Tibetan monks will create a sand mandala like the one above in Atlanta beginning Tuesday, October 16 until destruction on the 23rd. Whereas most mosaics may use several hundred carefully cut pieces, the 5′ x 5′ sand mandalas use millions of grains of colored sand. The good news is that the grains don’t need individual gluing. The bad news is that this exacting work is back-breaking, and takes three to five days to complete. And, you know, you can’t hang it in a gallery. The event is free and open to the public, and more information is available here. His Holiness will speak free to the public on Monday, October 22 at Centennial Park.