The Cultural Pageant is part of a six-day visit by the monks hosted by the Mariposa Museum and World Culture Center in Peterborough. At the museum, the monks will create a sand mandala, sell traditional crafts, and share their culture with visitors. Work on the mandala will commence with an opening ceremony, April 12th, at 10 a.m., and conclude with a Closing Ceremony — including the dismantling of the mandala and procession to the river at 3 p.m. April 17th. Admission is free to Mariposa members, with a multi-day pass available to non-members for $10 for adults, $9 for seniors, and $8 for children.

The Cultural Pageant is a new component of the monks’ visit to Peterborough and will include a ceremonial welcome to the Dalai Lama, a mandala offering to enhance positive energies and purify negative influences, chanting of verse composed by the 19th Abbot of Drepung Gomang Monastery, and A Toshi Sholpa (Good Luck Dance). A demonstration of traditional debate shows how debate is used by monks to learn Buddhist principles, with the purpose being to defeat misconceptions and assert a correct view. Dances to honor the Snow Lion, Yak, and Giant Panda will round out the evening. The Snow Lion is a mythological symbol of Tibet. The Yak, a source of butter, meat, transportation, and fuel is also seen mythologically as a messengers of the gods in high places. The endangered Giant Panda, a species that once thrived in Tibet, is seen by Tibetans as a symbol for their own endangered culture after the invasion of Tibet by China in the 1950s.

For more information, please visit the Mariposa Museum Web site, www.mariposamuseum.org or call (603) 924-4555. The Mariposa is located at 26 Main Street in Peterborough and is dedicated to fostering global awareness and understanding across cultural boundaries through exhibits, programs, and educational partnerships.