Thiksey Gustor

Thiksey Gustor is held on the 17th, 18th and 19th day of the 9th month of Tibetan lunar calendar every year. It is a traditional ceremony conducted in the monasteries of Gelukpa order of Tibetan Buddhism. During these days of festival mask dances are performed by monks of the monastery wearing colorful silk brocaded robes and mask in different forms of Gods and Goddesses Sand mandalas of Guyusamaja, Chakrasamvara, Vajravairava are made every year. Sand mandalas are made inside the Main Temple in the Fourth, Sixth and Eight months of the Tibetan calendar representing the abodes of these deities. Sand Mandalas are made using millions of grains of coloured ‘sand’ made from powdered stone placed painstakingly into intricate designs using hollow metal funnels called chagpurs. Mandalas are used as an aid to meditation, during which the monks visualise transforming themselves into the deities represented in the design. Once the initiation and meditation is complete, the mandala is destroyed illustrating the principle of the impermanence of all things