The ceremony will be Saturday at the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center, with the monks continuing work daily until the sand painting's expected completion on May 10. The center says the monks will create highly detailed sacred designs that will remain on permanent display.

The Dalai Lama will be making his sixth visit to Bloomington, where his late older brother, Thubten Norbu, was an Indiana University professor. He will give public teachings at the IU Auditorium on May 12 and May 13, followed by a May 14 speech at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.