In Sacred India, Sacred Tibet, the Museum of Fine Arts explores the varying paths of Hinduism and Buddhism — spawned from the ancient practices of the civilizations that occupied India more than 4,000 years ago — via the religious visual arts that came from both. The works on display are drawn from MFA's personal collection and include an array of bronzes as well as wood sculptures and paintings ranging from the 10th to early 20th centuries.
The museum hosts several related events in celebration of Sacred India, Sacred Tibet, including this weekend's Tibetan Sand Mandala in the Great Hall. (A sand mandala is a work of art produced with colored sand and symbolizes the transitory nature of life.)
Drigung Kagyu monks Lama Tharchin and Lama Shenphen work on a sand mandala of Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion and patron saint of Tibet (Nov. 15, 20-21 and 24, 10 a.m.-noon and 2-4:30 p.m.). The final ceremony for the sand mandala occurs during MFA's Indian and Tibetan Festival Family Day (10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat., Nov. 24).
For more info, visit fine-arts.org.
Sacred India, Sacred Tibet, through Feb. 24, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun., 255 Beach Drive N.E., St. Petersburg, $8 adults/$7 seniors/$4 students and children 7-18, 727-896-2667.
This article appears in Nov 14-20, 2007.