Mandalas have been used as a mechanism to focus one's attention on a subject of great interest for one or more persons. For centuries, the
Mandala has been used in the Far Eastern Hemisphere; one specific use is to focus one's mind in meditation and prayers, so as to attract the good fortune and blessings given by the Universe. When the liturgy is complete, the Mandala is swept away with clean water and allowed to run into the nearby flowing waters so the blessings received could be passed onto others in the world, and to the places they lived.
In ancient Sanskrit,
"Mandala" has the meaning of
"circle", and this circle was used to house a small replica of the Universe, with focus on a specific goal or outcome as expressed in the design of the
Mandala.
Most Hindu and Buddhist
Mandalas are
square, depicting four gates surrounding a circle. Each gate is in the shape of a T. Other spiritual
Mandalas are circular, but also include a square and the four gates representing the four compass points, where energy flowed into and out of the
Mandala. Many also contain the representation of a large and opulent palace at the center as a focus point.
There is no single design for a
Mandala. Rather, the
Mandala can take multiple forms based on the portents and philosophy of the groups using them. The variety of these used in modern times is quite varied, and may or may not have any meaning beyond exciting a viewers artistic emotions. Besides spiritual benefits, they are used as teaching aids, much as modern charts and illustrations in school books.
Because of the self-similar portions of a
Mandala pattern, they can be considered a very specific Mathematical instance of a 2- or 3-dimensional fractal, or a multi-fold kaleidoscopic image.
Mandalas are usually very colorful designs, sometimes with extremely intricate and complex shapes. They are filled with an abundance of details, which are designed to help one focus on the topic of interest, as well as the center point.
If you would like to read more on the history and substance of
Mandalas, here are some external link with wonderful information about them:
Mandala Links Wikipedia - [link]
The Mandala Project - [link]
The Mandala - [link]
Make a Sand Mandala Video - [link]
Photo Gallery Depicting The Steps in Making a Sand Mandala - [link]
For our members, we hope that you are enjoying the challenges, as well as learning something (even if totally unrelated to the
Mandalas.) We feel it is important for artists to not only follow the design guidelines, but to also interact with one another. These basic concepts allow artist to circulate in the world of artistic technique and the world of clients; they are entirely different worlds of their own. The synergy these create here at
MandalaChallenges fill the world of our artists and their following, particularly here at deviantArt.com.
We hope that you, our audience, also enjoy the images created by our members. Each
Mandala is a unique artwork created according a specific set of rules and instructions for one challenge competition. Our members are a wonderful set of artists who take their precious time to specialize in creating these beautiful works of art. They look forward to your comments and ideas. Help support them by viewing their work, commenting on them, and perchance, make an item purchase which praises their work and helps to support the cost of their tools and media.
May the blessings and graces inherent all of these
Mandalas flow from our members into your life, and bring goodness to you and your family and your friends. It time to go make some
Mandalas for these blessings now!
Sta.sh
The mandalas are my favorites 
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Enjoying The Show 
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