Buddhist monks will create a beautiful mandala sand painting as the artists in residence at 2012 Musikfest.

The monks of Drepung Loseling of India will create the intricate work of art at Handwerkplatz, in an area that flooded during last year's Musikfest.

During the festival, 12 monks from the monastary will meticulously craft thousands of grains of colored sand into a 9-foot by 9-foot mural. The "Amitayus" signifies environmental healing at the formerly flooded site.

On Thursday at noon, the public is invited to join the monks for a special ceremony to prepare the site for the mandala.

During the ritual, the public will experience music, meditation and mantras as the monks evoke spiritual forces seen and unseen.

At the end of the ceremony, the monks will begin the process of sketching and creating the mandala, a process that will take several days.

At the end of their residency, the monks will carefully sweep away the sand from the mandala, sharing it with the audience and depositing the rest into the Monocacy Creek. This symbolizes the impermanence of life.

This event will take place at a closing ceremony set for Monday at 7 p.m. at Handwerkplatz, located in the Colonial Industrial Quarter in Bethlehem.

Musikfest begins at 5 p.m. Friday and runs through Sunday, August 12.