BALLARAT will play host to a group of Tibetan monks from the Sera Je Monastery in India this week.
The monks, headed by the director of the Drol Kar Buddhist Centre in Geelong, Geshe Sonam, will undertake a variety of activities at the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, including meditations, Buddhist teachings and the creation of a sand mandala.
The mandala will be created with coloured sands at the gallery during the next six days, before being dissolved on Sunday.
The artwork represents the cycle of life and death and aims to generate positive energy.
Geraldine Michel, who has helped organise the monks visit, said the visit was designed to promote human kindness and compassion.
Ms Michel said it also aimed to raise funds to help improve the living conditions for monks at the Sera Je Monastery.
As part of their visit, the monks will hold a concert of sacred dance and chants at the Ballarat Mining Exchange on Saturday.
