Tibetan Sacrificial Altar – Manidui

Tibetan Sacrificial Altar – Manidui

The Tibetan sacrificial altars could be easily found during Tibet tour in the mountain pass, intersection, lakeside, and river bank in Tibet region, which has been stacked up by lots of stones and slab stones. They are called Tibetan sacrificial altar – Manidui. On the Tibetan sacrificial altar, the different drawings of the "om mani padme hum", the wisdom eye (a mind which perceives both past and future), and the deity, etc, are carved on the stones. It is regarded as the art of Tibetan nation.

Those stones are called Dopang in Tibetan language, which literally mean stacked stones. Dopang is characteristic of two types. One type of the stones is built in front of the village, or the exit of the village. The religious scriptures are carved on the stones to pray the auspicious happiness and drive the devils off. The other type of the stones is always showed on the wayside, the river bank, or the crossroads. The stones are characteristic of the shape of the cone. There are some spears and lances, and paternosters hidden in the stones.

In Tibetan Buddhism region, the stones are regarded as the living lives. The appearance of the sacrificial altar – Manidui is made irregularly. The Buddhism scriptures and the paternoster of "om mani padme hum" are usually carved on the stones.

The Adoration to the Stones

The belief is a common way to show their respect to the nature and deities of many primitive tribes, which the adoration to the stones is the most popular. Some place around the huge stones and rocks are good for pilgrims to atone for their crime, and also, the stones are regarded as the sacred stones. Tibetans thought that even a small stone is also taught by the deities or occupied by the devils.

The stones are not only used to make the living tools, the weapons, but also used to build the house, and the cities. Large numbers of stone implements, sarcophagus, stone tombs, stone watchtowers, etc, which have been explored to be proofs of the great adoration of the stones. Besides, there are many Tibetan stone treasures such as corallite, carnelian cobble, and fossils, etc.

According to the history record, in some regions of Tibet, Tibetans would like to worship the white stones on the roof, the top of the door, and the window. It is the way to show their adoration to the stone deity. Some huge rocks on the mountains are said to be the incarnation of the dragon and fairy.

The Largest Manidui of the World

The largest Manidui of the world is located in a village in Yushu County, Qinghai Province. The Manidui is stacked up by the large numbers of white stones and shaped of the square or the roundness. The number of the stones is said to be over 2 billion. It is regarded as the patron saint of local people.

The Mysterious Manidui

The Tongtian River flows from the Qinghai – Tibet Plateau, and flows through the Snow Mountains of Tangula mountain range and Bayankala Mountain range. There are full of stones in different shapes on both rivers sides. The Buddhism scriptures are caved on the stone. It is the famous "mysterious Manidui of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau". The questions such as who made it, when did it make, etc, are all unable to research without any records.