, November 8 at 7:30 PM. Tickets are $20, $18 for seniors, and $5 for ages 25 and under.

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Running October 18 - December 1, 2019, the Connecting Chords Music Festival events center around the common convictions and threads that draw our community together – the importance of cultural traditions, human dignity, and the increased understanding of various faith traditions.

Learn more about the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music at www.mfsm.us.