Mandala

(“circle”) As with many Sanskrit terms, a
word with different meanings in different contexts. In the context of geography it can imply a region, as in the case
of the Braj region, known as the Braj
Mandala. In the context of the ras lila,
the circle dance between the god
Krishna and his devotees (bhakta),
mandala refers to the group of devotees
as well as to the shape of the dance itself.
By extension, mandala can refer to any
group of people, although it carries the
connotation of people who have gathered for some serious religious purpose.
In the context of the secret rituallybased religious practice known as
tantra, mandala refers to a symbolic
diagram used as an aid to meditation, as
a ritual accessory, or as a symbolic road
map of the spiritual quest. In this context, mandala is more characteristic of
Buddhist tantra, with Hindu tantrikas
more frequently using the terms yantra
and chakra.
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Manava Dharma Shastra
Mandalas can be depicted as complex concentric designs.