14th Dalai Lama 90th Birthday Celebration

media release: The Wisconsin Tibetan Association will host a three-day public event celebrating the 90th birthday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, observed worldwide as a Year of Compassion, from December 26 through December 28 at 1502Parkside Drive in Madison.

The event will feature visiting monks from Tashi Kyil Monastery in Dehradun, India, who will create a traditional Medicine Buddha Sand Mandala, symbolizing healing, peace, and compassion. The mandala construction will be open to the public daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Wisconsin Tibetan Association, 1502 Parkside Dr., Madison, allowing visitors to observe this rare and intricate Tibetan Buddhist art form.

In addition to the mandala, the program includes traditional prayers and chanting, meditation, children’s sand painting activities, and cultural performances such as the Chöd ritual and Tashi Shölpa dance. The weekend concludes with a closing ceremony and the ritual dismantling of the mandala on Sunday afternoon.

Organized by the Wisconsin Tibetan Association in partnership with Tashi Kyil Monastery, the event is part of the Tashi Kyil Tour 2025. Proceeds will support education, housing, food, and clothing for more than 120 Tibetan refugee monks living at Tashi Kyil Monastery in northern India. The mandala is sponsored by the Mahayana Dharma Foundation.

The event is free and open to the public, and community members of all backgrounds are welcome.